SIDEBOTTOM, ROBERT T.
General Information
DOB: March 29, 1962
Race: White
Gender: Male
Crime and Trial
County of conviction: Jackson
Number of counts: One
Race of victim: White
Gender of victim: Female
Date of crime: October 4, 1985
Date of sentencing: March 13, 1987
Date of execution: November 15, 1995
Legal status:
Trial Counsel:
Joseph McMullin
Last counsel of record:
K. Leslie Delk
1111 Richardson Rd.
Tallahassee, FL 32301
904-487-4376
Last judicial decision:
--Denial of habeas affirmed by Sidebottom v. Delo, 46 F.3d 744 (8th Cir.), cert. denied, 516 U.S. 849 (1995).
Reported Opinions:
--Sentence and conviction affirmed on direct appeal by State v. Sidebottom, 753 S.W.2d 915 (Mo. banc), cert. denied, 488 U.S. 975 (1988).
--Denial of post-conviction relief affirmed by Sidebottom v. State, 781 S.W.2d 791 (Mo. banc 1989), cert. denied, 497 U.S. 1032 (1990).
--Denial of habeas affirmed by Sidebottom v. Delo, 46 F.3d 744 (8th Cir.), cert. denied, 516 U.S. 849 (1995).
Significant legal issues:
--trial counsel's effectiveness in failing to pursue a thorough evaluation of Mr. Sidebottom's mental health following an earlier unfruitful evaluation that was relatively unfruitful but methodologically unsound, and counsel's related failure to present evidence of Mr. Sidebottom's school, work, and military records
--trial counsel's failure to present mitigating evidence regarding Mr. Sidebottom's abusive home life
--state post-conviction counsel's perfunctory factual presentation of Mr. Sidebottom's claims for relief, and whether post-conviction counsel's ineffectiveness could amount to "cause" on habeas review to excuse Mr. Sidebottom's failure to adequately present the facts underlying many of his claims
--prosecutor's indirect comment/argument on Mr. Sidebottom's failure to testify