Johnson v. Dretke

DeMOSS, Circuit Judge:

In a prior opinion, this panel granted Petitioner Michael Dewayne Johnson, a Texas inmate sentenced to death for the murder of Jeffrey Michael Wetterman, a certificate of appealability (“COA”) on two issues of law: “(1) whether [Johnson’s] alleged prosecutorial misconduct claims meet the due diligence requirement of 28 U.S.C. § 2244(b)(2)(B)(i); and (2) if so, whether Johnson’s prosecutorial misconduct claims merit relief.” Johnson v. Dretke, 394 F.3d 332, 338 (5th Cir.2004).

In his successive habeas petition, Johnson claims that David Vest, an accomplice and witness at…