United States Ninth Circuit

In a murder case, petitioner's habeas petition is granted where defense counsel performed inadequately by failing to consult with a forensic expert, and this resulted in prejudice because the available forensic testimony would have contradicted the prosecution's explanation of the events that transpired.

Appellate Information

• Argued 12/17/2008
• Decided 08/10/2009
• Published 08/10/2009

Judges

• Before:  ALEX KOZINSKI, Chief Judge, STEPHEN REINHARDT, DIARMUID F. O'SCANNLAIN, ANDREW J. KLEINFELD, BARRY G. SILVERMAN, KIM McLANE WARDLAW, RAYMOND C. FISHER, RICHARD A. PAEZ, JAY S. BYBEE, MILAN D. SMITH, JR. and SANDRA S. IKUTA, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Ninth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Cliff Gardner, Oakland, CA;  Edward W. Swanson, Swanson & McNamara LLP, San Francisco, CA, for petitioner-appellant Joshua Richter.


• For Appellees:
  
• Harry Joseph Colombo, Deputy Attorney General, John G. McLean, Supervising Deputy Attorney General, and Mark Anthony Johnson, Deputy Attorney General, Sacramento, CA, for the respondents-appellees.