Mark Allen Cates v. Superintendent, Indiana Youth Center

BAUER, Chief Judge.

In this habeas corpus appeal, we determine whether counsel’s joint representation of two defendants during the initial phases of their criminal proceedings violated Petitioner Mark Cates’ Sixth Amendment right to effective assistance of counsel. We find no constitutional violation, and reverse the district court’s grant of Cates’ petition.

I. Factual Background

A. State Court Proceedings

In October 1984, Mark Cates and Dennis Hanaway were charged with one count each of felony forgery and felony theft, two counts of burglary, attempted escape, and criminal mischief. In two…