Hellums v. State

JAMES H. FAULKNER, Retired Justice.

Johnny Lee Heliums filed a Rule 20 petition in the circuit court of Fayette County challenging his 1988 conviction of capital murder, and sentence of life without parole. The alleged grounds were ineffective assistance of counsel. At the conclusion of an evidentiary hearing on Helium’s petition, the trial court stated, without specifying any facts or grounds, that “the petitioner’s Rule 20 Motion will be denied.”

The State has filed a motion to remand this cause to the circuit court for entry of specific findings of facts. Heliums, in his pro se brief, also…