In a capital habeas matter, a circuit court of appeals' grant of the petition on the basis that petitioner's lawyers performed deficiently in investigating and presenting mitigating evidence is reversed where: 1) the court of appeals applied 2003 ABA Professional Guidelines to defense counsel's conduct at a trial that took place in 1985; and 2) counsel's performance at the trial was not deficient under the standards in place at the time.
Read Bobby v. Van Hook, No. 09-144
Appellate Information
Decided November 9, 2009
Judges
Per Curiam
Concurrence by Justice Alito
