context: To constitute constitutionally ineffective assistance under Strickland, the defendant must show his counsel's performance was both deficient and prejudiced the defense. Watson's argument fails the first prong of Strickland because counsel does not perform deficiently by declining to pursue a losing argument.
citation_a.signal: see also
citation_a.identifier: 373 F.3d 1350, 1354
citation_a.parenthetical: "[F]ailure to renew a non-meritorious motion renders a lawyer's performance efficient, not deficient."
citation_a.sentence: See, e.g., United States v. Kelly, 552 F.3d 824, 831 (D.C.Cir.2009) (ineffective assistance claim “plainly fails inasmuch as his counsel was not obliged to raise a meritless defense”); see also United States v. Carr, 373 F.3d 1350, 1354 (D.C.Cir.2004) (“[F]ailure to renew a non-meritorious motion renders a lawyer’s performance efficient, not deficient.”).
citation_b.signal: see
citation_b.identifier: 552 F.3d 824, 831
citation_b.parenthetical: ineffective assistance claim "plainly fails inasmuch as his counsel was not obliged to raise a meritless defense"
citation_b.sentence: See, e.g., United States v. Kelly, 552 F.3d 824, 831 (D.C.Cir.2009) (ineffective assistance claim “plainly fails inasmuch as his counsel was not obliged to raise a meritless defense”); see also United States v. Carr, 373 F.3d 1350, 1354 (D.C.Cir.2004) (“[F]ailure to renew a non-meritorious motion renders a lawyer’s performance efficient, not deficient.”).