Griffin v. Pierce

TINDER, Circuit Judge.

Henry Griffin was convicted by a jury of murder, solicitation to commit murder, and conspiracy to commit murder. A judge sentenced him to death. Griffin filed two post-conviction petitions in Illinois state courts, to no avail. He then filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus in the district court, claiming that the State knowingly used perjured testimony and that his sentencing counsel was ineffective. The district court denied his petition but granted a certificate of appealability on these two claims. Griffin appealed, and we grant the petition on the Strickland…