adminA conviction is the finding by a court that someone committed a crime. It can happen through a guilty plea, a jury verdict or a judge’s ruling. A criminal conviction can have direct consequences, like jail time or a fine, but most convicted people also face what are known as collateral consequences. These can impact the ability to find a job or even to get a driver’s license, and they can make it difficult to get housing, and sometimes even to access public benefits.
For example, a conviction can make it harder for someone to obtain professional licensure (like a plumber or barber), to rent an apartment and often prevents them from applying for certain loans. It can also limit a person’s career options, cause them to lose the opportunity to have children or even to travel internationally. The National Inventory of Collateral Consequences is a great resource to learn more about the wide range of restrictions that can come with a conviction.
If a person feels they were wrongly convicted, they can file a petition for post-conviction relief. The appeals courts review the case based on written arguments from both parties and, in some cases, oral presentations from attorneys. The appellate judges will determine whether any legal errors occurred and how they might have affected the outcome of the trial. If the appellate court finds that there were no errors, the conviction will stand; if they decide that there was an error and that it likely impacted the result, they may overturn the conviction.
