Pennsylvania Trial Litigation, Criminal Appeals, Post-Conviction, and Innocence Lititgation

Since 2020, the Cooley Law Office has overturned eight first- and/or second-degree murder convictions and life without parole sentences: (1) Arthur Johnson's (Philadelphia County; February 2020); (2) Andrew Swainson's (Philadelphia County; June 2020); (3) Jayquon Massey's (Allegheny County; July 2021); (4) Rafiq Dixon's (Philadelphia County; April 2022); (5) Marvin Robinson's (Dauphin County; January 2023); (6) Donta Regusters (Philadelphia County; August 2023);  (7) Bruce Reese (Philadelphia County; September 2023); and (8) Reafeal Fields (Philadelphia County; November 2023). The Cooley Law Office, therefore, gets results.

The Cooley Law Office is dedicated to providing top-notch representation for those seeking post-trial (direct appeal) representation, post-conviction representation in state and federal court, and representation to file a clemency petition before the Pennsylvania Pardon's Board.  The Cooley Law Office has unique experience preparing clemency petitions and arguing before the Pardon's Board.  

The Cooley Law Office has significant experience litigating serious felonies, including death penalty cases, murders, sexual assaults, kidnappings, robberies, DUIs, and other felonies, as well as seeking DNA testing for innocent prisoners. 

The Cooley Law Office has offices in Pittsburgh and litigates state and federal appeals and post-conviction petitions across the Commonwealth.  Mr. Cooley litigates cases in the Common Pleas Court, Superior Court, Pennsylvania Supreme Court, as well as the Federal District Courts in the Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts and the Third Circuit Court of Appeals.

Mr. Cooley with Donte Regustors on August 18, 2023 - shortly after he walked out of SCI-Frackville after 13 years of wrongful imprisonment for an August 2010 homicide that he didn't commit.  Mr. Cooley represented Donte from 2000 to 2023. 

Donte Regustors hugging his son for the first time outside prison walls on August 18, 2023.  Donte's son was born in August 2010 - only two months before Donte was wrongly arrested, prosecuted, and ultimatley convicted.  

Mr. Cooley with Marvin Robinson on January 27, 2023 - shortly after he walked out of Dauphin County Courthouse after 22 years of wrongful imprisonment for a May 2000 homicide that occurred in downtown Harrisburg.  Mr. Cooley represented Marvin from 2021 to 2023.

Mr. Cooley with Rafiq Dixon and his family  on April 21, 2022 - the day Rafiq walked out of SCI-Phoenix.  Rafiq served 11 years for a murder he didn't commit.  A PCRA court overturned his first-degree murder conviction on April 6, 2022.  For more information regarding Rafiq's case please see the Philadelphia Inquirer's article. Mr. Cooley represented Rafiq from 2014 to 2022.

Craig M. Cooley is a former Investigator with the Appellate Defender's Office in Chicago, Assistant Federal Defender in Las Vegas, and Staff Attorney with the New York Innocence Project. Mr. Cooley has investigated and litigated significant felony, death penalty, and innocence cases for the last 20 years.  He has helped prove the innocence of more than a dozen wrongly convicted men with DNA and non-DNA evidence as a law student, investigator, and attorney.

Mr. Cooley's areas of practice are:

Please listen to the Undiclosed Podcast featuring my client, John Brookins's, case from Bucks County (PA).  John has been in prison since June 1991 for the December 20, 1990 murder of Shelia Ginsberg.  However, there's substantial evidence implicating Shelia's daughter, Sharon Ginsberg, with Shelia's murder.  Most notably, six people testified on John's behalf at his 1992 trial and said Sharon had confessed to murdering her mother.  

In terms of his post-conviction and innocence litigation, Mr. Cooley has investigated and worked on the following DNA and non-DNA exonerations and illegl conviction cases as a law student, investigator, or attorney:

