Bowles v. Nance

In this appeal from a judgment denying a petition for a writ of habeas corpus, we consider whether the defendant was denied effective assistance of counsel when his trial attorney advised him to plead guilty.

On November 23, 1983, Kevin Mark Bowles pled guilty to a charge of grand larceny, and the trial judge convicted him of the felony. In a sentencing hearing conducted January 10, 1984, the court “suspend [ed] the imposition of sentence in this case during . . . good behavior.” Alleging that he had a bona fide “claim-of-right” defense to the charge and that his attorney had been guilty of…