Turpin v. Curtis

Carley, Justice.

A jury found Barabbas Curtis, who testified in his own defense, guilty of three counts of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. The trial court entered judgments of conviction, and the Court of Appeals affirmed in an unreported decision. Curtis v. State, 228 Ga. App. XXVII (1997). Curtis subsequently filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus. The habeas court granted relief based on Curtis’ testimony that his trial attorney failed to advise him of his constitutional right not to testify at trial. The habeas court concluded as follows:

While [P] etitioner presented…