APPEALS & POST-CONVICTION

• State Court Appeals – Rook is licensed to handle state court appeals in all of the Florida district courts of appeal. She is well-versed in both the criminal and civil appellate process and may be able to come up with a plan for moving forward on your appeal, even though you do not see one.
• Federal Court Appeals – Rook is also licensed to handle federal court appeals and can appeal to either the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals (the federal appellate court that handles Florida appeals) or even the United States Supreme Court if it comes to that.
• Habeas Corpus Petitions – Rook also handles habeas corpus petitions, which are often an incarcerated person’s last line of hope.
• 3.800 Motions (Motions to Correct/Modify/Reduce Sentence) – Rook can handle your 3.800 Motion, which can address errors or illegality of a sentence.
• 3.850 Motions (Motions to Set Aside/Vacate/Correct Sentence) – Rook can handle your 3.850 Motion, which can be filed up to 2 years after the sentence becomes final. One type of 3.850 Motion is an “ineffective assistance of counsel” motion, which can be important if your attorney failed to do certain things, like for example, if they failed to convey a potential plea deal offer or failed to object to something very important that could have changed the outcome of a trial. These motions can also include requests that the court examine newly-discovered evidence in your case that could prove that you are innocent.

Please keep in mind that these appeals and motions all have time limits which can be as little as 14 days. Do not delay in seeking advice immediately, before the door is shut forever on your ability to appeal.