Donald v. Spencer

HOWARD, Circuit Judge.

In April 1999, a Massachusetts jury convicted Stanley Donald of rape, kidnaping, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and carjacking. After a series of unsuccessful attempts at post-trial relief in state court, Donald filed a petition for habeas corpus in federal district court in Massachusetts. 1 His petition set forth two general categories of alleged constitutional infirmities in the state court proceedings. First, that he was denied effective assistance of counsel both at trial and during post-conviction proceedings; and second, that he was denied…