Mendes v. State

RAYMOND G. THIEME, Jr., Judge,

Ret’d, Specially Assigned.

In this appeal, we are asked to determine whether the Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County (Heller, J.) erred by denying post-conviction relief to Fortunato J. Mendes, the appellant, on the ground that his trial counsel was ineffective.

Appellant was convicted by a jury on September 1, 1989, of first degree murder and use of a handgun in the commission of a crime of violence. He is currently serving concurrent prison sentences of life without the possibility of parole for the murder conviction and 15 years for the handgun conviction. An…