Is there a place that does post conviction pro bono work for criminal offenses in Florida? I have a friend in serious trouble who was really hurt by an attorney who he paid a lot of money to and who didn't even bother to file the appeal he said he was going to file. Now my friend is really stuck! Also, how do I get a copy of the transcripts, and how much would it cost? Are they usually very long? Is it by the page or a flat fee?
2006-07-27 17:26:21 · 3 answers · asked by ArLorax 4 in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
^ ^ What he said.
2006-07-31 06:24:57 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
A private law firm will rarely do post-conviction pro bono work. The reason being is that if a prisoner in almost every state has a right to file a complaint asking for a new trial based on ineffective assistance of counsel. Most states also have an appellate defender's office, who handle these matters for the inmate, after the first filing is made.
If your friend has a complaint about the way the attorney handled his case, then he should contact the state bar association in Florida. If the attorney did not file the appeal, there are several possible reasons for it: 1) The attorney felt that the appeal would be frivelous 2) the attorney had not been paid for the appeal (most appellate work requires a substantial retainer) or 3) it fell through the cracks. I hope it is not the latter.
Regardless, to answer the rest of your request:
You can obtain a transcript of the trial proceedings by contacting the court reporter for the court that heard the case. They generally charge a fee per page for the transcript. The transcripts on a full criminal trial can be extremely long. Expect transcript costs to exceed $1,000. To formulate an appeal would also require a copy of all of the pleadings in the criminal case to be certifed and made part of the record.
Your friend will either need to hire an appellate lawyer, (and then review with that lawyer any action against his first lawyer) or file the appeal pro se and then apply for an appellate defender, (or the equivalent title in Florida).
If you need an appellate lawyer and don't know one, contact your local or Florida bar association for a referral.
2006-07-27 17:52:59 · answer #2 · answered by Phil R 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
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2016-06-12 04:32:13 · answer #3 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