The mission of the Connecticut Judicial Branch is to serve the interests of justice and the public by resolving matters brought before it in a fair, timely, efficient and open manner.

Habeas Appellate Court Opinions

by Townsend, Karen

 

AC46422 - Walker v. Commissioner of Correction ("On appeal, the petitioner claims that the court improperly concluded that he failed to demonstrate that his trial counsel provided ineffective assistance by failing to move for a mistrial during his criminal trial because an exhibit, specifically, an RT-60 form, was admitted into evidence and briefly published to the jury, and that exhibit evidenced that he had been incarcerated near the time of that trial. The petitioner asserts that publication of this evidence vitiated the presumption of innocence to which he was entitled, and a mistrial was the only way to remedy this violation of due process. We disagree and affirm the judgment of the habeas court denying the petition.")

AC46279 - Dearing v. Commissioner of Correction (Amended petition; alleged ineffective assistance of criminal trial counsel, appellate counsel, and prior habeas counsel; “The petitioner claims on appeal that the habeas court improperly failed to conclude that (1) his criminal trial counsel provided ineffective assistance by failing (a) to engage and present the testimony of a child abuse expert, (b) to obtain certain confidential records of the victim, and (c) to object to or have stricken certain testimony provided by the state’s expert on child forensic interviews; (2) appellate counsel provided ineffective assistance in his direct criminal appeal by failing to challenge the trial court’s decision not to release the victim’s confidential records; and (3) prior habeas counsel provided ineffective assistance by failing to raise in his previous habeas action the foregoing claims of ineffective assistance directed at trial and appellate counsel. We disagree and, accordingly, affirm the judgment of the habeas court.”)