Asked on Dec 15th, 2012 on Criminal Law - New York
More details to this question:
I plead guilty to a reduced sex crime under the advice of an attorney who was under the influence of drugs Percocet Zanax and who also lied to me influencing my decision he is now on his deathbed is there any way I can take my plea back?
You can file an appeal based on "ineffective assistance of counsel." Getting bad advice from an attorney is one of the few ways you can appeal a guilty plea.
It depends on how long ago your plea was. The longer the period that elapsed, the more difficult it becomes to set aside a plea. I suggest that you contact an experienced criminal defense attorney for a face-to-face consultation and give him/her all of the facts surrounding your case. He/she would then be in a better position to analyze your case and advise you of your options.
In Colorado, there is a procedure to challenge a guilty plea on grounds of ineffective assistance of counsel under Criminal Procedure Rule 35. However, there is a time limit. For misdemeanor convictions, the time limit is 18 months. For felonies, the time limits is 3 years.
Under a recent Supreme Court decision, plea bargaining is an element of "effective representation." If you truly feel that your attorney was not adequate in representing you, then there is a provision in New York that allows you to make a motion to withdraw your plea. However, it has risks associated with it that you should discuss with a new attorney. Best of luck.
You need to get a new attorney and make a motion to vacate the plea based on the ineffective assistance of counsel. Whether the attorney's medical condition effected his performance would have to be investigated. These are not easy motions to win but under the right set of facts they can be won. I suggest you hire a good criminal defense lawyer.
Consumers can use this platform to pose legal questions to real lawyers and receive free insights.
Participating legal professionals get the opportunity to speak directly with people who may need their services, as well as enhance their standing in the Lawyers.com community.