People v. Nelson

This case presents question as to whether defendant’s attorneys faced actual conflict of interest, where attorneys from Chicago Kent Law Clinic represented defendant and her co-defendant in instant murder and armed robbery charges. Appellate Court found that evidence presented on co-defendant’s behalf (that she acted in defense of another individual and in response to strong provocation) had no adverse effect on defense presented on defendant’s behalf that she and others sought only to retrieve stolen cell phone from murder victim. Moreover, Ct. rejected defendant’s argument that conflict existed because her attorneys could have argued that co-defendant acted independently from defendant when co-defendant stabbed victim.