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Donations to the Fund Are Not Wasted! Here’s Why

Recently, someone asked if it was not a waste to donate to the JAA Appellate Fund since Jodi’s appeal to overturn her wrongful conviction was denied in 2021 by the Court of Appeals of Arizona. Given how complex the legal system is, this was a good question that others may have also wondered. The short answer is, no, it’s not a waste. Here is an explanation:

Jodi was appointed public defenders in 2015 to file her direct appeal with the Court of Appeals of Arizona. That court upheld her wrongful conviction in 2021 despite acknowledging gross prosecutorial misconduct by now-disbarred Juan Martinez.

Jodi was then appointed lawyers who are now in the process of filing for post-conviction relief (PCR). They have yet to file this brief because the case file is enormous and they are still preparing. This brief will be filed with the Superior Court of Maricopa County. After this, her court-appointed representation will end, which means she will have to pay for a lawyer beyond this point.

So what is beyond this point? Well, if Jodi is granted relief from the PCR process (meaning the judge agrees that Jodi did not receive a fair trial), the clock restarts in her case, and the fund will be used to get a good pretrial lawyer. This is written into the instructions of the trust.

If she is not granted relief (meaning the court upholds her wrongful conviction), the fund will be used to retain a lawyer to petition the federal court circuits all the way to the U. S. Supreme Court, if necessary.

Because Arizona is loath to admit just how badly Jodi’s case has been handled, it will likely take a higher court to hold Arizona’s lower courts accountable.

Yet now that the trial judge, Sherri Stephens, has retired, a different superior court judge may recognize the utter circus that was Jodi’s trial and throw out Jodi’s wrongful conviction. This is certainly a legal possibility.

In either of the above scenarios (relief or no relief), the JAA Appellate Fund will be greatly needed:

1. To retain a lawyer to continue petitioning federal courts on Jodi’s behalf.
2. To retain a lawyer to represent her in the pretrial process. Technically, she could be appointed another public defender under this scenario, but given how terribly that worked out the first time, retaining a private lawyer would be the better way to go. The JAA Appellate Fund allows for this scenario.

Lawyers are expensive, and you often get what you pay for, so let’s empower Jodi to afford the best legal representation possible. Please click or tap the button below to donate now.

All donations made via this website go directly to the JAA APPELLATE FUND, for assisting with the legal fees associated with appealing Jodi’s wrongful conviction. All donations are confidential. This is the ONLY website authorized to collect donations.