Missouri Court of Appeals, Southern District / Nov 26, 2018
COLBY L. SANDERS, Respondent vs. STATE OF MISSOURI, Appellant
Colby Sanders appealed the grant of postconviction relief, which vacated his conviction on one count of molestation due to ineffective assistance of counsel. The motion court had found IAC, believing *Hoeber v. State* categorically rejected trial counsel's strategic reasons for not objecting to a verdict director. The appellate court reversed, clarifying that *Hoeber* was a fact-specific ruling and did not establish a categorical rule for IAC claims. The case was remanded for the motion court to make specific findings on whether trial counsel's choices were objectively reasonable.