Petition for Writ of Certiorari — Corey Wiggins, Petitioner v. Stanley Payne, Warden
Supreme Court briefMar 20, 2019
Ask Donna
What actually matters in this document.
Text
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE EIGHTH CIRCUIT
No: 18-2515
Corey Wiggins
Petitioner Appellant
-
V.
Stanley Payne, Warden--Eastern Reception and Diagnostic Correctional Center
Respondent Appellee
-
Appeal from U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri St. Louis
(4:17-cv-0 1077-CDP)
-
JUDGMENT
Before BENTON, KELLY and GRASZ, Circuit Judges.
This appeal comes before the court on appellant's application for a certificate of
appealability. The court has carefully reviewed the original file of the district court, and the
application for a certificate of appealability is denied. The appeal is dismissed.
November 06, 2018
Order Entered at the Direction of the Court:
Clerk, U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit.
Is! Michael E. Gans
Appellate Case: 18-2515 Page: 1
Date Filed: 11/06/2018 Entry ID: 4723210
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE EIGHTH CIRCUIT
No: 18-2515
Corey Wiggins
Appellant
V.
Stanley Payne, Warden--Eastern Reception and Diagnostic Correctional Center
Appellee
Appeal from U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri St. Louis
(4:17-cv-0 1077-CDP)
-
ORDER
The petition for rehearing by the panel is denied.
January 14, 2019
Order Entered at the Direction of the Court:
Clerk, U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit.
Is! Michael E. Gans
Appellate Case: 18-2515 Page: 1
Date Filed: 01/14/2019 Entry ID: 4745642
Case: 4:17-cv-01077-CDP Doc. #: 21 Filed: 07/02/18 Page: 1 of 16 PagelD #: 422
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
EASTERN DISTRICT OF MISSOURI
EASTERN DIVISION
COREY WIGGINS,
Petitioner,
Case No. 4:17 CV 1077 CDP
V.
STANLEY PAYNE, et al.,
Respondents.'
MEMORANDUM AND ORDER
This matter is before the Court on Missouri state prisoner Corey Wiggins'
petition for writ of habeas corpus pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2254. For the following
reasons, I will deny the petition.
Procedural History
Wiggins is currently incarcerated at the Eastern Reception, Diagnostic, and
Correctional Center in Bonne Terre, Missouri. In February 2013, he was charged
in the Circuit Court of St. Louis County, Missouri, with murder first degree and
armed criminal action. He pled guilty on November 21, 2013, to an amended
charge of murder second degree and armed criminal action, and was sentenced to
Stanley Payne is the current warden of the Eastern Reception, Diagnostic, and Correctional
Center, where petitioner is incarcerated. He is therefore substituted for former warden Troy
Steele as proper party respondent. See Rule 2(a), Rules Governing Section 2254 Cases in the
United States District Courts. Further, because petitioner is challenging a sentence to be served
in the future, the Missouri Attorney General is added as a proper party respondent. Id. at Rule
2(b).
Case: 4:17-cv-01077-CDP Doc. #: 21 Filed: 07/02/18 Page: 2 of 16 PagelD #: 423
life imprisonment and a consecutive term of nine years' imprisonment,
respectively. Wiggins thereafter filed a motion for post-conviction relief under
Missouri Supreme Court Rule 24.035, claiming that plea counsel was ineffective
for failing to advise him before pleading guilty that he could possibly assert a
voluntary manslaughter defense to first degree murder. The court denied the
motion without an evidentiary hearing. On April 28, 2015, the Missouri Court of
Appeals reversed and remanded the matter to the motion court for an evidentiary
hearing. Wiggins v. State, 480 S.W.3d 379 (Mo. Ct. App. 2015). After an
evidentiary hearing on remand, the motion court again denied Wiggins' postconviction motion, and the Missouri Court of Appeals affirmed on March 7, 2017.
Wiggins v. State, 512 S.W.3d 106 (Mo. Ct. App. 2017) (order) (per curiam).
