What constitutes effective assistance of counsel for a criminal defendant?

California, United States of America


The following excerpt is from People v. Ayala, H044431, H045079 (Cal. App. 2018):

Criminal defendants are constitutionally entitled to effective assistance of counsel under the Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution and article I, section 15, of the California Constitution. (People v. Ledesma (1987) 43 Cal.3d 171, 215.) California courts have defined effective assistance as " 'the reasonably competent assistance of an attorney acting as [the defendant's] diligent conscientious advocate.' " (Ibid.)

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