Opinion ID: 2022261
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 9

Heading: Incoherent Argument Claim

Text: Appellate counsel's argument that Alex Voils' closing argument to the jury was incoherent is nothing more than a personal attack. Voils' argument was indeed coherent and was directed at what he perceived to be the weakest link in the State's case. On its face, this claim lacks merit. Worse yet, it is the type of argument likely to have a chilling effect on the willingness of members of the defense bar to try capital cases. See Strickland, 466 U.S. at 690, 104 S.Ct. at 2066 (warning that abuse of the ineffectiveness challenge could dampen the ardor ... of defense counsel, discourage the acceptance of assigned cases, and undermine the trust between attorney and client.)