Nelson v. Brown
The petitioner, Hassan Nelson, filed a federal habeas corpus petition under 28 U.S.C. § 2254, seeking to vacate his state court conviction for armed robbery. He alleged ineffective assistance of counsel due to his trial attorney's failure to request a remedy for lost exculpatory evidence (eyewitness notes) and the improper admission of a prejudicial arrest photograph. The court found counsel's inaction regarding the Rosario violation unreasonable and prejudicial, undermining the prosecution's weak, eyewitness-dependent case. Additionally, the admission of an irrelevant and highly prejudicial 1993 mug shot, which led jurors to infer a prior criminal record, violated Nelson's right to a fair trial. Consequently, the court GRANTED Nelson's petition, VACATED his conviction, and ordered his release or a new trial within thirty days.