Opinion ID: 1444403
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: The district court erred in granting respondent's petition for post-conviction relief on the basis of ineffective assistance of counsel.

Text: The question of whether a defendant has received ineffective assistance of counsel at trial in violation of the Sixth Amendment is a mixed question of law and fact and is thus subject to independent review. State v. Love, 109 Nev. 1136, 1138, 865 P.2d 322, 323 (1993). To establish ineffective assistance of counsel, a defendant must show that counsel's representation fell below an objective standard of reasonableness and that counsel's deficient performance prejudiced the defense. Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 687-88, 104 S.Ct. 2052, 80 L.Ed.2d 674 (1984). To establish prejudice, the defendant must show that but for counsel's mistakes, there is a reasonable probability that the result of the proceeding would have been different. Id. at 694, 104 S.Ct. 2052. Judicial review of a lawyer's representation is highly deferential, and a defendant must overcome the presumption that a challenged action might be considered sound strategy. Id. at 689, 104 S.Ct. 2052.