United States Third Circuit

Denial of a petition for habeas relief from a conviction drug-related offenses is affirmed where: 1) Delaware Supreme Court Rule 8 provides an independent and adequate state law ground for the Delaware Supreme Court's judgment, for purposes of precluding federal habeas review; 2) any error of the district court in rejecting three of petitioner's claims of ineffective assistance of counsel as unexhausted was harmless; and 3) the Delaware Supreme Court's application of Strickland was not unreasonable.

Appellate Information

• Argued 10/23/2007
• Decided 02/14/2008
• Published 02/14/2008

Judges

• Before:  FISHER, STAPLETON and COWEN, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Third Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• George A. Bibikos, (Argued), David R. Fine, Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Preston Gates Ellis, Harrisburg, PA, Attorneys for Appellant.


• For Appellees:
  
• Thomas E. Brown, (Argued), Deputy Attorney General, Delaware Department of Justice, Wilmington, DE, Attorney for Appellee.