Many prisoners appeal their convictions because of ineffective assistance of counsel. Some courts have recognized that ineffective assistance also can be raised on direct appeal to the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA).If your criminal defense lawyer is in over their head or incompetent, you could be convicted where an acquittal or dismissal was possible or even likely. First, the defendant must demonstrate that counsel's performance was deficient. In no event can relief be granted on a claim of ineffective assistance of trial or appellate counsel raised in a successive petition. The most common types of IAC claims. Essentially these claims allege that counsel handled the case improperly. Filing an appeal from a decision of an Immigration Judge can ever be made based on a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel. There are two main groups of ineffective assistance claimants: defendants pro se and institutional appellate providers for the indigent. What Does Ineffective Assistance of Counsel Mean in a Florida Criminal Case?