BETHEA v. SMITH

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA MONTEZ BETHEA, Petitioner, Civil Action v. No. 20-cv-1389 BARRY SMITH, Respondent. ORDER AND NOW, this 2nd day of February, 2024, upon consideration of a Report and Recommendation by Magistrate Judge David R. Strawbridge, and Petitioner’s objections thereto, I find as follows: 1. On March 11, 2020, Petitioner Montez Bethea filed a petition for a writ of habeas corpus pursuant to

28 U.S.C. § 2254

and thereafter an amended petition on January 13, 2023, challenging his 2013 conviction for murder and other offenses in the…