Convicted Murderer's Attempt to Prove Ineffective Counsel Fails in Court
By: Kim Behrens
Updated: February 5, 2013
BLOOMINGTON- A convicted murder's attempt to prove her attorneys did not do their jobs defending her case failed Tuesday in McLean County Court.
For the first time, TV cameras were allowed inside the courtroom, allowing WMBD-31 to record the process.
Misook Nowlin-Wang, is convicted of strangling her mother in law to death and dumping her body in a forest preserve.
Nowlin, who is Korean, claimed her lawyers didn't get her a translator when she asked for one, didn't talk to her about the case, and didn't use witnesses who would have helped her argument.
Her lawyers say they have jail records to prove they spoke with her multiple times.
Judge Robert Freitag says Nowlin knew English because she worked as a translator.
"In the court's opinion, there was not a need for an interpreter in this case," Freitag explained to Nowlin. "At least there was nothing that ever occurred in this case that made the court believe that you needed the services of an interpreter. Certainly if the court believed that, I would have inquired into it, and we would have discussed it, and we would have determined whether that was necessary."
Nowlin will be sentenced March first.
For the first time, TV cameras were allowed inside the courtroom, allowing WMBD-31 to record the process.
Misook Nowlin-Wang, is convicted of strangling her mother in law to death and dumping her body in a forest preserve.
Nowlin, who is Korean, claimed her lawyers didn't get her a translator when she asked for one, didn't talk to her about the case, and didn't use witnesses who would have helped her argument.
Her lawyers say they have jail records to prove they spoke with her multiple times.
Judge Robert Freitag says Nowlin knew English because she worked as a translator.
"In the court's opinion, there was not a need for an interpreter in this case," Freitag explained to Nowlin. "At least there was nothing that ever occurred in this case that made the court believe that you needed the services of an interpreter. Certainly if the court believed that, I would have inquired into it, and we would have discussed it, and we would have determined whether that was necessary."
Nowlin will be sentenced March first.
