Drunk, But Not Ineffective?

The 11th Circuit has upheld a death sentence for the 1995 murder of a sheriff’s deputy despite the fact that defendant's lead lawyer drank a quart of vodka every day of the trial and later testified that it was inappropriate for him to have been representing clients. Shortly after the trial, the defense attorney pled guilty to a theft-by-taking from another client. The majority of the court found that whether or not the defendant's trial attorneys provided competent representation, the mitigating evidence would have been outweighed by the aggravating factors that were presented by the prosecution.

HT: ABA Litigation Section