Grant v. Coursey

A jury in petitioner’s underlying criminal trial found him guilty of providing liquor to three minors and committing sexual offenses against one of them. In a petition for post-conviction relief, petitioner alleged that his trial counsel provided constitutionally inadequate assistance by (1) failing to object to or move for a mistrial based on improper remarks by the prosecutor during closing arguments, including the prosecutor’s mischaracterization of key testimony and her suggestion that petitioner had sexually abused others and, if acquitted, would do so again; and (2) failing to object to…