Nevada Supreme Court finds counsel needed for post-conviction case

In an unpublished order, Smith v. State, the Nevada Supreme Court finds that the district court abused its discretion in failing to appoint counsel to represent a petitioner for his post-conviction petition for a writ of habeas corpus.  This is a recurring problem in the Eighth Judicial District as Clark County judges seldom appoint counsel for post-conviction proceedings.  In contrast, counsel is routinely appointed in Washoe County and the rural counties.