An ineffective assistance of counsel claim may result in the court granting a wide range of relief, up to and including reversing a conviction or a sentence. North Carolina law allows a defendant to file a motion when their attorney provided ineffective counsel.The appeal process is complicated and difficult to navigate. Call our team of California criminal appeals lawyers for a FREE consultation. INEFFECTIVE ASSISTANCE OF COUNSEL NC. My boyfriend is now in prison because his attorney refused to take his case to trial. North Carolina has a special category of IAC claims called Harbison claims. A Harbison claim alleges that counsel admitted the defendant's guilt to the jury,. Petitioner requested certiorari review in the North Carolina Court of Appeals as a separate collateral attack. Clinical Law Review Writers' Workshop and the University of North Carolina Faculty. The California Supreme Court summarily denied all of Andrews's claims, except for his penalty phase ineffective assistance of counsel claim. 1.