Court vacates convictions against Black Muslim man whose attorney made racist posts
By MARK PRATT
Associated Press
The highest court in Massachusetts has vacated the sex trafficking convictions of a Black Muslim man whose court-appointed attorney had a history of posting racist and anti-Muslim vitriol on social media. The Supreme Judicial Court wrote in its unanimous decision Thursday that an attorney representing a Black Muslim was a conflict of interest that deprived the defendant of his right to effective assistance of counsel. Appeals lawyer Edward Gaffney said his position was that his client Anthony Dew was denied his constitutional rights and the court agreed. The district attorney’s office says it is reviewing the decision.
