If you are currently employed or are looking for a job being convicted of a crime is the last thing you want as an “achievement” on your resume. Whether it is a misdemeanor charge or felony having your name in the convicted list can harm your ability to find a job for a long time. First thing any employer will do when screening your job application is to run background check. If you are found to be on the convicted list it will immediately rule out your chances of getting a job interview.
That is why it is important that you stay away from committing crime in the first place. And if you are convicted of crime you should do everything you can to appeal it and clear your name from the record. Here are some key facts to keep in mind if you do plan to file an appeal after being convicted of crime.
Anyone who has been convicted of crime by a lower court can appeal his case to higher court for review if they feel that they have been wrongfully convicted of a criminal offense or believe that justice was not properly served. You can only file an appeal if you did not plead guilty or “no contest” to criminal charges unless there were issues related to the legality of the plea itself or the jurisdiction of the trial court.
It is important to keep the deadline for appeal in mind. Once you have been convicted by the lower court you only have 30 days for misdemeanor crime and 60 days for felony within which you have to file an appeal. If you fail to meet this deadline you will forfeit your right for an appeal. It is very important to contact reputable attorney such as Pat Ford Appeals right away after you have been convicted of crime so you don’t lose precious time and miss the deadline.
Now, you cannot appeal the lower court verdict without any ground. There has to be some errors at the trial court level for you to be able to appeal. Some of the errors include, but not limited to, error on the part of the judge, juror misconduct, prosecutorial misconduct, ineffective assistance of counsel, etc.
Having a criminal conviction on your record can have negative impact on many facets of your life, including job search. If you are convicted by lower court make sure you appeal the decision in a timely manner to have a chance to overturn that verdict and prove your innocence.
