Starling v. State

Blackburn, Presiding Judge.

Following a jury trial, Uarsken Starling appeals his conviction of aggravated assault and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, contending that he received ineffective assistance of counsel, in that his trial counsel failed to stipulate to his felon status or to obtain a jury charge limiting the jury’s consideration of Starling’s criminal history. With respect to the aggravated assault conviction, we hold that trial counsel’s performance was deficient, and because the deficiency directly threatened Starling’s defense, there is a reasonable probability that…