Actual Innocence in Georgia
Review Georgia actual innocence procedures, issue-specific records, official sources, and attorney or non-attorney support options.
Focus on evidence of factual innocence
An actual-innocence inquiry focuses on whether the person committed the offense. A claim that the trial was unfair may be significant, but it does not by itself satisfy an innocence organization’s intake criteria. Identify evidence that can be independently examined.
Georgia procedure and this issue
Georgia factual-innocence work begins with evidence that the person did not commit the crime, rather than a label applied to every constitutional complaint. Identify the original trial or plea evidence, the genuinely new material and any previous judicial findings. Georgia Innocence Project’s eligibility review is separate from filing a habeas application or seeking a new trial. The official habeas form requires a procedural history and separate factual grounds. A nonprofit referral does not itself preserve the statutory habeas period or satisfy HB 176’s short out-of-time permission window.
Check the record and procedural history
Georgia’s official habeas application separates the original conviction, appeals, earlier collateral proceedings and individual grounds. Its instructions identify different limitation periods for felony and misdemeanor judgments. Finality, a later-accruing statutory basis and the relevant exception must be examined together; a four-year or one-year number cannot be applied just by counting from the date someone first contacted a provider. The form is a starting resource, not a ruling on eligibility or timeliness.
What evidence points to a different person or contradicts participation? Can it be tested or independently verified? Has it already been evaluated by a court?
Help with documents and court representation
PCRC is a non-attorney legal support and document-preparation service for pro se clients. Attorney advice and court representation are distinct services. Compare the provider type and written scope before engaging help; a featured directory listing does not establish a right to relief.
Records for this issue
- New witness material
- forensic or DNA records
- original exhibits
- investigation reports
- trial testimony
Provider roles for this issue
| Type of help | Typical purpose | Confirm first |
|---|---|---|
| Law firm | Legal advice and court representation | Licensing, case fit, and engagement terms |
| Non-attorney legal support | Document preparation, research, organization | Permitted scope; who signs and files |
| Nonprofit / innocence review | Qualifying case review or legal services | Eligibility, intake, and representation status |
| Official resources | Forms, rules, records, and court contacts | Current version and local requirements |
Listings have no scores or ratings. Listing methodology
Georgia Innocence Project
Free representation for qualifying Georgia convictions involving crimes the applicant did not commit. Eligibility is innocence-focused.
Post-Conviction Relief Center (PCRC)
Non-attorney legal support and document preparation for people representing themselves. PCRC operates this directory; services do not include attorney representation.
Michael Kennedy McIntyre & Associates
Atlanta firm focused on Georgia post-conviction representation, including state and federal habeas matters.
Brownstone Law
Publishes Georgia post-conviction and habeas representation. Ask the firm which attorney would handle your case and confirm coverage.
Wallack Law
Atlanta firm publishing post-conviction services including new-trial motions and habeas petitions.
Georgia Courts — Inmate Forms
Official civil-action and habeas application forms, including requests to proceed without prepaying costs.
Related Georgia guides
Sources for Actual Innocence
Common questions
Does finding a provider preserve a court deadline?
No. A directory visit, inquiry or service agreement is not itself a court filing. Use the actual judgment and filing history to check the procedure, current requirements and any applicable exception.
What records are useful for this inquiry?
Start with new witness material, forensic or dna records, original exhibits, investigation reports, trial testimony. Include all earlier orders on the same subject rather than sending only a new summary.
PCRC offers non-attorney legal support and document preparation for pro se clients.
Updated October 8, 2026. General information; the appropriate filing, deadline, and relief depend on the case. Provider information is based on linked public pages, not a licensing audit.