Opinion ID: 1696930
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 18

Heading: Whether Jordan's Trial Counsel Was Constitutionally Ineffective

Text: ¶ 76. Jordan asserts that he was denied his constitutional right to assistance of counsel at trial. To prevail on an ineffective assistance of counsel claim, a defendant must show that his trial counsel was deficient, and that because of his trial counsel's deficiency, he suffered actual prejudice to his defense. Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 104 S.Ct. 2052, 80 L.Ed.2d 674 (1984). The defendant carries the burden of proving both prongs. McQuarter v. State, 574 So.2d 685, 687 (Miss. 1990). ¶ 77. In asserting this issue, Jordan's appellate counsel states that Jordan was denied effective assistance of counsel because trial counsel made nineteen errors, including failing to preserve any issues for appeal that this Court finds unpreserved on appeal. Jordan's appellate attorney dedicates merely five pages of his seventy-four page brief to addressing this issue. He cites no authority except to set out the standard as articulated in Strickland. Strickland, 466 U.S. 668, 104 S.Ct. 2052, 80 L.Ed.2d 674. Finally, he summarily offers, [t]herefore, the Defendant has met his burden of proof on both prongs of the Strickland test. Jordan's appellate counsel offers no citations to the record, no citations to authority to support his contentions, and no analysis to this Court. Accordingly, Jordan has failed to meet the two-prong test set forth in Strickland. We find this issue to be without merit.