Court Opinion

ID: 9507554
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-06 21:23:49.232506+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:07:20.829076
License: Public Domain

MR. JUSTICE SHEA,
dissenting:
This is a death penalty case, and I remain convinced that defense counsel did not do all that he could do, and not even all that he should have done. For example, based on my previous dissents relating to the prejudicial and inconsistent jury instructions and jury verdicts, to which defense counsel did not object, a basis exists to reverse the conviction not only for the legal error inherent in the instructions and verdict forms, but also for the failure of defense counsel in a capital case to be more careful about the instructions and verdict forms on which a death penalty may ultimately be based.
Therefore, I would order a new trial.