Understanding Post-Conviction Relief in Georgia
Review Georgia post-conviction relief procedures, issue-specific records, official sources, and attorney or non-attorney support options.
Understanding the starting point
Post-conviction review concerns an existing conviction or sentence. Begin by identifying the judgment, whether a direct appeal is pending or complete, and what new issue needs examination. A disappointing result alone does not identify a procedural route.
Georgia procedure and this issue
Georgia’s postjudgment routes include direct-review procedures, a motion for new trial, state habeas and executive clemency. HB 176 changed specified criminal appeal and plea procedures in 2025, so an older description that offers only habeas after every missed appeal can be incomplete. Its out-of-time permission route has short statutory windows, while state habeas uses its own limitations framework. Separate the conviction court, place of confinement and the exact missed filing before deciding which court process is under discussion.
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 issue has not yet received a full review? Which record or witness can support it? What earlier filing addressed the same subject?
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
- Judgment and sentence
- docket
- appeal opinions and mandate
- prior motions and orders
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
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 Innocence Project
Free representation for qualifying Georgia convictions involving crimes the applicant did not commit. Eligibility is innocence-focused.
Georgia Courts — Inmate Forms
Official civil-action and habeas application forms, including requests to proceed without prepaying costs.
Related Georgia guides
Sources for Post-Conviction Relief
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 judgment and sentence, docket, appeal opinions and mandate, prior motions and orders. 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.