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PaperclipPerfector  3d ago (text post)   14191 thread views

Culture War Roundup for the week of September 14, 2026

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I understand his counsel may have been ineffective and there's been some subsequent drama in the DAO.

What's the likelihood Johnson is guilty? Any other suspects in the Smith murder?

his counsel may have been ineffective

Quote from the judge's opinion, summarizing the prosecutors' testimony:

On May 13, the Four and Mason met to prepare for the hearing I had ordered, dividing various responsibilities. Ernst reviewed the record and analyzed all eleven of Johnson's Section 2254 claims in a memorandum she sent to Mason and the other supervisors. Ernst concluded that most of the claims were “flat-out losers”, but that the ineffectiveness claim might be plausible. Ernst subsequently determined, however, that the ineffectiveness claim “was not a winning claim”, and that the Concession Brief included “very significant errors”. Wildberger also concluded that the errors were significant, and that the DAO had a duty to correct them.

So even prosecutors motivated to get the defendant's conviction overturned don't think that his lawyer was ineffective.

What's the likelihood Johnson is guilty? Any other suspects in the Smith murder?

I have no idea. See somebody else's comment for some more information.

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