Court Opinion

ID: 9501660
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 19:34:40.449865+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:00:43.016086
License: Public Domain

concurring in the judgment:
As the majority correctly notes, under Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 687, 104 S.Ct. 2052, 80 L.Ed.2d 674 (1984), a petitioner must make two showings to prevail on a claim for ineffective assistance of counsel in a habeas petition under 28 U.S.C. § 2255: first, he must show that his counsel’s performance fell below an objective standard of reasonableness, and second, that he was prejudiced by that deficiency. When a petitioner fails to make one of these showings, a court need not address the other. Id. at 697, 104 S.Ct. 2052 (“[TJhere is no reason for a court deciding an ineffective assistance claim to approach the inquiry in the same order or even to address both components of the inquiry if the defendant makes an insufficient showing on one.”). Because I agree completely with the majority’s reasoning as to why Smith cannot show prejudice as required under Strickland, I would not address whether the performance by his counsel was deficient. See id.