No. 20-1514

Robert John Dodd v. Harold W. Clarke, Director, Virginia Department of Corrections

Lower Court: Virginia
Docketed: 2021-04-28
Status: Denied
Type: Paid
Tags: child-sexual-abuse criminal-indictment criminal-procedure double-jeopardy due-process indictment ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel legal-proceeding statute-of-limitations trial-counsel
Latest Conference: 2021-06-24
Question Presented (from Petition)

Dodd was indicted on nine counts for the sexual abuse of a child more than fifteen years ago. Each count of the indictment was an identical carbon copy, including that each alleged that the crime happened over an identical time span. The evidence did not prove nine specific instances of abuse but gave general allegations. Dodd had a strong defense that the crime could not have happened during the first four years of the allegations. The question presented is whether trial counsel is ineffective where he failed to object on Double Jeopardy grounds to these nine identical carbon copy indictments?

Question Presented (AI Summary)

Whether trial counsel was ineffective for failing to object on Double Jeopardy grounds to nine identical carbon copy indictments

Docket Entries

2021-06-28
Petition DENIED.
2021-06-08
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 6/24/2021.
2021-04-16
Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due May 28, 2021)

Attorneys

Robert Dodd
Jonathan P. SheldonSheldon & Flood, PLC, Petitioner