Fletcher v. Briley

Order

Jimmie Fletcher is serving a 25-year sentence in Illinois prison for armed robbery. Fletcher contends that his lawyer furnished ineffective assistance by not calling as eyewitnesses his co-defendants: Chantrice Chambers and Aletha Knight. Fletcher’s theory is that they would have testified that they did not see his gun; and if they didn’t see it, maybe he did not have one, so the offense would be simple rather than armed robbery. After state courts had affirmed his conviction and denied his request for collateral relief, Fletcher filed a petition in federal court under 28 U.S.C. § 2254,…