I was innocentbutI served 37½ years

A voice for the innocent

Stopping wrongful convictions
before they happen

A prisoner in an orange jumpsuit is escorted by guards down a prison corridor

Across the United States, thousands of people have been imprisoned for crimes they didn’t commit – often because of deep-rooted flaws in the criminal justice system.

It can take years, even decades, of legal work to prove their innocence.

We believe in early intervention

We created AppCounsel because we want to give the innocent a better chance of getting a fair trial.

Our goal is to connect vulnerable individuals with high-quality legal support: both in the form of education about the criminal process, and by securing capable private lawyers who can represent them.

By intervening early in the criminal case, AppCounsel hopes to prevent wrongful conviction and spare innocent families from the horror of wrongful incarceration.

How it works

AppCounsel is a free website and app that will provide critical legal support for people who have been arrested and charged with crimes.

Education

AppCounsel will provide resources to help individuals understand their rights and how the justice system works, so they can better advocate for themselves

Connect with Private Counsel

AppCounsel will connect the accused with a network of defense lawyers and private investigators in their area who can represent them. These lawyers and investigators will be funded by private donors and sponsors

Why we need to act

The scale of wrongful convictions is a national scandal. Estimates suggest up to 6% of US prisoners are innocent of the crimes for which they were sentenced. That’s up to 120,000 people.

Overstretched public defenders, officials who withhold key evidence, convictions based on false testimony… many of the causal factors are locked into the legal system.

120,000 people 0 people

potential number of wrongfully convicted US prisoners (4-6% of prison population)

54 % 0 %

of wrongful convictions involved official misconduct

7 minutes 0 minutes

is the average time a public defender in New Orleans can give to a case

Why wrongful convictions happen

Mistaken identification

Convictions often rely on a single eyewitness identification, which is vulnerable to error, especially when it involves cross-racial identification

False confessions

Innocent people confess for many reasons, including physical intimidation, unfair interrogation techniques and false assurances of release or better treatment

Official Misconduct

At both the investigative stage (coercing witnesses, fabricating evidence, or improper interrogation techniques), and the trial stage (concealing favorable evidence or introducing false testimony)

Flawed forensics

Several forensic disciplines developed within law enforcement have not been subject to vigorous testing (e.g. bite mark analysis and hair follicle comparisons, now widely regarded as junk science)

Perjured testimony

Many wrongful convictions have relied almost exclusively on perjured testimony from a single witness. False testimony is often offered in exchange for favorable treatment or dismissal of charges, or in response to threats

Jailhouse Informants

Too often relied upon by prosecutors to ensure a conviction when the evidence is not compelling enough and they know informants have significant incentive to offer the desired testimony

Photograph of Donna Fehrmann, founder of AppCounsel

About AppCounsel

I first started working on wrongful convictions in 2018, when a young man I was mentoring was charged with a crime he didn’t commit.

As I reviewed his case file, I was horrified by the miscarriage of justice I now know is the norm for too many young Black men charged with a crime who can’t afford private defense counsel. For him, justice and a fair trial was not guaranteed.

That’s why we launched AppCounsel. We believe that through early intervention, education, and connecting those who need counsel with true advocates who can help, we can start to prevent wrongful convictions before they happen.

Donna Mulvihill FehrmannFounder, AppCounselA New York and DC lawyer, Donna has litigated for most of her 25-year legal career, in private practice and now acting as in-house counsel.

AppCounsel will make a powerful difference to people who find themselves facing the prospect of wrongful conviction.

Chris TurnerWrongfully imprisoned for 26 years
Now an AppCounsel Ambassador

AppCounsel celebrates its first victory!

AppCounsel client released after successful appeals reduce his 12½ to 25 year sentence for check fraud

Get involved

As a nonprofit, AppCounsel relies on the generosity of supporters to fund and resource our work.

There are two key ways you can help. If you work in the legal profession, you may like to consider volunteering your time and skills through the AppCounsel legal network. If you would like to offer financial support, we welcome donations of any size. Your support will make a powerful difference to the lives of vulnerable individuals and their families.

Donate now

All donations are tax-deductible and will be used to provide legal representation for accused clients in need.

Prefer to donate directly? Donate with PayPal.