William J. Baker v. Walter Leapley, Warden, South Dakota State Penitentiary Roger Tellinghuisen, Attorney General, State of South Dakota

William J. Baker appeals from the final judgment entered in the District Court 1 for the District of South Dakota dismissing with prejudice his petition for a writ of habeas corpus brought under 28 U.S.C. § 2254. For reversal Baker argues the district court erred in holding that a jury instruction did not impermissibly shift to him the burden of proving insanity by clear and convincing evidence. For the reasons discussed below, we affirm the judgment of the district court.

Baker assaulted a security guard at the acute psychiatric ward of a hospital. A jury found Baker guilty but mentally ill…