Ineffective Assistance of Counsel

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7^th Circuit Court of Appeals

Case Name: Gregory Williams v. Leonta Jackson

Case No.: 18-2631

Officials: RIPPLE, BRENNAN, and SCUDDER, Circuit Judges.

Focus: Ineffective Assistance of Counsel

Gregory Williams appeals the denial of his application for federal habeas corpus relief following convictions in Illinois state court in two separate cases for raping two women—offenses that resulted in sentences totaling 66 years’ imprisonment. Williams contends that his defense attorney violated his Sixth Amendment right to the effective assistance of counsel by not only advising him to reject a 41-year plea offer, but also failing to inform him of his maximum sentencing exposure if he proceeded to trial in both cases and lost. An Illinois court rejected these claims, concluding that Williams failed to provide any information pertinent to one of the two cases that gave rise to the 41-year plea offer. Without knowing anything about that case, the Illinois court reasoned, there was no way to assess defense counsel’s performance and thus no way to conclude that Williams received ineffective assistance. Finding the Illinois court’s conclusion reasonable, the district court denied federal habeas relief. We affirm.

Affirmed

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Derek A Hawkins is trademark corporate counsel for Harley-Davidson. Hawkins oversees the prosecution and maintenance of the Harley-Davidson’s international trademark portfolio in emerging markets.