Supreme Court of South Carolina
Stone v. State
February 8, 2017
Summary
The South Carolina Supreme Court affirmed the denial of Bobby Wayne Stone's post‑conviction relief, holding that he failed to meet both prongs of the Strickland test on all asserted ineffective‑assistance claims. The Court found trial and appellate counsel’s performance reasonable regarding victim‑impact testimony, brain‑damage investigation, and the accident theory, and Stone did not show prejudice. A dissent argued the widow’s suicide testimony was inadmissible and prejudicial.