McNeil v. Cuyler

OPINION OF THE COURT

ADAMS, Acting Chief Judge.

In this habeas corpus petition, we must consider whether the district court, in denying a defendant’s claim of ineffective assistance of counsel, correctly applied the standard set out in Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 104 S.Ct. 2052, 80 L.Ed.2d 674 (1984). We conclude that the court did not properly apply Strickland, *445but that it nonetheless reached the appropriate result because the alleged errors of counsel did not prejudice the defendant. Accordingly, we will affirm.

I

The long procedural history of this case begins with the 1974 murder…