Danielle LeFebvre v. State of Rhode Island

Syllabus

The applicant, Danielle LeFebvre (LeFebvre), filed a petition for a writ of certiorari seeking review of a Superior Court judgment denying her application for postconviction relief. LeFebvre argued that she was deprived of effective assistance of counsel on two grounds and, thus, she should have been afforded a new trial. First, LeFebvre argued that defense counsel failed to consult, and present at trial, an expert in the medically complicated child abuse prosecution. Second, LeFebvre faulted her defense counsel for purposefully disclosing harmful information that was damaging to her case. <br><br>After reviewing the record, the Court concluded that the trial justice did not err when she determined that LeFebvre failed to meet her burden—regarding the expert witness and the mental health medical records arguments—under Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668 (1984). Therefore, the Supreme Court rejected LeFebvre's argument of ineffective assistance of counsel. Accordingly, this Court affirmed the judgment of Superior Court.<br><br>