Two videos from attorney Greg McCollum cover legal options at different stages of a criminal case. The first looks at whether to accept pretrial intervention after an arrest, and the second explains post-conviction relief for people who have lost an appeal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I accept PTI: pretrial intervention on my charges?
Sometimes the question comes up of whether or not you should accept pretrial intervention as the result of an arrest. Pretrial intervention is a good program. It results in the dismissal of all charges. However, it is fairly extensive. A person must do community service hours, and a person has to go through drug and alcohol counseling, and that is good if the person needs that.
At the same time, not everybody needs that, and that is not the best result for everyone. You should contact a lawyer to get that answer for your situation. Contact the Complete Legal Defense Team. This is something the team deals with every week, and the team can give you the right answer so that you can make an intelligent and informed decision of whether or not you should go into pretrial intervention.
What is Post Conviction Relief? Who is eligible?
Post-Conviction Relief is a process whereby people try to get their conviction overturned even though they have lost their appeal. If someone is convicted in court, whether by a guilty plea or by a trial, and they appeal their case to a higher court and the appeal is denied, their last course or one of the last recourses that they have is Post-Conviction Relief. It is a form, an application that can be filled out.
You can do it with or without a lawyer. To do it successfully, you are going to need a skillful lawyer to help you with that. What you have to show is that you were not treated fairly, that the level of representation fell below any acceptable standard of representation, and that the failure of receiving quality representation changed, or most likely changed, the outcome of your case so that, if you had been properly represented, you would not in all likelihood have been convicted.
Greg McCollum brings 30 years of experience and a background as a former prosecutor to criminal defense cases in South Carolina. Whether you are weighing pretrial intervention after an arrest or considering post-conviction relief after a lost appeal, an attorney who has seen both sides of the courtroom can help you understand your options.
If you have questions about pretrial intervention and post-conviction relief, call the Greg McCollum Complete Legal Defense Team at (843) 626-5480. Consultations are confidential.