Ricky White v. Wendy Kelley

BENTON, Circuit Judge.

Ricky E. White appeals the denial of his habeas corpus petition. White claims that his counsel’s last-minute change of trial strategy and failure to allow him to testify violated his constitutional right to effective assistance of counsel. This court granted a certificate of appealability under 28 U.S.C. § 2253 and now affirms.

I

On February 2, 2008, Penze Wine was shot and killed in a recording studio’s parking lot. His friend, Carlos Pace — a passenger in Wine’s car at the time of the shooting — testified that Wine, backing up, struck White’s Cadillac. Pace and Wine…