After seven years of being behind bars, a Taney County man - who's always maintained his claim of innocence - may finally be getting the break he's been looking for, as his conviction was overturned.

The case against the 36-year-old Missouri man went back to March 2004. At that time, he was charged with a sex crime after a pre-teen claimed to have been touched inappropriately by the man. After being charged, he has his day in court, and after just a mere 20 minutes of deliberation, the jury found the man guilty. He was subsequently sentenced to serve 12 years in prison.

However, the 36-year-old continued to claim he was innocent, and even behind bars never gave up on appealing the conviction.

In March 2010 the Missouri Supreme Court appointed a St. Louis Circuit judge to hear an appeal. At that time, the basis for the appeal was centered on the fact that the 36-year-old's own attorney had negatively impacted his case by not missing a deadline to appeal.

More than a year and half after the Supreme Court reassigned the case, the conviction was overturned, and the Christian County prosecutor was given 45 days to appeal. It does not appear that any appeal was ever filed after the conviction was overturned.

Overall this case highlights the fact that it is possible to seek relief after conviction, and also shows the importance of hiring a qualified attorney who will stand up for your rights, and not miss important deadlines in your case.

Source: Springfield News-Leader, "Taney County man cleared of sex crime conviction," Jan. 30, 2012