Branch v. St. Bernards Healthcare

How courts have described this case

Verbatim parenthetical descriptions written by other courts when citing this decision. Ranked by citation-network relevance.

• finding ineffective assistance where prior to trial, defense counsel did not explore lack of criminal responsibility defense, chose not to ask defendant to submit to psychiatric testing, and made own determination of defendant’s mental health
• trial counsel’s failure to investigate defense of lack of criminal responsibility amounted to ineffective assistance
• at hearing on motion for new trial, defense expert testified that defendant was unable to conform conduct to law
• “numerous assaults” on victim were separate acts of personal violence allowing for both felony-murder and armed robbery convictions
• defense counsel failed to investigate lack of criminal responsibility at all despite notice of that issue, and made own assessment of defendant’s mental health
• \A jury that believed the defendant's expert likely would have been influenced to return a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity\

Source: CourtListener parenthetical corpus (CC0).