State v. Abernathy

HUNSTEIN, Chief Justice.

Samuel Mitchell Abernathy was convicted by a White County jury of the January 2008 murder of Darrin Ramey and sentenced to life imprisonment. On motion for new trial, the trial court, while rejecting most of Abernathy’s contentions, granted the motion on the sole ground that Abernathy’s public defender had rendered ineffective assistance due to a conflict of interest inhering in his representation of Abernathy. The State obtained a certificate of immediate review and filed an application for interlocutory appeal challenging the award of a new trial, which this Court…