Leon Sebring v. Dr. George J. Beto, Director, Texas Department of Corrections

In 1953, Sebring was indicted for raping a five-year-old girl. The judge of the 124th District Court, Gregg County, Texas, appointed three lawyers to represent the defendant. The jury found Se-bring guilty and assessed punishment at ninety-nine years’ imprisonment. He was convicted and sentenced to a term of from five to ninety-nine years. No appeal was taken.

After exhausting his state remedies, Sebring petitioned the United States District Court for a writ of habeas corpus, alleging that he had not had effective assistance of counsel and that he had been denied his right to confrontation by…