Bert L. Hunter v. Michael Bowersox

LOKEN, Circuit Judge.

Bert L. Hunter, a Missouri inmate under sentence of death, appeals the denial of his petition for a writ of habeas corpus. The district court 1 granted a certificate of appealability on three issues: whether Hunter’s guilty plea was valid; whether the trial court’s sentencing process was constitutionally proper; and whether Hunter was denied effective assistance of counsel. We granted a certificate on a fourth issue, whether the district court should have held an evidentiary hearing, and now affirm.

I. Background

On December 15, 1988, Hunter and friend Tomas Ervin, armed…