Joseph Muniz v. Smith, 6th Cir. No. 09-2324, 7/29/11 sixth circuit court of appeal decision Habeas – Ineffective Assistance – Sleeping Counsel The fact that counsel has slept through a portion of trial does not, alone, amount to denial of counsel so as to require relief under United States v. Cronic, 466 U.S. 648 (1984), rather than inquiry into the prejudice component of Strickland… Read more
2. Prejudice
MC Winston v. Boatwright, 7th Cir No. 10-1156, 8/19/11 seventh circuit court of appeals decision, denying habeas relief on review of unpublished decision in 2003AP3412 and 2005AP1255 Habeas – Jury Selection – Ineffective Assistance – Defense Counsel’s Discriminatory Use of Peremptories In a nutshell, this case presents the question whether the constitutional rights of the… Read more
State v. Leroy M. Godard, 2010AP1731-CR, District 2, 6/22/11 court of appeals decision (not recommended for publication); for Godard: Rick B. Meier; case activity Counsel’s failure to listen to police recordings of the interrogations of Godard’s accomplices, even if deficient, wasn’t prejudicial. ¶15 The postconviction motion hearing testimony shows that Godard’s case was not weakened… Read more
on petition for review of unpublished decision; for Thompson: J.P. La Chapelle; case activity Issues (provided by court): Whether the failure to inform Thompson of the applicable mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years of incarceration prior to trial violated Thompson’s constitutional due process rights. Whether the complaint in this case was defective under Wis. Stat. §… Read more
State v. Jimmie C. Grayer, 2010AP1749-CR, District 1, 6/1/11 court of appeals decision (not recommended for publication); for Grayer: Bridget E. Boyle; case activity Postconviction denial of ineffective assistance of counsel challenge without Machner hearing upheld. 1. Although counsel performed deficiently by inaccurately telling the jury in his opening statement that Grayer’s in-custody had not been recorded by the… Read more
State v. Shantell T. Harbor, 2011 WI 28, affirming unpublished decision; for Harbor: Joseph E. Redding; case activity Sentence Modification – New Factor The “new factor” test for sentence modification has split into “two divergent lines of cases”: Rosado v. State, 70 Wis. 2d 280, 288, 234 N.W.2d 69 (1975) (fact(s) highly relevant to, but not brought out at, sentencing… Read more
Albert Price v. Thurmer, 7th Cir No. 09-3851, 4/18/11 7th circuit court of appeals decision, on remand after prior appeal, 514 F.3d 729, denying relief on review of unpublished decision of Wis COA Habeas – IAC – NGI Defense Trial counsel seemingly mishandled the court-appointed NGI expert, in failing to cure the latter’s apparent misapprehension that he… Read more
William Kerr v. Thurmer, 7th Cir No. 09-1032, 3/28/11 – Part III 7th circuit decision, on habeas review of summary orders in 2001AP168 (§ 809.30 appeal) and 2003AP2332 (§ 974.06 appeal) Due to the nature of the issues and length of discussion, this case will be canvassed in multiple posts. Part I (IAC – adequate provocation… Read more
