The Nebraska Court of Appeals upheld the conviction of Antoine Johnson, a Lincoln man serving a prison sentence for the second-degree murder of Gary Zierke in Grand Island. Johnson, 38, was convicted for the May 2020 shooting, which occurred after a drug deal went wrong. Following his sentencing, Johnson appealed twice—first with the state Court of Appeals and then with Hall County District Court. Both appeals were denied.
In his latest appeal to the Court of Appeals, Johnson argued ineffective assistance of counsel, claiming his attorney failed to block damaging evidence and conduct thorough cross-examinations. He also contended that the District Court should have held an evidence hearing during the appeal process. However, in their decision on Tuesday, the Court of Appeals dismissed Johnson’s arguments, affirming both his conviction and sentence. Johnson is currently serving a 35- to 60-year prison term for Zierke’s murder.
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