Paul Seemiller v. Donald Wyrick, Warden, and John Ashcroft, Attorney General

Paul Seemiller, a state prisoner, brought this action in federal district court, seeking habeas corpus relief. The district court found that some of his claims were merit-less, and that the rest had not been fully pursued in the state court system, and accordingly denied relief. Seemiller appeals, contending that he should not be required to exhaust his state court remedies. 1

Seemiller was convicted in March, 1976 in the St. Charles County, Missouri Circuit Court of sodomy and of assault with intent to do great bodily harm without malice aforethought. He was given consecutive sentences of ten…