In recent years, there have been several major developments in the law enabling individuals to go back to court post-conviction for felony resentencing hearings. These developments followed significant Washington Supreme Court decisions and legislative changes to statutes that govern felony sentencing in Washington. All of these changes mean a chance at resentencing exists for many individuals serving prison sentences, all through post-conviction litigation. Post-conviction relief is a complicated area within criminal law that involves evaluating a case after a trial or guilty plea. There are both procedural and substantive rules specific to this area that govern whether counsel may be appointed, whether relief is warranted and to what extent any relief is available.

In this CLE, experienced post-conviction and trial level criminal defense attorney and presenter Jeff Ellis will discuss changes in the law and landscape of post-conviction relief for individuals who may be eligible for a resentencing hearing in Washington State, procedural issues and legal strategies to consider, and pitfalls to avoid.

To register for this program, email wda@defensenet.org with “Post-Conviction” in the subject line. 1.0 Law and Legal Credits have been requested from the WSBA for this CLE.