Cooke v. Williams

IAN T. COOKE v. JOHN R. WILLIAMS ET AL. (SC 20719) Robinson, C. J., and McDonald, D’Auria, Mullins and Ecker, Js. Syllabus The plaintiff, who previously had been convicted of murder, among other crimes, sought to recover damages from the defendants, his former attorney and his law firm, for, inter alia, their alleged legal malpractice and fraud while representing him in connection with a federal civil rights action and a separate, state habeas action. In his unsuccessful habeas action, the plaintiff alleged that the attorney who had represented him at his murder trial provided ineffective…