Robert Lee Sandrelli, Appellant v. State of Arkansas, Appellee

Summary

The court affirmed the denial of postconviction relief without a hearing on Sandrelli’s conclusory claim that counsel’s stress caused deficient performance. It reversed and remanded for an evidentiary hearing because the record did not conclusively establish that counsel’s decision to present no witnesses, including Sandrelli, was reasonable or caused no prejudice, particularly given the different results in the two trials. Justice Danielson, concurring, would also require a hearing specifically on whether counsel consulted Sandrelli before deciding that he would not testify.