Thompson v. Cain

STEWART, Circuit Judge:

Louisiana state prisoner John Thompson appeals his first degree murder conviction and death sentence. Specifically, Thompson alleges that at trial: (1) the government withheld critical evidence; (2) the government offered false or misleading testimony; (3) the trial court facilitated the coercion of a hold-out juror; (4) the government used its peremptory strikes to exclude blacks from the jury; (5) the trial court charged the jury with an improper reasonable doubt instruction; and (6) defense counsel was ineffective during both the guilt and sentencing phases of trial.…