David Minnick v. Dan Winkleski, Warden

Whether the “reasonableness” standard for assessing deficient performance of defense counsel under Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668 (1984), and Hill v. Lockhart, 474 U.S. 52 (1985), permits a categorical exception immunizing unreasonable advice regarding the likely sentence to be imposed following a guilty plea.

Whether the circumstance-specific reasonableness inquiry for assessing deficient performance of counsel under Strickland and Smith v. Robbins, 528 U.S. 259 (2000), permits application of a standard limiting ineffective assistance of counsel on direct appeal exclusively to circumstances in which counsel’s deficient/ unreasonable performance consists of omitting or overlooking an issue that is “clearly stronger” than those counsel raised on the direct appeal.