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Ineffective Assistance of Counsel

By Bill Theis

Christopher Raygoza v. Don Hulick, No. 05-2340 (January 25, 2007): Mr. Raygoza was convicted of murder. The Seventh Circuit granted habeas corpus relief based on ineffective assistance of counsel.Counsel presented an alibi defense, but did very little to develop it. According to numerous potential witnesses, Raygoza at the time of the murder had been at a birthday party for his mother at her house, which was many miles from the scene of the crime. But counsel called only one witness, Raygoza?s girlfriend, whom he interviewed for the first time on the day he called her as a witness. Counsel knew that Raygoza's mother and siblings were also potential witnesses, but did not probe enough to know that the occasion for the family?s being at the house was the mother?s birthday party and did not know about other attendees at the party...continue to full post

Full post as published by Seventh Circuit Blog on February 13, 2007 (boomark / email).