Cox v. McNeil

Allen Cox, a Florida state prisoner, appeals from the district court’s denial of his 28 U.S.C. § 2254 habeas petition challenging his capital conviction and sentence. We granted a Certificate of Appealability on two issues: (1) whether the prosecutor’s comments during voir dire and closing argument violated Cox’s Fifth Amendment right to due process; and (2) whether Cox received ineffective assistance of counsel during the guilt and penalty phases of his trial. Specifically, Cox argues that his counsel was ineffective because he (1) failed to object to the prosecutor’s misstatements of law;…