Summary
Unanimous U. S. Supreme Court decision utilizing CJLF arguments to reverse a 2009 Ninth Circuit ruling that overturned the robbery/murder conviction of a Sacramento man. After his conviction on strong evidence, Joshua Richter’s claim, that his attorney had been ineffective, was reviewed and summarily rejected by the California Supreme Court, the Federal District Court, and a three-judge Ninth Circuit panel. An en banc eleven-judge Ninth Circuit panel overturned all three courts, finding California’s high court decision unreasonable. In the U. S. Supreme Court, CJLF argued that the California court’s judgment was reasonable and entitled to deference. The high court ruling noted this, protecting thousands of convictions nationwide. [CJLF brief in PDF.]
