No. 23-5180

Dickens Etienne v. Michelle Edmark, Warden

Lower Court: First Circuit
Docketed: 2023-07-24
Status: Denied
Type: IFP
Response WaivedIFP
Tags: criminal-investigation criminal-procedure exculpatory-evidence ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel mental-health mental-illness post-arrest-conduct post-conviction-review right-to-counsel strickland-standard strickland-v-washington
Key Terms:
HabeasCorpus Punishment
Latest Conference: 2023-09-26
Question Presented (from Petition)

Where there was evidence of a history of the defendant's mental health issues and mental health hospitalization and trial counsel failed to even initiate an investigation into the defendant's mental health, including as it related to the alleged crime of murder and the defendant's seemingly inculpatory post-arrest conduct successfully used against him at trial, did the First Circuit err in its cursory order denying a certificate of appealability on a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel?

Question Presented (AI Summary)

Whether trial counsel's failure to investigate the defendant's history of mental illness and mental health issues, including as it related to the alleged crime and the defendant's seemingly inculpatory post-arrest conduct, constituted ineffective assistance of counsel

Docket Entries

2023-10-02
Petition DENIED.
2023-08-24
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 9/26/2023.
2023-08-22
Waiver of right of respondent Edmark, Warden to respond filed.
2023-07-19
Petition for a writ of certiorari and motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis filed. (Response due August 23, 2023)

Attorneys

Dickens Etienne
Donna J. BrownWadleigh, Starr and Peters, PLLC, Petitioner
Edmark, Warden
Elizabeth C. WoodcockCriminal Bureau, Department of Justice, Office of , Respondent