Jesse Jackson v. Larry Norris, Director, Arkansas Department of Correction

RICHARD S. ARNOLD, Chief Judge.

This is a petition for writ of habeas corpus filed by a prisoner in state custody. The prisoner, Jesse Jackson, has filed three previous unsuccessful petitions. He argues that the claim he now asserts is “novel,” see Reed v. Ross, 468 U.S. 1, 104 S.Ct. 2901, 82 L.Ed.2d 1 (1984), and that, therefore, he has demonstrated cause for the claim’s not having been included in any of his prior petitions. It follows, Jackson argues, that he is entitled to a decision on the merits of the claim.

The District Court 1 held that the claim presently urged is not “novel” for…