United States First Circuit

The district court's grant of a petition for habeas corpus relief challenging petitioner's murder conviction, is reversed, where: 1) the district court erred in finding that the Massachusetts Appeals Court (MAC) did not adjudicate petitioner's due process claims as presented at trial on the merits, and the MAC's holding adequately addressed the merits of petitioner's admissibility arguments raised at trial and argued on appeal; 2) the MAC's decision was not based on an unreasonable determination of the facts in light of the evidence presented in the State court proceeding; and 3) the third-party culprit theory is procedurally barred.

Appellate Information

• Decided 12/30/2013
• Published 12/30/2013

Judges

• LYNCH

Court

• United States First Circuit

Counsel