State v. Webster

Defendant, Clayton Webster, was convicted of first-degree murder, N.J.S.A 2C:ll-8(a)(2), and second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, N.J.S.A 2C:39-4(a), and was sentenced to a custodial term of life with thirty years of parole ineligibility. His conviction was subsequently affirmed and we denied certification. 163 N.J. 75, 747 A.2d 284 (2000).

In June 2002, defendant filed an amended Post-Conviction Relief (PCR) petition, 1 arguing that the shortcomings of his trial counsel deprived him of his Sixth and Fourteenth Amendment rights to due process of law and a fair trial,…