James E. McNichols, Appellant v. State of Arkansas, Appellee

Summary

The court affirmed the denial of McNichols’s postconviction petition. It held that his ineffective-assistance claims failed because he did not identify specific admissible testimony or establish a reasonable probability of a different result, and his prosecutorial-misconduct claim was not cognizable in a postconviction proceeding. The court also held that dissatisfaction with appointed or retained postconviction counsel did not require a new hearing because there is no absolute right to effective counsel in such proceedings.