Mallard v. Warden, New Hampshire State Prison
Annotate this CasePetitioner Marc Mallard appealed a superior court order dismissing his petition for habeas corpus on grounds that it was procedurally defaulted and, even if it were not, that Mallard failed to demonstrate actual prejudice as a result of his trial counsel’s ineffective assistance. Mallard was charged with committing acts of domestic violence in 2012 against a romantic partner. Mallard was convicted by jury of second degree assault, attempted second degree assault, simple assault and criminal threatening. When his petition for a new trial was denied, Mallard petitioned for habeas relief, arguing that by describing him as a “big, menacing black guy” during cross-examination of the victim, trial counsel deprived him of his constitutional right to the effective assistance of counsel. The trial court dismissed the petition, finding that because Mallard had “already fully litigated” a motion for a new trial based on the ineffectiveness of trial counsel — albeit on different grounds — his habeas petition was procedurally barred. To the New Hampshire Supreme Court, Mallard argued the trial court erred: (1) in finding his habeas petition was procedurally barred; and (2) in finding that he failed to establish “a reasonable probability that, but for counsel’s unprofessional errors, the result of the proceeding would have been different.” The Supreme Court disagreed Mallard's petition was procedurally barred. Trial counsel’s improper appeal to racial bias in Mallard’s criminal case “effectively invited the jury to make a decision based on a characterization of the defendant and not on the evidence of his guilt or innocence.” Accordingly, the Court concluded Mallard established a probability sufficient to undermine confidence in the outcome of his trial, thereby satisfying that his trial counsel’s deficient performance actually prejudiced the outcome of the case. Judgment was revered and the matter remanded for further proceedings.
Some case metadata and case summaries were written with the help of AI, which can produce inaccuracies. You should read the full case before relying on it for legal research purposes.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.