Hansler v. State

LOn January 20, 2016, judgment was entered in the Pope County Circuit Court reflecting that Michael Edward Hansler had entered a negotiated plea of nolo con-tendere to rape for which a sentence of 180 months’ imprisonment was imposed. On April 11, 2016, Hansler filed in the trial court a timely, verified pro se petition for postconviction relief pursuant to Arkansas Rule of Criminal Procedure 37.1 (2016) seeking to have the judgment vacated on the ground that he was not afforded effective assistance of counsel. The trial court denied the relief sought, and Hansler brings this appeal. Hansler…