State v. Joel D. Rhodes, 2011 WI App 145; for Rhodes: Chris L. Hartley; case activity Self-Representation – Adequacy of Waiver of Right to Counsel The trial court undertook a valid waiver of counsel, pursuant to State v. Klessig, 211 Wis. 2d 194, 206, 564 N.W.2d 716 (1997): ¶18 We reject Rhodes’s claim. The circuit court conducted a colloquy with Rhodes that… Read more
8. Counsel, 6th Am.
seventh circuit court of appeals decision Habeas – Ineffective Assistance, State Court Failure to Reach – Standard of Review … When “no state court has squarely addressed the merits” of a habeas claim, however, we review the claim under the pre-AEDPA standard of 28 U.S.C. § 2243, under which we “ ‘dispose of the matter as… Read more
seventh circuit court of appeals decision Habeas – Counsel – Appeal When a defendant in a criminal case specifically instructs a lawyer to file a notice of appeal, the lawyer’s failure to do so deprives the defendant of the Sixth Amendment right to counsel, regardless of whether an appeal was likely to succeed. Roe v. Flores-Ortega, 528… Read more
State v. Aaron Deal, 2010AP1804-CR, District 1, 9/20/11 court of appeals decision (not recommended for publication); for Deal: James A. Rebholz; case activity Counsel’s refusal to argue to the jury that it should return a guilty verdict on felony murder, submitted as a lesser offense option of first-degree intentional homicide, wasn’t deficient in light of… Read more
State v. Burt Terrell Johnson, Jr., 2010AP2654-CR, District 1, 9/13/11 court of appeals decision (not recommended for publication); for Johnson: Sara Heinemann Roemaat; case activity Counsel did not perform deficiently. Decision not to make opening statement was reasonable strategy, given that the defense didn’t plan to call any witnesses but instead intended “to put the State to its… Read more
State v. Carl Mills, 2010AP1746-CR, District 1, 9/7/11 court of appeals decision (not recommended for publication); for Mills: Randall E. Paulson, SPD, Milwaukee Appellate; case activity Trail counsel was not ineffective for failing to object to jury instructions and verdict forms with respect to unanimity on multiple counts of sexual assault of a single victim… Read more
State v. Stephen R. Jones, 2011AP864-CR, District 3, 8/30/11 court of appeals decision (1-judge, not for publication; for Jones: Brian P. Dimmer; case activity) Failure to move to strike juror wasn’t deficient performance. Juror’s public support of election of the presiding judge and the district attorney (who was not herself prosecuting this case) didn’t establish a significant… Read more
seventh circuit court of appeals decision Inadequate Argumentation – Sanction Counsel’s woefully inadequate argumentation (“a single, underdeveloped legal argument” that, “(w)orse yet … was foreclosed by” prior precedent) not only dooms his client’s effort to resist deportation, notwithstanding palpable equities on her side, but has consequences for counsel himself: … We are disturbed, however, by Baniassadi’s perfunctory… Read more
