A new trial was ordered for John Vigna, 56, who taught at a Montgomery County elementary school for more than 20 years
A Maryland judge struck down the 2017 sex-abuse convictions of former Montgomery County third-grade teacher John Vigna, ruling that his lawyer performed so badly six years ago that Vigna deserves a new trial over allegations he fondled five students at school.
“Mr. Vigna has established ineffective assistance of counsel, which requires that his convictions on all counts be vacated,” Montgomery County Circuit Judge David Lease wrote in a 46-page ruling this month.
Lease was unsparing in his findings, asserting that if Vigna’s lawyer had put forth a better defense, the verdict could have been different...
Which in itself opens up a can of worms.
ReplyDeleteFor starters:
a. Did bad lawyering cause a bad judgement?
b. Do lawyers have to maintain minimum standards
in order to be allowed to practice law?
c. Since the various Bar associations are self policing,
aren't decisions subjective?
d. Who is judging the judges?
Along the same lines:
ReplyDeleteIf there were no 'conflict of interest' the prosecution would have been more aggressive.
And if our lawyer was more competent, our daughter's sexual predator would be behind bars.