Strickland v. Washington (1984) is one of the most important criminal defense cases in American history. In this final episode of Top 10 Most Important Criminal Defense Cases series, San Diego Criminal Defense Attorney Anton Vialtsin breaks down the Supreme Court decision that created the modern standard for ineffective assistance of counsel under the Sixth Amendment.
In this video, you’ll learn:
🔹 The facts of the case
🔹 Why David Washington challenged his lawyer’s performance
🔹 How the Supreme Court created the Two-Prong Strickland Test
🔹 What “deficient performance” really means
🔹 How courts decide whether a defendant was prejudiced
🔹 Why Strickland is so hard for defendants to win
🔹 How this case still controls criminal defense today, from plea bargaining to death penalty litigation
If you’ve ever wondered why “my lawyer didn’t help me” rarely works on appeal — this is the video you need to watch.
As always, if you or a loved one is facing federal or state charges, contact:
Anton Vialtsin, San Diego Criminal Defense Attorney
📍 185 West F Street, Suite 100-D, San Diego, CA 92101
🌐 Lawstache.com
📺 Missed earlier episodes? Start the series here:
Top 10 Criminal Law Cases and Myths | PART 1: Think You Know Your Miranda Rights?
https://youtu.be/RCQQbPSa0hs
Top 10 Criminal Law Cases and Myths | PART 2: Gideon – Do You Really Get to Choose a Free Lawyer?
https://youtu.be/bpkYko9WwFc
Top 10 Criminal Law Cases and Myths | PART 3: Katz – The Case That Changed Privacy Forever.
https://youtu.be/tw8a9fjUkaI
Top 10 Criminal Law Cases and Myths | PART 4: Stop-and-Frisk & the Fourth Amendment Explained
https://youtu.be/4UmVp5ORo3A
Top 10 Criminal Law Cases and Myths | PART 5: Can Police Search Your Car Without a Warrant?
https://youtu.be/zQlePewa5XU
Top 10 Criminal Law Cases and Myths | PART 6: Can we get evidence excluded from trial & case dismiss
https://youtu.be/rVhkHDscXOc
Top 10 Criminal Law Cases and Myths | PART 7: Privacy rights in the digital age. Cell Phone GEO data
https://youtu.be/Wa5kkivcXM0
Top 10 Criminal Law Cases and Myths | PART 8: Prosecution can’t hide evidence favorable to accused
https://youtu.be/S-4K7FF_0es
Top 10 Criminal Law Cases and Myths | PART 9: Everything you need to know about your SENTENCING.
https://youtu.be/Y-5g_HrBYjw
Filed under: Federal Crimes
Anton Vialtsin, Esq., E.I. is a San Diego criminal defense attorney and CJA Panel member in the Southern and Central Districts of California. New case breakdowns every Wednesday on YouTube.
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