Johnson v. Premo

BREWER, S. J. pro tempore

In a two-phased jury trial, petitioner was convicted of aggravated murder and sentenced to death for killing a fifteen-year-old girl, HF. The state’s theory of the case was that petitioner had killed HF intentionally in furtherance of, or in an effort to conceal, the commission of sexual offenses against her. This court affirmed his convictions and sentence. State v. Johnson, 340 Or 319, 131 P3d 173, cert den, 359 US 1079 (2006). Petitioner then brought this action for post-conviction relief, asserting that he received inadequate assistance of trial counsel in…