Wiggins timely filed this petition for writ of habeas corpus on March 22,
2017.
Grounds Raised
In this petition, Wiggins claims that he received ineffective assistance of
plea counsel for counsel's failure to advise him of the voluntary manslaughter
defense, and that counsel was ineffective for failing to investigate such a defense.
Wiggins claims he would have proceeded to trial had he known about the
voluntary manslaughter defense.
In response, respondents argue that to the extent Wiggins claims that counsel
-2-
Case: 4:17-cv-01077-CDP Doc. #: 21 Filed: 07/02/18 Page: 3 of 16 PagelD #: 424
was ineffective for failing to advise him of a possible voluntary manslaughter
defense, I should defer to the Missouri Court of Appeals" determination and find
the claim to be without merit. Respondents further argue that to the extent
Wiggins claims that counset was ineffective for failing to investigate the defense,
the claim is procedurally defaulted because Wiggins did not raise the claim in state
court.
Standard of Review
A. Merits
Under the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 (AEDPA),
when a claim has been adjudicated on the merits in state court, a federal court may
not grant an application for writ of habeas corpus unless the state court's
adjudication:
resulted in a decision that was contrary to, or involved an unreasonable
application of, clearly established Federal law, as determined by the
Supreme Court of the United States; or
resulted in a decision that was based on an unreasonable determination of
the facts in light of the evidence presented in the State court proceeding.
28 U.S.C. § 2254(d)(1)-(2). See Williams v. Taylor, 529 U.S. 362, 379 (2000).
The federal law must be clearly established at the time petitioner's state conviction
became final, and the source of doctrine for such law is limited to the United States
Supreme Court. Id. at 380-83.
A state court's decision is "contrary to" clearly established Supreme Court
-3-
Case: 4:17-cv-01077-CDP Doc. #: 21 Filed: 07/02/18 Page: 4 of 16 PagelD #: 425
precedent when it is opposite to the Supreme Court's conclusion on a question of
law or "confronts facts that are materially indistinguishable from a relevant
Supreme Court precedent' but arrives at the opposite result." Shafer v. Bowersox,
329 F.3d 637, 646-47 (8th Cir. 2003) (quoting Williams, 529 U.S. at 405). A state
court's decision is an "unreasonable application" of Supreme Court precedent if it
"identifies the correct governing legal principle from [the Supreme Court's]
decisions but unreasonably applies that principle to the facts of the prisoner's
case." Williams, 529 U.S. at 413. Erroneous or incorrect application of clearly
established federal law is an insufficient basis for this Court to grant habeas relief.
Instead, the state court's application of federal law must be objectively
unreasonable. Id. at 409-11; Shafer, 329 F.3d at 647.
Finally, "a state court decision involves an unreasonable determination of
the facts in light of the evidence presented in state court proceedings' only if it is
shown by clear and convincing evidence that the state court's presumptively
correct factual findings do not enjoy support in the record." Lomholt v. Iowa, 327
F.3d 748, 752 (8th Cir. 2003) (quoting 28 U.S.C. § 2254(d)(2)) (citing 28 U.S.C. §
2254(e)(1); Boyd v. Minnesota, 274 F.3d 497, 501 n.4 (8th Cir. 2001)). "[A] statecourt factual determination is not unreasonable merely because the federal habeas
court would have reached a different conclusion in the first instance." Burt v.
Titlow, 571 U.S. 12, 18 (2013) (internal quotations marks and citation omitted).
-4-
Case: 4:17-cv-01077-CDP Doc. #: 21 Filed: 07/02/18 Page: 5 of 16 PagelD #: 426
This Court is bound by the AEDPA to exercise only limited and deferential
review of underlying state court decisions. Lomholt, 327 F.3d at 751. To obtain
federal habeas relief, the petitioner must show that "the challenged state-court
ruling rested on 'an error well understood and comprehended in existing law
beyond any possibility for fairminded disagreement." Metrish v. Lancaster, 569
U.S. 351, 357-58 (2013) (quoting Harrington v. Richter, 562 U.S. 86, 102-03
(2011)). This standard is difficult to meet. Id.
