Riley Dobi Noel v. Larry Norris, Director, Arkansas Department of Correction

MORRIS SHEPPARD ARNOLD, Circuit Judge.

Riley Noel was convicted of three counts of capital murder and was sentenced to death. After unsuccessfully attempting to overturn his convictions and sentences in the Arkansas state courts, Mr. Noel petitioned for habeas corpus relief. See 28 U.S.C. § 2254. The district court 1 denied the petition and granted a certificate of appealability on four of Mr. Noel’s claims. We affirm.

I

Mr. Noel first claims that defense counsel was ineffective at trial for asking Mr. Noel on direct examination whether counsel had advised him to exercise his fifth amendment…