Amos Lee King, Jr. v. Charles G. Strickland, Jr., Warden, Florida State Penitentiary, Louie L. Wainwright, and Jim Smith, Attorney General

RONEY, Circuit Judge:

Convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to death, Amos Lee King, Jr. appeals the federal district court’s denial of his petition for a writ of habeas corpus. He raises a number of arguments as to both conviction and sentence. Although we affirm on all issues raised as to the conviction, we hold that counsel was ineffective during the penalty phase. We discuss King’s other claims going to the validity of the sentence, as to which we find no error. As to these latter points, we affirm.

In March of 1977, King was an inmate at Tarpon Springs Community Correctional…