Cordell Smith v. United States

Glickman, Associate Judge:

*793 Appellant Cordell Smith was convicted after a jury trial of second-degree murder while armed and associated firearms offenses. This court affirmed appellant's convictions on direct appeal in an unpublished opinion. While that appeal was pending, appellant moved for a new trial pursuant to D.C. Code § 23-110 (2012 Repl.), asserting that his trial counsel's ineffectiveness had deprived him of a meritorious defense - namely, that he had committed the homicide in self-defense. The motion judge denied this motion without affording appellant an evidentiary hearing. Before…