Singleton v. United States

CYR, Circuit Judge.

Petitioner James Singleton appeals from a district court order dismissing his motion for post-conviction relief, see 28 U.S.C. § 2255, from a judgment of conviction for possessing marijuana, with intent to distribute, in violation of the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act (MDLEA). 1 See 18 U.S.C. § 2; 46 U.S.CApp. § 1903(a), (c), (f). Along with a surfeit of lesser grounds, we must assess whether Singleton was denied effective assistance, see Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 104 S.Ct. 2052, 80 L.Ed.2d 674 (1984), based on trial counsel’s failure to object to a jury…