• Leroy Orange  (IL 2003) (investigator)
• Lawerence McKinney (TN 2009)
• Ronnie Milligan (NV 2010); represented while at LV-CHU; overturned first-degree murder and death sentence; represented.
• Jonathan Barr (IL 2011); represented while at IP; rape-murder DNA exoneration.
• James Hardens (IL 2011); represented by Univ. of Chicago Exoneration Project; rape-murder DNA exoneration.
• Robert Taylor (IL 2011); represented by NWU's Center on Wrongful Convictions; rape-murder DNA exoneration.
• Robert Veal (IL 2011); represented by Valorem Law Group; rape-murder DNA exoneration.
• Shainne Sharp (IL 2011); represented by private counsel; rape-murder DNA exoneration.
• Michael Saunders (IL 2011); represented while at IP; rape-murder DNA exoneration.
• Terrill Swift (IL 2011); represented by NWU's Center on Wrongful Convictions; rape-murder DNA exoneration. 
• Harold Richardson (IL 2011); represented by Univ. of Chicago Exoneration Project; rape-murder DNA exoneration.
• Vincent Thames (IL 2011); represented by Valorem Law Group; rape-murder DNA exoneration.
• Sedrick Courtney (OK 2012); represented while at IP; robbery DNA exoneration.
• Willie Grimes (NC 2012); represented while at NCCAI; rape non-DNA exoneration.
• Larry Lamb (NC 2013); represented while at NCCAI; murder non-DNA exoneration.
• Randy Mills (TN 2014); represented while at IP; overturned child sexual assault conviction w/ DNA evidence. 
• Ricky Lee Nelson (TN 2014); represented while at IP; used serology evidence to produce time-served plea deal regarding underlying rape conviction.
• Lewis Fogle (PA 2015); represented while at IP; located physical evidence; represented by IP Staff Atty, Karen Thompson; rape-murder DNA exoneration. 
• Kevin Siehl (PA 2016); represented while at IP; represented by Federal Public Defender, Lisa Freeland; first-degree murder conviction overturned due to Brady violation. 
• Anthony Wright (PA 2016); wrote allocatur petition that resulted in the DNA testing that proved Mr. Wright's innocence; represented by Peter Neufeld and Samuel Silver at re-trial; rape-murder DNA exoneration.
• Henry Surpris (NC 2016); North Carolina Court of Appeals overturned robbery conviction based on significant Brady violations and prosecutorial misconduct; resulted in ADA's firing and reprimand from the NC State Bar.
• John Kunco (PA 2018); represented while at IP; represented by IP Staff Atty, Karen Thompson; rape DNA exoneration.
• Johnny Tallbear (OK 2018); represented while at IP; located physical evidence; represented by IP Staff Atty, Karen Thompson; murder DNA exoneration.
• Perry Lott (OK 2018) represented while at IP; found physical evidence; represented by IP Staff Atty, Karen Thompson; rape DNA exoneation.
• K.V. (PA 2019) represented in 2019; overturned corruption of a minor conviction based on newly-discovered facts (name kept confidential for legal reasons).
• Arthur Johnson (PA 2020); represented for 4 years [2016 to 2020]; the Third Circuit Court of Appeals overturned Mr. Johnson's 2009 first-degree murder conviction based on Bruton violation; in 2022, Mr. Johnson pled guilty to third-degree murder in exchange for a favorable sentence.  Mr. Johnson was paroled in August 2023.
• Andrew Swainson (PA 2020); represented for 13 years [2007 to 2020]; the PCRA court overturned Mr. Swainson's first-degree murder conviction based on signficant Brady violations and a strong innocence claim; the District Attorney's Office dismissed all charges; Mr. Swainson served 31 years in prison - from 1989 to 2020.
• Jayquon Massey (PA 2021); represented for 5 years [2016 to 2021]; the Third Circuit Court of Appeals overturned Mr. Massey's 2008 first-degree murder conviction based on trial counsel's ineffectiveness; in 2022, Mr. Massey pled guilty to third-degree murder and received a new sentence of 14 to 28 years.
• Rafiq Dixon (PA 2022); represented for 8 years [2014 to 2022]; the PCRA court overturned Mr. Dixon's first-degree murder conviction based on trial counsel's failure to present credible alibi testimony; the District Attorney's Office dismissed all charges; Mr. Dixon served nearly 12 years - from 2010 to 2022.
• Marvin Robinson (PA 2023); represented for 2 years [2021 to 2023]; the PCRA court overturned Mr. Robinson's first-degree murder conviction based on trial counsel's ineffectiveness and strong evidence Mr. Robinson was, in fact, innocent; Mr. Robinson pled no contest (Alford plea) to third-degree murder and received a time-served sentence of 22-years in prison.  Mr. Robinsin served 22 years in prison - from 2001 to 2023.
• Donta Regusters (PA 2023); represented for 3 years [2020 to 2023]; the PCRA court overturned Mr. Regusters's first-degree murder conviction based on Brady violations regarding former - and now convicted - homicide detective Phillip Nordo; the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office immediately dismissed all charges; Mr. Regusters served nearly 13 years - from 2010 to 2023.
• Bruce Reese (PA 2023); represented for 8 years [2015 to 2023]; the Eastern District of Pennsylvania overturned Mr. Reese's second-degree murder convictions because the Commonwealth suppressed material evidence; Mr. Reese has been incarcerated since 1983.
• Reafeal Fields (PA 2023); represented for 9 years [2014 to 2023]; the PCRA court overturned Mr. Fields's first-degree murder conviction based on Brady violations regarding former - and now convicted - homicide detective Phillip Nordo; the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office ("DAO") presented Mr. Fields with a third-degree murder plea offer that Mr. Fields accepted because "it was in his best interests" because it came with a 21- to 42-year sentence - which is far better than previous life without parole sentence.  In his plea colloquy, Mr. Fields didn't admit guilt; he simply acknowledged the DAO had evidence that could possibly lead to his reconviction for first-degree murder - and it was "in his best interests" to take the 21- to 42-year sentence instead of risking another life without parole sentence.