United States Supreme Court

The Alabama appellate court's ruling denying the petition for habeas relief, which challenged petitioner's murder conviction, is vacated and remanded, where: 1) the Alabama courts incorrectly applied Strickland v. Washington to petitioner's case; 2) petitioner's trial attorney rendered constitutionally deficient performance because it was unreasonable for petitioner's lawyer to fail to seek additional funds to hire an expert where that failure was based not on any strategic choice but on a mistaken belief that available funding was capped at $1,000; and 3) the matter must be remanded for inquiry into whether, under the proper standard, petitioner's attorney's deficient performance was prejudicial under Strickland.

Appellate Information

• Decided 02/24/2014
• Published 02/24/2014

Judges

• PER CURIAM

Court

• United States Supreme Court

Counsel