Can a PCRA checklist determine whether a person is eligible?

No. A checklist can organize information, but it cannot determine eligibility or predict relief. The statute, current law, and the specific record control any legal analysis.

What should be organized before a professional review?

Start with a factual and procedural inventory: sentence information, docket entries, prior filings, court orders, appeal history, and records that are missing or incomplete.

Eligibility: questions to bring to counsel

Eligibility: questions to bring to counsel

Organize questions and case records for a Pennsylvania PCRA eligibility review without relying on a general checklist for legal advice.