Ayala v. Chappell

Petitioner, convicted of triple homicide and sentenced to death, appealed the district court's denial of his petition for habeas relief under 28 U.S.C. 2254. The court concluded that the procedural bar doctrine does not prevent the court from reaching the merits of petitioner's claims; the state court's conclusion that defense counsel was not constitutionally ineffective by failing to call into question the credibility of key prosecution witnesses was a reasonable application of Strickland v. Washington; the state court's summary denial of petitioner's Brady v. Maryland claims was not unreasonable where petitioner failed to establish that the State suppressed the information that underpins his certified Brady claims; the state court's denial of petitioner's witness intimidation claim was not contrary to or an unreasonable application of Webb v. Texas; the state court did not misapply federal law by rejecting petitioner's Napue v. Illinois claim; and the court rejected petitioner's other claims of error regarding the trial court's refusal to strike a juror for cause, exclusion of deceased witness's statements, prosecutorial misconduct during closing arguments, and penalty phase admission of a prior murder. Finally, the court rejected petitioner's claim of cumulative error and actual innocence. Accordingly, the court affirmed the judgment. View "Ayala v. Chappell" on Justia Law