Joseph Laglinais v. State of Tennessee

The Petitioner, Joseph Langlinais, appeals from the denial of his petition seeking postconviction
relief from his convictions of rape of a child, aggravated sexual battery, and
attempted rape of a child, for which he received an effective sentence of twenty-eight years
in prison. State v. Joseph Langlinais, No. W2016-01686-CCA-R3-CD, 2018 WL 1151951
(Tenn. Crim. App. Mar. 2, 2018), perm. app. denied (Tenn. July 19, 2018). In this appeal,
the Petitioner argues (1) that the post-conviction court deprived this court of meaningful
appellate review because it failed to consider certain issues as raised in his petition and
failed to provide sufficient findings of fact in its order denying relief; (2) that the Petitioner
was deprived of his Sixth Amendment right to the effective assistance of counsel under
United States v. Cronic, 466 U.S. 648, 658, 104 S. Ct. 2039 (1984), or alternatively,
Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 687, 104 S. Ct. 2052 (1984); (3) that trial counsel
was ineffective based on eighteen separate grounds; and (4) that the cumulative effect of
trial counsel’s deficiencies entitles him to relief. After a thorough review of the record, we
conclude that the aggregate effect of trial counsel’s deficiencies requires a new trial.
Accordingly, we reverse the order of the post-conviction court, vacate the Petitioner’s
convictions, and remand for a new trial.