Patterson v. State of Indiana
Apr 29, 2010OUTCOME: Guilty Verdict Reversed On Appeal
Client was convicted of Dealing In Cocaine, a Class B felony, and received a 10-year prison sentence. Attorney Barrett was then hired to handle Client's appeal to the Indiana Court of Appeals. The Co ... urt of Appeals picked this case as one of very few cases to be heard each year for oral argument in addition to the filing of appellate briefs. Attorney Barrett presented an oral argument against the Indiana Attorney General's Office before a live 3-Judge Court of Appeals Panel. The Court of Appeals overturned Client's conviction and sentence because Client's original trial attorney was found to have rendered ineffective assistance of counsel for failing to object to the trial judge's involvement in the case. The trial judge had a conflict of interest due to him having previously served as a deputy prosecutor in the same case, but he failed to disqualify himself.
