The attorney who represented Michael Skakel during his Connecticut murder trial in 2002 took the stand Friday and defended the work he did for the Kennedy cousin, while also saying he still believes Skakel is innocent.

Skakel is challenging his conviction in Rockville Superior Court on the ground that he was deprived of his constitutional right to effective legal representation.

The 52-year-old nephew of Robert F. Kennedy's widow, Ethel Kennedy, is serving 20 years to life for the 1975 golf club bludgeoning of Martha Moxley when they were 15-year-old neighbors in Greenwich.

On the stand Thursday, Skakel launched a barrage of criticism against Sherman, portraying an overly confident lawyer having fun and basking in the limelight while making fundamental mistakes from poor jury picks to failing to track down key witnesses. Skakel also said Sherman took photos of the trial judge and jury with a pen camera and had him sign an autograph.