B.
Procedural Default
In order to obtain federal habeas review of a claim raised in a § 2254
petition, the petitioner must have first fairly presented the federal constitutional
dimensions of the claim in each appropriate state court and in accordance with
state procedural rules. Baldwin v. Reese, 541 U.S. 27, 29 (2004); Duncan v.
Henry, 513 U.S. 364 (1995) (per curiam); Beaulieu v. Minnesota, 583 F.3d 570,
573 (8th Cir. 2009); Smittie v. Lockhart, 843 F.2d 295, 296 (8th Cir. 1988). If the
petitioner failed to properly present the claim in state court, and no adequate nonfutile remedy is currently available by which he may bring the claim in that forum,
the claim is deemed procedurally defaulted and is barred from federal habeas
review "unless the [petitioner] can demonstrate cause for the default and actual
prejudice as a result of the alleged violation of federal law, or demonstrate that
failure to consider the claim[] will result in a fundamental miscarriage of justice."
-5-
Case: 4:17-cv-01077-CDP Doc. #: 21 Filed: 07/02/18 Page: 6 of 16 PagelD #: 427
Coleman v. Thompson, 501 U.S. 722, 750 (1991). See also Martinez v. Ryan, 566
U.S. 1, 10-11 (2012).
Discussion
A. Merits
A review of the record shows Wiggins properly raised in state court the
claim that plea counsel was ineffective for failing to advise him of the voluntary
manslaughter defense S and that the Missouri Court of Appeals, upon review of the
merits of the claim, denied relief. Therefore, I may consider the merits of this
claim, exercising limited and deferential review of the underlying state court
decision as required by the AEDPA.
At the time Wiggins' conviction became final, the law was clearly
established that the Sixth Amendment guarantees a criminal defendant the right to
effective assistance of counsel. Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 687
(1984). A defendant who pled guilty upon the advice of counsel may challenge the
voluntariness of that plea through a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel. Hill
v. Lockhart, 474 U.S. 52, 56-57 (1985).
To be entitled to federal habeas relief on his claim of ineffective assistance
of counsel, Wiggins must show that 1) his counsel's performance was deficient,
and 2) the deficient performance prejudiced his defense. Strickland, 466 U.S. at
687. In order to prevail on this claim, Wiggins must satisfy both components of
Case: 4:17-cv-01077-CDP Doc. #: 21 Filed: 07/02/18 Page: 7 of 16 PagelD #: 428
the Strickland test. Accordingly, if he makes an "insufficient showing" on one
component, I am not required to address the other. Id. at 697.
To establish deficient performance, Wiggins must show that "counsel's
representation fell below an objective standard of reasonableness." Strickland, 466
U.S. at 687-88. Counsel is "strongly presumed to have rendered adequate
assistance and made all significant decisions in the exercise of reasonable
professional judgment." Id. at 690. To overcome this presumption, Wiggins must
prove that, "in light of all the circumstances, the identified acts or omissions were
outside the wide range of professionally competent assistance." Id. To establish
prejudice in the context of a guilty plea, Wiggins must show that "there is a
reasonable probability that, but for counsel's errors, he would not have pleaded
guilty and would have insisted on going to trial." Hill, 474 U.S. at 58-59. To
assess counsel's alleged failure to advise a criminal defendant of a potential
defense, the "resolution of the 'prejudice' inquiry will depend largely" on whether
the defense would have succeeded at trial. Id. at 59.
As noted above, the Missouri Court of Appeals reversed the initial denial of
Wiggins' motion for post-conviction relief and remanded the matter back to the
motion court for an evidentiary hearing on Wiggins' claim that counsel failed to
advise him of the voluntary manslaughter defense. At the hearing, Wiggins and his
plea counsel testified, as well as the responding police officer/lead detective and
-7-
Case: 4:17-cv-01077-CDP Doc. #: 21 Filed: 07/02/18 Page: 8 of 16 PagelD #: 429
various witnesses to the relationship between Wiggins and the victim. (Resp. Exh.
