Askari Abdullah Muhammad v. Secretary, Florida Department of Corrections

PRYOR, Circuit Judge:

To learn about the gridlock and inefficiency of death penalty litigation, look no further than this appeal. Askari Abdullah Muhammad kidnapped and murdered Sydney and Lillian Gans four decades ago, in 1974. A Florida jury convicted Muhammad of murder, a Florida judge sentenced him to death, and the Supreme Court of Florida affirmed his conviction and sentence on direct appeal. While he awaited state collateral review, Muhammad killed *1067again; this time, Muhammad murdered a prison guard because he was upset that he had been denied permission to meet with a visitor. In 1988,…