Bartell v. State

Summary

The Court affirmed the denial of Bartell’s first postconviction motion, holding that he failed to establish either deficient performance or prejudice under the governing ineffective-assistance standard. Counsel reasonably chose not to challenge the Y-STR evidence, adequately addressed the disputed trial evidence, and made reasonable strategic decisions concerning curative instructions and the use of a handwriting expert. The Court also rejected Bartell’s claims concerning allegedly missing police notes and the withdrawal of postconviction counsel. No separate opinions were filed.