Commonwealth v. Young

Opinion of the Court by

Justice MINTON.

We accepted review of the Court of Appeals’s decision that reversed the trial court’s denial of post-conviction relief to Gerald Young. The issue we must decide is whether, in the context of a collateral attack on a judgment of conviction, prejudice to the defendant must be presumed from trial counsel’s failure to object to the allocation of an inadequate number of peremptory challenges. The Court of Appeals answered this question affirmatively. We disagree and, thus, reverse.

I. FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY.

The jury convicted Young of murder by…