State v. Ouati K. Ali, 2011AP2169, District 4, 11/1/12 court of appeals decision (not recommended for publication); case activity Postconviction Proceedings – Right to Counsel A defendant has no constitutional right to counsel outside the direct appeal period, therefore Ali’s argument that failure to appoint counsel counsel to pursue DNA testing deprived him of due… Read more
1. Deficient performance
seventh circuit decision (html) (90-page pdf download: here), granting habeas relief in 904 N.E.2d 1077 (Ill. App. 2009) A significant decision in several respects – not least, attorney performance – that a summary post cannot hope to capture, save broad highlights. Executive summary: Harris was convicted of killing her 4-year-old son Jaquari, against a defense of accidental death (self-strangulation with an… Read more
Veronica K. v. Michael K., 2012AP197, District 1, 10/10/12 court of appeals decision (1-judge, ineligible for publication); case activity Michael K., incarcerated at the time of this TPR trial, appeared by audio-video hookup. He argues that his due process right to meaningful participation, State v. Lavelle W., 2005 WI App 266, ¶2, 288 Wis. 2d 504, 708 N.W.2d 698… Read more
seventh circuit decision Habeas Procedure – Appellate Jurisdiction Where a party has filed a timely notice of appeal to a judgment, and the district court subsequently enters an amended judgment nunc pro tunc (“now for then”) conforming language in the original judgment, an amended notice of appeal isn’t necessary to confer appellate jurisdiction: … The district court’s February… Read more
seventh circuit court of appeals decision, affirming habeas grant following remand in 539 F.3d 766 (further case history: here) Habeas Review – Evidentiary Hearing The rule of Cullen v. Pinholster, 131 S. Ct. 1388 (2011), that 2254(d)(1) review is limited to the state-court record, doesn’t apply where the state court didn’t address a component part of the claim (here, deficient performance on… Read more
seventh circuit court of appeals decision Habeas Review – IAC/Suppression Claim, Generally Under Strickland, Rann must show that his counsel’s performance was deficient and that the deficient performance prejudiced his defense. Grosshans, 424 F.3d at 590 (citing Strickland, 466 U.S. at 687). When reviewing claims of ineffective assistance of counsel in habeas petitions, however, we… Read more
State v. Jason M. Jacobs, 2012 WI App 104 (recommended for publication); case activity Search & Seizure – Consent – Blood Draw Following a fatal traffic accident, Jacobs performed field sobriety tests well enough that he wasn’t placed under arrest, but he was asked to submit to a blood draw. Jacobs called his attorney, who advised him… Read more
Jackson Co. DHS v. Robert H., 2011AP2783, District 4, 7/17/12 court of appeals decision (1-judge, ineligible for publication); case activity Both federal and state Indian Child Welfare Acts require that termination of parental rights to an Indian child be supported by testimony of a qualified expert witness “that the continued custody of the child by the parent or Indian… Read more
