State of West Virginia v. Frankie Lewis Thomas

Summary

The court reversed Thomas's conviction and remanded for a new trial because the State introduced evidence obtained through an unlawful arrest and search, and because appointed counsel's failures deprived him of effective assistance and a fair trial. The court also rejected Thomas's challenges to the sufficiency of the evidence and to the admission of evidence concerning possible juvenile proceedings. It adopted prospective standards for evaluating ineffective assistance, including customary criminal-law skill, prejudice, and deference to reasonable strategy.