United States Fourth Circuit

Sufficient evidence established that appellant committed robbery and murder based on review of all relevant facts and times; counsel's failure to develop appellant's social history at sentencing did not amount to ineffective assistance, where counsel's knowledge of potential mitigation avenues was sufficient to make an informed strategic choice.

Appellate Information

• Argued 01/24/2002
• Decided 05/02/2002
• Published 05/02/2002

Judges

• Before WILKINSON, Chief Judge, and WIDENER and NIEMEYER, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Fourth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellees:
  
• ARGUED:  Ann Norman Bosse, Assistant Attorney General, Criminal Appeals Division, Office of the Attorney General, Baltimore, Maryland, for Respondents-Appellants.  Donald Beaton Verrilli, Jr., Jenner & Block, L.L.C., Washington, D.C., for Petitioner-Appellee.   ON BRIEF:  J. Joseph Curran, Jr., Attorney General of Maryland, Criminal Appeals Division, Office of the Attorney General, Baltimore, Maryland, for Respondents-Appellants.  Lara M. Flint, Brian P. Hauck, Jenner & Block, L.L.C., Washington, D.C., for Petitioner-Appellee.