Jerry Easter v. Larry Norris, Director of the Arkansas Department of Corrections

WOLLMAN, Circuit Judge.

The .State of Arkansas appeals from the district court’s order granting Jerry Lynn Easter’s 28 U.S.C. § 2254 petition. We reverse.

I

Shortly after 9:00 p.m. on August 17,1989, police in Magnolia, Arkansas, responded to a witness’s report that someone was beating on the rear door of the Farm Credit Service building. When the police arrived, Easter was sitting on the floor of a restroom in the building. Easter had barricaded the door to the restroom with mops and brooms, was wearing rubber gloves, and was armed with a pistol.

Easter was arrested and charged with commercial…