Get Help from a Raleigh Criminal Lawyer to Overturn Your Conviction

The recent story of a man currently serving a life sentence at Polk Correctional Institute sounds more like a Hollywood movie or TV crime drama.

In 2012, Kelvin Melton was convicted of being a habitual felon and of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill. He was put there with the help of Assistant District Attorney Colleen Janssen.

In an attempt to exact revenge and perhaps negotiate for the overturn of his conviction, Melton arranged for Wake County prosecutor to be kidnapped by a group he assembled while in prison. But the group got the wrong address and kidnapped the father of Ms. Janssen instead. News website WRAL.com reports on the massive blunder:

“A team of kidnappers accused of abducting a Wake Forest man from his home earlier this month meant to take his daughter but went to the wrong house, authorities allege in court documents.

Federal indictments handed down Tuesday in the kidnapping of Frank Janssen reveal that the intended target was his daughter, Wake County Assistant District Attorney Colleen Janssen. She won a conviction two years ago against the alleged ringleader, Kelvin Melton, which put him in prison for life.

Instead, authorities said, the group assembled from behind bars by Melton obtained the wrong address from an Internet search and wound up in Wake Forest, where they used a stun gun to subdue Frank Janssen after he answered a knock on his door.”

Our thoughts go out to Ms. Janssen and her family for the traumatic events they have been through. We greatly appreciate and value the people who work in the District Attorney’s office and are glad to know that the members of the group have all been arrested.

There is a right and wrong way to overturn a conviction. Kidnapping the family members of the prosecuting attorney is definitely the wrong way.

While many people will tell you that there’s nothing you can do about a criminal charge once you are convicted, that is not necessarily true. There are ways to overturn a conviction, but in order to do so you will need the help of a capable criminal defense attorney.

No matter what legal avenue you pursue to try to overturn your conviction, the bottom line is that your chances are only as good as the lawyer you work with. If you’re looking to hire a Raleigh criminal lawyer for representation, contact a trusted and established law firm like Kurtz & Blum, PLLC. Our experienced criminal lawyers provide free case evaluation and initial consultation in the office or by phone. Call us today at 919-832-7700.

(Source: Feds: Kidnappers went to wrong house, Wral.com, Apr. 22, 2014)