Appeals and Post-conviction Relief
Ms. Summers has assisted clients with direct appeals, petitions to the Colorado Supreme Court, and post-conviction matters in the trial court including wrongful convictions, harsh sentences, collateral consequences, and record sealing. As appellate and post-conviction counsel, Ms. Summers has:
- Persuaded the Colorado Court of Appeals that the trial court was wrong to deny her client’s post-conviction claims without a hearing.
- Persuaded the Colorado Supreme Court that insurance-related statute violated constitution, resulting in payment of hundreds of thousands of dollars in life insurance benefits to clients.
- Persuaded the government to agree to a 10 year reduction in her client’s prison sentence because his trial attorney was ineffective.
- Persuaded the court that her client’s life sentence on sexual assault charges was unconstitutional, resulting in resentencing and the client’s release from prison.
- Persuaded the court to reduce her client’s sentence by 24 years, resulting in release from prison.
- Persuaded the government that her client’s trial attorney was ineffective, which resulted in changing charge to a petty offense.
- Secured release for her client to serve the remainder of his prison sentence in his home due to high health risk related to COVID-19.
- Pursued re-sentencing of juveniles given unconstitutional sentences to life without the possibility of parole. http://cjdc.org/wp/cjdcresources/juvenile-life-without-parole/
- Persuaded district courts around Colorado to grant evidentiary hearings in post-conviction cases.
