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Criminal Procedure Keyed to Allen
Terry Williams v. Taylor
Citation:
529 U.S. 362 (2000)Facts
Williams was convicted of robbery and murder in connection with the death of Harris Stone. In his closing argument, Williams’ defense lawyer talked about how difficult it was to find a reason to spare Williams’ life. The jury sentenced Williams to death. After Williams filed for state collateral relief, the same judge who had presided over Williams’ trial found evidence that his attorneys had been ineffective during sentencing. For example, they had failed to present as evidence documents describing a childhood of mistreatment and abuse. The judge found that counsel had been ineffective and recommended that Williams be granted a rehearing on the sentencing phase of his trial.
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3m 56s