Rockwell v. Davis

Petitioner, convicted of murder and sentenced to death, sought a certificate of appealability (COA), challenging the district court's denial of habeas corpus relief. The court concluded that no reasonable jurist would debate whether petitioner's trial counsel's decision not to present evidence that he suffers from schizophrenia constituted ineffective assistance of trial counsel (IATC); whether his trial counsel's decision not to present evidence of his steroid use constituted IATC; whether he was eligible for the death penalty under Atkins v. Virginia, in light of his purported mental illness; and whether Texas's death-penalty statute unconstitutionally forbids juries from considering mitigating evidence. Therefore, the court denied the application for a COA. View "Rockwell v. Davis" on Justia Law