John R. Hoffman v. William D. Leeke, Commissioner

K. K. HALL, Circuit Judge:

John R. Hoffman, a South Carolina inmate, appeals the district court’s denial of his petition for a writ of habeas corpus brought under 28 U.S.C. § 2254. Hoffman challenges his conviction for being an accessory before the fact to murder on the grounds that he was denied his Sixth Amendment right to effective assistance of counsel. For the reasons set forth below, we find that Hoffman’s contention has merit and we vacate the judgment and remand the case to the district court with directions to grant the writ.

I

Hoffman’s conviction is based on his role in a murder for…