RICHMOND, VA. - Former investment broker Nathan Chapman Jr. has lost a bid to overturn his conviction for defrauding the Maryland pension system. A three-judge panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Chapman's argument that his lawyer should have accepted a judge's offer of a mistrial. Chapman claimed his right to effective counsel was violated when his lawyer ignored his wish to accept the offer. But the appeals court said Friday that such strategic decisions are the responsibility of the lawyer, not the defendant. The judge had offered a mistrial without prejudice, meaning the government would be able to refile charges. Chapman was sentenced in 2007 to five years and three months in prison.

- Associated Press

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