BOISE, Idaho — A man convicted of rape in Idaho and sexual assault in Pennsylvania will get a chance to argue his Idaho attorney was ineffective under a new ruling from the Idaho Supreme Court.
Jeffrey Marsalis’ case received widespread media attention in the mid-2000s, when prosecutors portrayed him as a smooth-talker who would pretend to be an astronaut, surgeon or spy to lure women. In the Idaho case, Marsalis was sentenced to life in prison after he was convicted of raping a coworker while she was incapacitated after a night of drinking.
The high court says Marsalis should be given the chance to prove in court if his attorney was ineffective for failing to hire an expert to talk about the blackout defense.