F, ECF 6-7.) Based on the evidence adduced at the hearing, the motion court
determined that Wiggins' claim was not credible, specifically finding plea
counsel's testimony to be credible and that counsel "discuss[ed] with [Wiggins] the
possibility of injecting at trial the issue of sudden passion in order to receive an
instruction on Voluntary Manslaughter." (Resp. Exh. E, ECF 6-6, at 55.) Finding
that counsel indeed advised Wiggins of the voluntary manslaughter defense, the
motion court determined that Wiggins failed to demonstrate that plea counsel's
performance was deficient. (Id. at 56.) The Missouri Court of Appeals affirmed.
On appeal, the court of appeals summarized the relevant evidence adduced
at the evidentiary hearing as follows:
Wiggins testified that plea counsel did not inform him about a
voluntary-manslaughter defense to the murder charge before he pled
guilty. Wiggins claimed that he would have proceeded to trial if he
had known about the possibility of such a defense.
Plea counsel testified that he discussed the facts of Wiggins's
case with him before the guilty plea. Plea counsel remembered
discussing a voluntary-manslaughter defense with Wiggins and
specifically advising Wiggins that voluntary manslaughter requires
evidence of sudden passion. After providing Wiggins with the
statutory definition of sudden passion, plea counsel explained to
Wiggins that words alone are insufficient under the law to invoke
sudden passion. Plea counsel specifically recalled telling Wiggins
that he could present a plausible voluntary-manslaughter defense at
trial, but that the jury could reject this defense and find Wiggins guilty
of first-degree murder. Plea counsel feared there existed sufficient
evidence of deliberation—Victim was shot seven times—that would
allow the jury to reasonably reject Wiggins's claims of acting under
Case: 4:17-cv-01077-CDP Doc. #: 21 Filed: 07/02/18 Page: 9 of 16 PagelD #: 430
the influence of sudden passion. According to plea counsel, Wiggins
expressed his desire to enter into a plea agreement rather than risk a
first-degree-murder conviction at trial.
(Resp. Exh. C, ECF 6-3, at 3.) Deferring to the motion court's credibility
determination, and upon its own review of the record, the court of appeals found
that "[p]lea counsel's testimony supports a conclusion that Wiggins was informed
about the viability of a voluntary-manslaughter defense before he pled guilty." (Id.
at 7.) Given "that a discussion between Wiggins and plea counsel about the
voluntary-manslaughter defense occurred," the court of appeals found that
Wiggins' plea was voluntary and knowingly entered, and it denied Wiggins' claim
of ineffective assistance of counsel. (Id.) For the following reasons, this
determination was neither contrary to nor an unreasonable application of clearly
established federal law. Nor was it an unreasonable determination of the facts.
Credibility determinations made for the purpose of establishing underlying
facts are left for the state courts to decide. Graham v. Solem, 728 F.2d 1533, 1540
(8th Cir. 1984). I may not substitute my judgment as to the credibility of witnesses
for that of the state court. Id. Instead, I must "accept credibility determinations
made by a state court just as any appellate court must accept the credibility
determinations of a trial court." Id. at 1540-41; see also Marshall v. Lonberger,
459 U.S. 422, 434 (1983) (federal habeas courts may not "redetermine credibility
of witnesses whose demeanor has been observed by the state trial court, but not by
Case: 4:17-cv-01077-CDP Doc. #: 21 Filed: 07/02/18 Page: 10 of 16 PagelD #: 431
them."); Smulls v. Roper, 535 F.3d 853, 864 (8th Cir. 2008) (deference owed to
state court under § 2254(e)(1) includes deference to its credibility determinations).
