Coleman v. Painter

The appellant Joseph Coleman appeals from a Mingo County Circuit Court order denying the appellant’s petition for a writ of habeas corpus. We affirm the circuit court’s order.

I

During its January 1997 term, a Mingo County Grand Jury charged the appellant with nineteen counts of sexual abuse of the appellant’s 15-year-old stepson, Wayne B. 1 In August of 1997, the circuit court appointed the Kanawha County Public Defender Office (“PD’s Office”) to represent the appellant.

A jury trial was held in December of 1997, and the jury found the appellant guilty of all nineteen charges. 2 In May of 1998,…