The Habeas Citebook: Ineffective Assistance of Counsel (2nd Edition)
Paperback, 275 pages. Written by Brandon Sample and Alissa Hull.
Prison Legal News Publishing (2016). ISBN 978-0-9819385-4-7
The Habeas Citebook: Ineffective Assistance of Counsel helps people raise claims that a defense lawyer’s mistakes hurt their case. That is one of the most common claims raised after a conviction.
The book cites published and unpublished decisions from federal appeals courts and district courts. It sorts those cases into 40 categories — from lawyers who failed to investigate a defense, to conflicts of interest, to bad advice about an appeal.
It also includes material for a person preparing a habeas petition or other challenge to a conviction: the text of key rules, sample briefs, and guidance on procedure.
As you would expect from a book published by Prison Legal News, The Habeas Citebook is a well-researched resource for prisoners and lawyers alike, both for reviewing a former lawyer’s performance and for building well-supported ineffective-assistance claims.
Pardons and Commutations of Sentences: The Complete Guidebook to Applying for Clemency
Paperback, 259 pages. Written by David L. Mathis and Brandon Sample, Esq.
Prisology Press (2019). ISBN 978-1797428079
The President can grant pardons and commutations for federal crimes (U.S. Const. art. II, § 2, cl. 1). A pardon forgives a conviction and can ease some of its lasting effects. A commutation shortens a sentence.
People usually ask for a pardon after they finish their sentence. People still in prison usually ask for a commutation. This guidebook explains how to apply for federal clemency and what to put in the petition.
Questions about your case? Book a consultation to talk it through with Brandon Sample.