Oaks v. Pfister

HAMILTON, Circuit Judge.

In this habeas corpus case, state prisoner Douglas Oaks asks us to hold that he was deprived of his Sixth Amendment right to choose his counsel. Because, he procedurally defaulted that claim during his state court proceedings, we affirm the district court’s denial of habeas relief without reaching the merits of his claim.

I. Factual and Procedural Background

Because we resolve this case on procedural grounds, we describe its procedural history in some detail. In 1992, petitioner Douglas Oaks was indicted in Illinois for the murder of his girlfriend’s three-year-old son.…