United States Eighth Circuit

In a capital habeas matter, the partial grant of petitioner's habeas petition is reversed where 1) the postconviction trial court’s discussion of counsel’s performance— combined with its express determination that the ineffective assistance claim as a whole lacked merit—plainly sufficed as an adjudication on the merits under AEDPA; and 2) the state court’s determination that counsel conducted a reasonable investigation into psychological mitigating evidence did not constitute an unreasonable application of clearly established federal law.

Appellate Information

• Decided 01/06/2011
• Published 01/06/2011

Judges

• Raymond E. Gruender

Court

• United States Eighth Circuit

Counsel