Arthur Lee Jones v. Fred Smith, Commissioner, Alabama Department of Corrections and Willie Johnson, Warden, Holman Unit

JOHNSON, Circuit Judge:

Petitioner-appellant, Arthur Jones, was convicted of murder and sentenced to death in 1982. Direct appeals in state court proved unsuccessful. See Jones v. State, 450 So.2d 165 (Ala.Crim.App.1983), aff'd, In re Jones, 450 So.2d 171 (Ala.), cert. denied, — U.S. -, 105 S.Ct. 232, 83 L.Ed.2d 160 (1984). Subsequent efforts to obtain coram nobis relief in state court also failed. Jones then filed the present action in federal district court, seeking habeas corpus relief. In this appeal, we review the district court’s denial of Jones’ habeas petition. Three issues are…