William Ray Hellard, Petitioner-Appellee v. State of Tennessee, Respondent-Appellant

Summary

The Tennessee Supreme Court reversed the judgments of the trial court and the Court of Criminal Appeals that had set aside Hellard's armed robbery conviction and awarded a new trial for ineffective assistance of counsel. Holding first that the Baxter v. Rose 'reasonable competence' standard applies retroactively to convictions rendered before Baxter's May 19, 1975 release, the court then concluded that trial counsel William Morrell's representation was within the range of competence demanded of attorneys in criminal cases, since all of the petitioner's complaints related only to tactical choices and there was no showing of inadequate preparation or knowledge. The post-conviction petition was dismissed.