Pennsylvania post-conviction lawyer
The verdict was not the end of the case.
A Post-Conviction Relief Act petition can reopen a Pennsylvania conviction. The deadline is one year, and the courts do not extend it. We find out, quickly, whether there is still time and whether there is something worth filing.
Review fee quoted before any work begins. Families welcome to call on behalf of someone incarcerated.
Start here
Is there still time?
A first PCRA petition is due one year after the judgment of sentence became final. When that happened depends on what happened on appeal. Answer two questions and we will estimate the date.
This is an estimate. Post-sentence motions, reinstated appeal rights, and court holidays move the date, and a petition filed after the deadline can still be heard under three narrow exceptions. Treat the result as a reason to call, not a conclusion.
What can reopen a case
The record is not the whole story.
A direct appeal is limited to what happened in the courtroom. A PCRA petition can reach what did not: the witness who was never called, the deal the jury never heard about, the detective whose methods came out years later. These are the grounds the statute recognizes, 42 Pa.C.S. § 9543.
- Ineffective assistance of counselTrial, plea, or appellate counsel failed to investigate, object, advise, or appeal, with no reasonable strategy and a real effect on the outcome. The most common ground, and the one most often lost by petitions that state it in general terms.
- Newly discovered evidenceA recantation, a confession, a file the defense never saw. New facts can reopen a case years later, if they could not have been found earlier and the petition is filed within a year of learning them.
- Brady violationsThe prosecution, or its police, held evidence favorable to the defense and did not disclose it. The engine behind most Philadelphia petitions built on a discredited officer.
- An unlawfully induced pleaA guilty plea entered on bad advice about the sentence, the elements, or the consequences.
- An illegal sentenceA sentence beyond the lawful maximum, an unconstitutional mandatory minimum, a term the court had no authority to impose.
- Lost appeal rightsCounsel never filed the appeal that was asked for. Courts routinely reinstate the right, but only through a timely petition.
Who this is for
Most people who call are not lawyers.
They are the person serving the sentence, or a parent, spouse, or sibling trying to find out what can still be done. Most of our cases come from Philadelphia and the surrounding counties. These are the situations we hear about most.
The trial lawyer made mistakes
Witnesses were never contacted, evidence was never challenged, a plea was recommended without explaining the consequences, or an appeal was never filed.
Something new has come to light
A witness recanted, a co-defendant admitted the truth, a police officer in the case was later discredited, or records surfaced that the defense never received. The window to act is short once the fact is known.
The direct appeal just ended
The Superior Court affirmed, or the Supreme Court denied allowance of appeal, and the family was told "that's it." It usually is not. The year to file starts now.
A petition was already denied
A denial can be appealed within 30 days, a second petition can sometimes be filed under an exception, and federal habeas corpus may still be available. Prior denials narrow the path; they do not always close it.
What the courts said this year
2026 in the appellate courts.
Petitions that turn on a particular Philadelphia officer are handled by name. What the courts have found, and not found, about the officers most often raised in PCRA petitions.
How a case review works
A straight answer, in order.
Send the basics
County, year of sentencing, and what happened on appeal. The form takes about three minutes.
We check the clock
From the public docket we determine when the judgment became final and how much time, if any, remains.
We read the record
If the timeline works, we review the docket, opinions, and whatever documents you have to find claims worth raising.
You get an answer
We take the case, refer it to a lawyer better suited to it, or explain plainly why a petition is unlikely to succeed. The review fee is quoted in advance.
John A. Julian, Esq.
One practice area. Every inquiry read by the lawyer.
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, May 27, 2026
Briefed and argued by John Julian in the Superior Court and the Supreme Court. Reversed, with every Justice agreeing in the result: the Commonwealth cannot keep seized property after dismissing the charges without a statute that lets it.
John Julian is a Philadelphia attorney whose practice is focused on post-conviction work: PCRA petitions, direct and collateral appeals, and federal habeas corpus. He represents people convicted in the Court of Common Pleas across Pennsylvania and briefs cases in the Superior Court and the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, where he has briefed, argued, and won, most recently in In re Shepard Smith (Pa. 2026).
Because the practice is focused, he reviews every inquiry personally. When a case falls outside what he handles, he refers it to a lawyer who does, rather than taking on work that belongs with someone else.
- Admitted to practice in Pennsylvania, Bar No. 332603
- J.D., Temple University Beasley School of Law
- B.A., Economics, University of Pittsburgh
- Post-conviction, appellate, and federal habeas practice since 2022
Check any lawyer before you pay anyone. Every Pennsylvania lawyer has a public record with the Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. Search by name or bar number and confirm the status is "Active."
My record: John A. Julian, Bar No. 332603 | More about this office and how to reach it
Common questions
Common questions.
What is a PCRA petition?
It is the Pennsylvania procedure for challenging a conviction or sentence after the direct appeal is over. It is filed in the same county court where the case was tried, and it can lead to a new trial, a new sentence, or reinstatement of appeal rights.
How long do I have to file?
Generally one year from the date the judgment of sentence became final. If no direct appeal was filed, that is usually 30 days after sentencing. If an appeal was taken, it depends on when the last appellate court ruled and whether further review was sought. Exceptions exist but are narrow and have their own one-year windows.
Can a PCRA petition be filed if the deadline already passed?
Only if one of three exceptions applies: interference by government officials, facts that were unknown and could not have been discovered with due diligence, or a new constitutional right held to apply retroactively. The petition must be filed within one year of the date the exception could first have been raised.
Is a PCRA petition the same as an appeal?
No. A direct appeal argues that legal errors occurred at trial based on the existing record. A PCRA petition can raise matters outside that record, such as what trial counsel failed to do or evidence that was never presented. Many people need both, in order.
Do I need a lawyer for a first PCRA petition?
A person who cannot afford counsel is entitled to appointed counsel on a first petition in Pennsylvania. Appointed counsel is often stretched thin. Retained counsel can devote the time a case needs and can begin before the deadline is close.
What does it cost?
There is a fee for the case review, quoted in advance. If we take the case, fees for the petition depend on the work involved and are set out in writing before anything starts. If the case is referred to another lawyer, that lawyer sets their own terms directly with you.
Can a family member handle this for someone in prison?
Yes. Most of our first conversations are with family. The person serving the sentence must sign the petition and any fee agreement, but family can gather documents, relay information, and coordinate with counsel.
Request a case review
Send the basics.
Enough to check the deadline and the docket. An attorney responds within one business day. Details can be discussed by phone; do not include anything you would not put in an email.