Page "Appellate procedure in the United States" Paragraph 22

All States have a post-conviction relief process.

Similar to federal post-conviction relief, an appellant can petition the court to correct alleged fundamental errors that were not corrected on direct review.

Typical claims might include ineffective assistance of counsel and actual innocence based on new evidence.

These proceedings are separate from the direct appeal.

As such, the conviction is considered final.

An appeal from the post conviction court proceeds just as a direct appeal.

That is, it goes to the intermediate appellate court, followed by the highest court.

If the petition is granted the appellant could be released from incarceration, the sentence could be modified, or a new trial could be ordered.