Atkinson v. State

Summary

The Supreme Court of Delaware affirmed the denial of Atkinson’s first motion for postconviction relief. It held that his ineffective-assistance claims did not establish that counsel’s performance was unreasonable or that counsel’s alleged errors caused him to plead guilty rather than proceed to trial, particularly because his sworn plea-colloquy statements contradicted his allegations of coercion. The Court concluded that Atkinson was bound by those statements absent clear and convincing evidence to the contrary.