John Brown v. Bill Armontrout

BRIGHT, Senior Circuit Judge.

Appellant John Brown appeals the district court’s dismissal of his habeas corpus petition for failure to exhaust available state remedies. Because, in the interim, the Missouri Supreme Court indicated that the state courts will afford Brown no further relief, we reverse the district court’s determination as to exhaustion and remand for further proceedings.

I. BACKGROUND

Brown pled guilty to the capital murder of his girlfriend and received a life sentence without the possibility for probation or parole for fifty years. While assuring the court throughout the trial…