Wiggins has not provided any clear and convincing evidence that the state court's
crediting of plea counsel's testimony over that of Wiggins was unreasonable based
on the record. According deference to this credibility determination and the
finding that counsel advised Wiggins of the defense, I agree with the state court's
conclusion that Wiggins failed to show deficient performance under Strickland.
I also note that in addition to finding that counsel indeed advised Wiggins of
the voluntary manslaughter defense, the motion court also found that, regardless,
the facts adduced at the evidentiary hearing did "not establish a viable defense and
a sufficient basis for a jury to acquit [Wiggins] of Murder, and to find that
[Wiggins] acted under the influence of sudden passion arising from adequate cause
in killing the victim"2 (See Resp. Exh. E, ECF 6-6, at 55.) I may not secondguess a Missouri state court on Missouri law. Arnold v. Dormire, 675 F.3d 1082,
1086 (8th Cir. 2012) (holding that trial counsel was not ineffective in failing to
request a lesser-included offense instruction to which the defendant was not
2
Under Missouri law, voluntary manslaughter is a class B felony, defined as causing the death of
another person under circumstances that would constitute murder in the second degree, except
that the death was caused "under the influence of sudden passion arising from adequate cause."
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 565.023. Adequate cause is defined as "cause that would reasonably produce a
degree of passion in a person of ordinary temperament sufficient to substantially impair an
ordinary person's capacity for self-control." Mo. Rev. Stat. § 565.002(1). Sudden passion is
defined as "passion directly caused by and arising out of provocation by the victim or another
acting with the victim which passion arises at the time of the offense and is not solely the result
of former provocation." Mo. Rev. Stat. § 565.002(15).
-10-
Case: 4:17-cv-01077-CDP Doc. #: 21 Filed: 07/02/18 Page: 11 of 16 PagelD #: 432
entitled). Because the motion court found that a voluntary manslaughter defense
was unsupported by the facts in the case and that no factfinder could conclude that
Wiggins had adequate cause or experienced sudden passion before shooting the
victim, Wiggins has also failed to show that he was prejudiced by counsel's
alleged failure to advise him of the defense. See Hill, 474 U.S. at 59 (resolution of
prejudice prong on a claim that counsel failed to advise of a potential defense
depends largely on whether the defense would have succeeded at trial).
Accordingly, the Missouri Court of Appeals' determination that Wiggins
failed show that he received ineffective assistance of plea counsel was not contrary
to nor an unreasonable application of Supreme Court precedent. Nor has Wiggins
demonstrated that the court of appeals' decision was based on an unreasonable
determination of the facts in light of the evidence presented in the state court
proceeding. Wiggins' claim that ineffective assistance of counsel rendered his
guilty plea involuntary is therefore denied.
B.
Procedural Default
To the extent Wiggins claims that plea counsel was ineffective for failing to
investigate the voluntary manslaughter defense, the claim is procedurally barred
from federal habeas review because Wiggins failed to raise the claim in state court.
A claim must be presented at each step of the judicial process in state court
in order to avoid procedural default. Jolly v. Gammon, 28 F.3d 51, 53 (8th Cir.
- 11 -
Case: 4:17-cv-01077-CDP Doc. #: 21 Filed: 07/02/18 Page: 12 of 16 PagelD #: 433
1994). To be fairly presented, the claim in state court must contain the same
factual grounds and legal theories as asserted in the federal habeas petition. Picard
V. Connor, 404 U.S. 270 (1971); Palmer v. Clarke, 408 F.3d 423, 430, (8th Cir.
2005); Forest v. Delo, 52 F.3d 716, 719 (8th Cir. 1995). See also see Ward v.
