United States Fourth Circuit

Denial of habeas corpus petition involving capital murder conviction and death sentence is affirmed over claims of 1) constitutional violations arising out of defendant's state trial; 2) denial of effective representation based on the location and conditions of his incarceration; 3) ineffective assistance of counsel at sentencing; 4) improper exclusion of evidence at sentencing; and 5) juror use of a Bible during sentencing deliberations.

Appellate Information

• Argued 02/01/2006
• Decided 04/11/2006
• Published 04/11/2006

Judges

• Before WILKINS, Chief Judge, and WILKINSON and LUTTIG, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Fourth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellees:
  
• ARGUED:  Jennifer Leigh Givens, Virginia Capital Representation Resource Center, Charlottesville, Virginia, for Appellant.  Richard Bain Smith, Assistant Attorney General, Office of the Attorney General of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia, for Appellee.   ON BRIEF:  James C. Turk, Jr., Stone, Harrison & Turk, P.C., Radford, Virginia, for Appellant.  Judith Williams Jagdmann, Attorney General of Virginia, Jerry P. Slonaker, Senior Assistant Attorney General & Chief, Richmond, Virginia, for Appellee.