Williams v. State (Majority)
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The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the trial court denying Appellant's claims for postconviction relief that were raised pursuant to Ark. R. Crim. P. 37.1, holding that Appellant raised claims that were not cognizable in Rule 37.1 proceedings and failed to establish prejudice as a basis to support his ineffective assistance of counsel claims.
Appellant was convicted of murder in the first degree and abuse of a corpse and sentenced as a habitual offender. Appellant filed a timely petition for Rule 37.1 relief, arguing that juror misconduct, prosecutorial misconduct, and an illegal search violated his right to due process and that he received ineffective assistance of counsel. The trial court denied relief. The Supreme Court affirmed, holding (1) the only cognizable claims were the ineffective assistance of counsel claims that Appellant raised below and reasserted on appeal; and (2) the trial court did not clearly err when it found that Appellant had failed to demonstrate that he suffered prejudice as a result of his counsel's alleged errors.
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