Dendel v. Washington

Katherine Sue Dendel, a former Michigan state prisoner, appeals through counsel a district court judgment denying her petition for a writ of habeas corpus, filed pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2254.

In 2003, Dendel was convicted of second-degree murder at a bench trial and was sentenced to 90 to 180 months of imprisonment. On direct appeal, she raised a claim of ineffective assistance of trial counsel, and the matter was remanded to the trial court for an evidentiary hearing. At the conclusion of the hearing, the trial judge denied the claim. The Michigan Court of Appeals, in a divided opinion, held…