Bonney v. Wilson

BALDOCK, Circuit Judge.

The issue here, as framed by the Anti-terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 (AEDPA), is whether the Wyoming state court’s denial of Petitioner’s ineffective assistance of counsel claim on collateral review of a guilty plea “resulted in a decision that was contrary to, or involved an unreasonable application of, clearly established” Supreme Court precedent. 28 U.S.C. § 2254(d)(1). The federal district court thought so. For reasons that follow, we think not. Exercising jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2253(a), we reverse.

I

Five members of Petitioner Steven…