Joseph Sobecki

  • BA, Northwestern University
  • JD, Florida State University College of Law
    • ◦ Licensed to practice law in the United States Supreme Court, 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, Southern District of Florida, Northern District of Ohio, Southern District of Ohio, Central District of California, Western District of Texas, all Florida, California, and Ohio Courts.
  • LinkedIn

Areas of Practice

I focus on the following areas of law:

  • Federal Litigation
  • Appellate Litigation
    • ◦ Some of my recent successful case citations: 2024 Ill. App. 231470 (Ill. App. Ct. 2024), 2025-Ohio-268 (Ct. App.), 2025-Ohio-5258 (Ct. App.), 2026-Ohio-588 (Ct. App.), 2026-Ohio-3198 (Ct. App.), 2026-Ohio-4084 (Ct. App.).
  • Wrongful Imprisonment Claims Under Ohio Revised Code 2743.48
  • Motions to Vacate Conviction or Sentence Under California Penal Code 1473.7
    • ◦ Wrongful imprisonment cases are my favorite class of cases. They often take years.
  • Petitions for Post-Conviction Relief
    • ◦ These are procedurally complicated cases that have a strict time limitation and are filed parallel to but not in place of direct appeals in Ohio appellate courts.
  • Delayed Criminal Appeals in Ohio
    • ◦ I have successfully litigated various delayed criminal appeals in Ohio. However, the grant of a motion for a delayed appeal in Ohio is necessarily separate and distinct from the issue of the case on the merits.
  • Criminal Defense - including drug charges, DUI's, Ohio OVI's, and Ohio Administrative License Suspension Appeals
    • ◦ Whether litigating a civil or criminal matter, it is essential to build a record and preserve important issues for later review by another court. Cases are often ultimately won in a reviewing/appellate court based on issues properly preserved for appeal. I believe that building a record and preserving issues for appeal is one of the most critical tasks of a trial attorney.
  • Ohio Public Record Denials
  • Some Ohio Record Sealing and Expungement
    • ◦ I often do these in conjunction with criminal representation following a dismissal. If a criminal felony in Ohio is not dismissed, a general rule is that the case cannot be expunged until at least eleven years after the end of the sentence (including probation/community control) has surpassed. Many offenses, such as offenses of violence and OVI's, cannot ever be expunged in Ohio. There is a narrow exception for some offenses otherwise not eligible for expungement if the conviction was part of a conviction for another offense that is eligible for expungement. Also, keep in mind that sealing is different from expungement in Ohio. Sealing can often occur before expungement.

Payment

All cases are handled on an hourly fee basis. My hourly rate is $365 per hour for cases in California, $315 per hour for cases Florida, and $260 per hour for cases in Ohio. If you are a military veteran or on active duty, please let me know. I often offer a discretionary reduced hourly rate to all active duty and retired veterans.

Initial consultations/appointments for cases in all states are $210. We will spend as much time as we need together reviewing your case during the initial appointment.

Payment can be made via cash, check, Zelle, Apple Pay, Venmo, Paypal, Cash App, or credit card. All virtual payment options are associated with my email address (joseph@josephsobecki.com) and checks can be mailed to my office.

Home