Opinion ID: 753737
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Denial of effective assistance of trial counsel.

Text: 28 Supporting Facts: Petitioner's trial counsel gave notice of intent to raise the defense of not guilty by reason of insanity. A defense retained psychologist found Petitioner met the second prong of the Ohio insanity defense, i.e., that she was so impaired that she lacked the capacity to know the wrongfulness of her conduct. The defense psychologist was less clear as to the first prong (i.e. whether she suffered from a severe mental disease or defect), having testified to a bail hearing that Petitioner was psychotic and suffering a paranoid delusional disorder but ultimately finding that her conduct was a result of Severe Borderline Personality Disorder and other factors. The court appointed psychologist opined that petitioner suffered from a mental disease but acted knowingly on the day of the offense. Despite the availability of this expert testimony at least partially supportive of an insanity defense, and the existence of substantial lay testimony and hospital records supporting a NGRI defense, defense counsel neither presented an insanity defense at trial nor sought further expert testimony to rectify, explain or enhance the expert opinions already available. Nor did trial counsel withdraw the notice of intent to present an NGRI defense but rather permitted the prosecutor's opening statement (essentially claiming that the defense would not be able to successfully prove its insanity defense) to go unanswered and be made without objection Trial counsel's ineffective assistance was compounded by his failure to investigate or present any meaningful evidence, or to cogently present argument, in support of the partial defense of voluntary intoxication. Petitioner was thus tried without a defense being offered. 29