Norris, 577 F.3d 925, 935-36 (8th Cir. 2009) (federal habeas claim cannot be based
on different facts than those presented to the state court). Mere similarity in claims
is insufficient. Abdullah v. Groose, 75 F.3d 408, 412 (8th Cir. 1996) (citing
Duncan v. Henry, 513 U.S. 364 (1995) (per curiam)). A petitioner who presents to
the state courts a broad claim of ineffective assistance of counsel with some
specific ineffectiveness claims is not considered to have properly presented "all
conceivable variations" of the claim for purposes of federal habeas review. Flieger
v. Delo, 16 F.3d 878, 885 (8th Cir. 1994). "[A] habeas petitioner must have raised
both the factual and legal bases for each ineffectiveness of counsel claim in the
state courts in order to preserve the claim for federal review." Id.
Here, although Wiggins raised a claim in state court that counsel was
ineffective for failing to advise him regarding the voluntary manslaughter defense,
he did not assert the factual basis he now asserts that counsel was ineffective for
failing to investigate the defense. This factual aspect of the claim is therefore
procedurally barred from review by this Court unless Wiggins can show cause for
his default and actual prejudice resulting from the alleged unconstitutional conduct,
-
12
-
Case: 4:17-cv-01077-CDP Doc. #: 21 Filed: 07/02/18 Page: 13 of 16 PagelD #: 434
or demonstrate that failure to consider the claim will result in a fundamental
miscarriage of justice. Coleman, 501 U.S. at 731-32, 750.
As cause for his default, Wiggins appears to claim that he received
ineffective assistance of post-conviction counsel at the initial post-conviction
proceeding. In Martinez v. Ryan, 566 U.S. 1 (2012), the Supreme Court held that
"a procedural default will not bar a federal habeas court from hearing a substantial
claim of ineffective assistance at trial if, in the initial-review collateral proceeding,
there was no counsel or counsel in that proceeding was ineffective." Id. at 17.
Accordingly, a petitioner may claim ineffective assistance of post-conviction
counsel as "cause" for default of a trial-related ineffective-assistance claim. See
Guzman v. Denney, 692 F. App'x 323, 324 (8th Cir. 2017) (per curiam) (applying
Martinez to defaulted claim of ineffective assistance of plea counsel). To establish
such cause, the petitioner must show that post-conviction counsel's assistance was
ineffective under the standards of Strickland, and further demonstrate that his
underlying claim of ineffective assistance of plea counsel is a "substantial" one,
that is, that the claim has some merit. Martinez, 566 U.S. at 14; Guzman, 692 F.
App'x at 324. If the State demonstrates that the underlying claim of ineffective
assistance of counsel is not substantial or non-meritorious, the petitioner cannot
establish that post-conviction counsel was ineffective and thus cannot show cause
for default of the underlying claim. Martinez, 566 U.S. at 15-16. Likewise, if
-
13
-
Case: 4:17-cv-01077-CDP Doc. #: 21 Filed: 07/02/18 Page: 14 of 16 PagelD #: 435
post-conviction counsel did not perform below constitutional standards, no cause is
shown for default. Id.
As set out above, the state courts found that plea counsel discussed with
Wiggins the possibility of a voluntary manslaughter defense, and the evidence
showed that Wiggins decided to forego the defense and plead guilty to second
degree murder. However, even if Wiggins had gone to trial and pursued the
defense of voluntary manslaughter, the post-conviction motion court found that the
defense was not viable and that a jury would not have had a sufficient basis upon
which to acquit Wiggins of murder and find that he acted under influence of
passion. It cannot be said, therefore, that plea counsel's alleged failure to
investigate a non-viable defense resulted in prejudice to Wiggins. See Hill, 474
U.S. at 59. Accordingly, because Wiggins was not prejudiced by plea counsel's
conduct, his underlying claim of ineffective assistance had no merit and postconviction counsel- was not ineffective for failing to pursue this non-meritorious
claim. See Burton v. Dormire, 295 F.3d 839, 846 (8th Cir. 2002) (counsel's failure
to raise non-meritorious claim cannot be faulted under Strickland because no relief
could be obtained); Zinzer v. State of Iowa, 60 F.3d 12965 1299 (8th Cir. 1995) (no
ineffective assistance in failing to raise claim unlikely to succeed).
