Court Opinion

ID: 9468474
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 02:15:57.99849+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:40:53.215170
License: Public Domain

FAY, Circuit Judge,
specially concurring:
While concurring in Judge Johnson’s excellent opinion, I respectfully abstain from joining in his interpretation of the holding of the Supreme Court in Cuyler v. Sullivan, 446 U.S. 335, 100 S.Ct. 1708, 64 L.Ed.2d 333 (1980). The record in this case leaves no doubt about an actual conflict of interest and that this conflict adversely affected Taylor’s performance with prejudice to Baty. Having reached that conclusion, I am very hesitant to guess that the Supreme Court meant something it did not say. Indeed, as I read Justice Powell’s opinion, it seems clear that a defendant must demonstrate that an actual conflict of interest adversely affected his lawyer’s performance and impaired his defense.