No. 21-8020

Ronald Mitchell v. United States

Lower Court: Eighth Circuit
Docketed: 2022-06-02
Status: Denied
Type: IFP
Response WaivedIFP
Tags: §2255-motion 21-usc-841 certificate-of-appealability criminal-procedure drug-abuse drug-distribution heroin-possession ineffective-assistance ineffective-assistance-of-counsel serious-bodily-injury
Key Terms:
HabeasCorpus
Latest Conference: 2022-09-28
Question Presented (AI Summary)

Was trial counsel constitutionally ineffective for failing to consult or hire an expert witness in drug abuse

Question Presented (OCR Extract)

ESTIONS PRESENTED 1. Was trial counsel constitutionally ineffective because she failed to consult or hire an expert witness in drug abuse (rather than toxicology) to investigate the probability of reasonable doubt that the heroin ingested by the victim who suffered "serious bodily injury" was sold by the defendant, for the purposes of the penalty enhancement under 21 U.S.C. § 814(b)(1)(C)? Answer: YES. . 2. Did the district court commit reversible error when denying the Petitioner's § 2255 motion without considering the Petitioner's properly raised argument that trial counsel was ineffective for failing to investigate the distribution element of the Burrage defense? Answer: YES. 3. Did the courts below commit reversible error by denying a Certificate of Appealability regarding the Petitioner's § 2255 claim of ineffective assistance of counsel (specifically Ground 4)? Answer: YES. C) cy

Docket Entries

2022-10-03
Petition DENIED.
2022-06-16
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 9/28/2022.
2022-06-10
Waiver of right of respondent United States to respond filed.
2022-04-18
Petition for a writ of certiorari and motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis filed. (Response due July 5, 2022)

Attorneys

Ronald Mitchell
Ronald Mitchell — Petitioner
United States
Elizabeth B. PrelogarSolicitor General, Respondent