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Appeal filed in murder conviction of 14-year-old

Fourteen-year-old Lionel Tate is serving a life sentence for the 1999 beating death of a young playmate.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida (CNN) -- Attorneys for 14-year-old Lionel Tate filed an appeal Monday to have his first degree murder conviction overturned.

Tate was sentenced to life in prison last month after his January conviction in the 1999 beating death of 6-year-old Tiffany Eunick, when Tate was 12.

Tate is represented by a new high-profile legal team consisting of Johnnie Cochran and Barry Scheck, both attorneys who represented O.J. Simpson in his murder trial, plus Richard Rosenbaum and Peter Neufeld.

ALSO • Other teens serving long sentences for murder  MESSAGE BOARD Juvenile offenders

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The case goes to Florida's 4th District Court of Appeals.

"Ultimately, we'd like to see the case overturned, and let the case come back for either a retrial or to renegotiate with new plea bargaining," Rosenbaum said. "I think the Tate family is interested in seeing this overturned so they can show Lionel is innocent, and that this was an accidental death."

Before the conviction, Tate's mother turned down the prosecution's offer of a plea deal that called for three years in juvenile hall, one year of house arrest, and 10 years of probation and counseling. Under law, the judge was required to hand down a life sentence for a conviction on first degree murder.

Because appeals can be lengthy, the legal team is also trying to get Florida Gov. Jeb Bush to reduce Tate's sentence. Bush is allowed to grant clemency, and has indicated he is willing to consider the case.

The next scheduled clemency hearing is in mid-June.

The legal team is also trying to strike a deal with the prosecutor ahead of going to the governor.

CNN's Mark Potter contributed to this report.

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