Des Moines, Iowa criminal law lawyer represented Defendant charged with conspiring to produce child pornography and child exploitation.

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Futon, Missouri criminal law lawyer represented Defendant charged with three counts of child molestation in the first degree and three counts of sodomy in the first degree.


Jarrad Ryan Vandergrift appeals following his conviction of three counts of child molestation in the first degree and three counts of statutory sodomy in the first degree. Vandergrift's notice of appeal was filed

On June 24, 2007, an 8-yearold girl known as M.G. told her mother that her father 37-year-old Merardo Garza, Jr., molestered her the night before at the family's home in Wichita.

Garza and his wife, Amy, have four children, including the child victim, M.G.
Garza also has two stepdaughters, X.S., who was 13 years old, and A.C., who was 11
years old. They lived with Garza. The inc

In 2008, a jury convicted Merardo Garza, Jr., of aggravated indecent liberties with a child and rape of a child under 14 years of age. He was sentenced to a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years under K.S.A. 21–4643 (Jessica's Law). In his direct appeal, the Kansas Supreme Court affirmed his conviction for rape but reversed the conviction for aggravated indecent liberties with a child beca

Merardo Garza appeals the district court's denial of his petition for writ of habeas corpus challenging his convictions for rape of a child under 14 years of age and aggravated indecent liberties with a child. After a nonevidentiary hearing, the district court rejected Garza's multiple claims of ineffective assistance of counsel.

        The facts of Garza's conviction are fo

1.A district court is justified in denying a defendant's request for new counsel if there is a reasonable basis for believing the attorney-client relationship has not deteriorated to a point that appointed counsel could not give effective aid in the presentation of the client's defense.

        2. K.S.A. 60-401(b) defines relevant evidence as "evidence having any tendency in reaso