State of West Virginia v. Crawley Hatfield; Crawley Hatfield v. Bobby Leverette

Summary

The court affirmed the first-degree murder conviction and the denial of habeas corpus relief. It held that the evidence supported findings of malice, specific intent, deliberation, and premeditation; that the challenged jury instructions were adequate when read together; and that nondisclosure of the pistol's ownership was neither constitutionally exculpatory nor prejudicial under the applicable discovery standard. The court also concluded that counsel's trial strategy and alleged omissions did not constitute ineffective assistance.