Wiggins has thus failed to show cause for his procedural default of his claim
that plea counsel was ineffective for failing to investigate a voluntary manslaughter
-14-
Case: 4:17-cv-01077-CDP Doc. #: 21 Filed: 07/02/18 Page: 15 of 16 PagelD #: 436
defense. Nor has he presented any new reliable evidence of his actual innocence to
invoke the fundamental miscarriage of justice exception. Schiup v. Delo, 513 U.S.
298, 316 (1995) ("Without any new evidence of innocence, even the existence of a
concededly meritorious constitutional violation is not in itself sufficient to
establish a miscarriage of justice that would allow a habeas court to reach the
merits of a barred claim."). Therefore, my refusal to entertain this procedurally
defaulted claim will not result in a fundamental miscarriage of justice.
Accordingly, to the extent Wiggins claims that plea counsel was ineffective
for failing to investigate a voluntary manslaughter defense, the claim is
procedurally barred from federal habeas review and will be denied.
Certificate of Appealability
Under 28 U.S.C. § 2253, an appeal may not be taken to the court of appeals
from the final order denying habeas relief in a § 2254 proceeding unless a circuit
justice or judge issues a Certificate of Appealability. 28 U.S.C. § 2253(c)(1)(A).
To grant such a certificate, the justice or judge must find a substantial showing of
the denial of a federal constitutional right. 28 U.S.C. § 2253(c)(2); see Tiedeman
v. Benson, 122 F.3d 518, 522 (8th Cir. 1997). "A substantial showing is a showing
that issues are debatable among reasonable jurists, a court could resolve the issues
differently, or the issues deserve further proceedings." Cox v. Norris, 133 F.3d
565, 569 (8th Cir. 1997). I find that reasonable jurists could not differ on Wiggins'
-
15
-
Case: 4:17-cv-01077-CDP Doc. #: 21 Filed: 07/02/18 Page: 16 of 16 PagelD #: 437
claims of ineffective assistance of plea counsel, so I will deny a Certificate of
Appealability.
Accordingly,
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that Stanley Payne is substituted for Troy
Steele as proper party respondent to this action.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley
is added as a proper party respondent to this action.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Corey Wiggins' petition for writ of
habeas corpus pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2254 [1] is DENIED. His motion for
appointment of counsel [15] is DENIED as moot.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that a Certificate of Appealability will not
issue because petitioner has not made a substantial showing of a denial of a
constitutional right.
A separate Judgment is filed herewith.
df&
CATHERINE D. PERRY
9
UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE
Dated this 2nd day of July, 2018.
-16-
Case: 4:17-cv-01077-CDP Doc. #: 22 Filed: 07/02/18 Page: 1 of 1 PagelD #: 438
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
EASTERN DISTRICT OF MISSOURI
EASTERN DIVISION
COREY WIGGINS,
Petitioner,
Case No. 4:17 CV 1077 CDP
V.
STANLEY PAYNE, et al.,
Respondents.
JUDGMENT
In accordance with the Memorandum and Order entered herewith,
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED, ADJUDGED, AND DECREED that the
petition of Corey Wiggins for writ of habeas corpus pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2254
is denied.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that a Certificate of Appealability will not
issue in this case.
CATHERINE D. PERRY
2
UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE
Dated this 2nd day of July, 2018.
OVA
ft
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE EIGHTH CIRCUIT
No: 18-2515
Corey Wiggins
Appellant
V.
Stanley Payne, Warden--Eastern Reception and Diagnostic Correctional Center
Appellee
Appeal from U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri St. Louis
(4: 17-cv-01077-CDP)
-
MANDATE
In accordance with the judgment of 11/06/2018, and pursuant to the provisions of Federal
Rule of Appellate Procedure 41(a), the formal mandate is hereby issued in the above-styled
matter.
January 31, 2019
Clerk, U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit
This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.