Court Opinion

ID: 9546160
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 17:25:41.558878+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:16:03.758402
License: Public Domain

ROONEY, Justice,
specially concurring.
I agree with the result reached by the majority opinion. However, I would dismiss the appeal as not having been timely taken from a final order. I do not believe that a mere allegation of ineffective assistance of counsel is sufficient to negate appellate laws or rules. To cause such laws and rules to not be disregarded, I would place a burden on the movant to overcome a strong presumption that the action of counsel was reasonable under any circumstance.
In this instance, the allegation is a failure to file a notice of appeal within the allocated time subsequent to the judgment and sentence which directed custody first to the Wyoming State Hospital and then to the penitentiary. The failure to so notice an appeal could well be a result of a considered judgment on the part of counsel that such would be without merit and possibly frivolous. There was no reference to facts which would overcome the presumption that the action of counsel was reasonable-. Nor could there be under the circumstances of this case — a plea of guilty to a vicious crime; a criminal record, including serious crimes; and a sentence involving consideration of treatment or rehabilitation, punishment, remand from society, and example to others.
Ineffective assistance of counsel does not encompass a reasonable exercise of judgment on the part of counsel, even should such exercise be other than perfect.