A-21-0596, State of Nebraska (appellee) v. Keith Bedford (appellant)
Lancaster County, District Court, Judge Robert R. Otte
Attorney for Appellant: John C. Jorgensen (Lancaster County Public Defender)
Attorney for Appellee: Matthew Lewis (Assistant Attorney General)
Criminal Action: Sufficiency of evidence; evidentiary objections; jury instructions; ineffective assistance of counsel.
Action Taken by Trial Court: Following a jury trial, Bedford was convicted of one count of assault by strangulation or suffocation, two counts of third degree domestic assault, and one count of tampering with a witness. He was also found to be a habitual criminal.
Assignments of Error on Appeal: Bedford assigns that (1) the district court erred in denying trial counsel the opportunity to impeach the victim at trial; (2) the court erred in refusing to give his proposed self-defense jury instruction; and (3) the evidence was insufficient to sustain his convictions. Bedford also raises five separate claims of ineffective assistance by his trial counsel.