AUSAs Will Not Ask for Waiver in Plea Agreement of Ineffective Assistance of Counsel Claims

Attorney General Eric Holder announced a new policy that "the Department of Justice will no longer ask criminal defendants who plead guilty to waive their right to bring future claims of ineffective assistance of counsel."  Deputy Attorney General James Cole authored the memo instructing assistant U.S. attorneys to follow this new policy.  Prior to this policy, "35 of the department's 94 U.S. Attorney’s Offices sought waivers of future claims that included claims of ineffective assistance of counsel."