United States v. Calvin Thomas

RYMER, Circuit Judge:

Calvin Thomas appeals the denial of his 28 U.S.C. § 2255 motion to vacate, set aside, or correct his federal criminal convictions for bank robbery, Hobbs Act robbery, assault on a federal officer, and gun charges in connection with these offenses. The issue is whether prejudice should be presumed under United States v. Cronic, 466 U.S. 648, 104 S.Ct. 2039, 80 L.Ed.2d 657 (1984), on account of trial counsel’s concession of Thomas’s guilt on the Hobbs Act robbery charge without consulting Thomas or obtaining his consent, or instead must be proved under Strickland v.…