Christopher Young v. Lorie Davis, Director

PATRICK E. HIGGINBOTHAM, Circuit Judge:

Christopher Young awaits execution in a Texas prison. He challenged the constitutionality of his confinement and sentence in federal district court, but the district court rejected his claims. He now seeks a certificate of appealability (COA) in order to contest the district court’s ruling. We GRANT the COA in part and DENY it in part.

I

On November 21, 2004, an intoxicated Young forced his way into a woman’s apartment, sexually assaulted her in the presence of her children, stole her car, drove it to a convenience store, and tried to rob the store’s owner…