Lajason J. Coakley v. State of Arkansas

Summary

The court affirmed the denial without a hearing of Coakley’s Rule 37.1 petition alleging ineffective assistance of counsel. It held that Coakley failed to establish deficient performance for any of four claims: failure to pursue provocation, failure to seek a mistrial based on a witness’s clothing, failure to object to medical-record references during expert testimony, and failure to investigate or rebut the victim’s cause of death. The court also declined to consider Coakley’s newly raised argument concerning his psychiatric health.