Bell v. Florida Attorney General

BY THE COURT:

Florida state prisoner Michael Bell, who received the death penalty for two first-degree murders, appeals the dismissal, on timeliness grounds, of his 28 U.S.C. § 2254 habeas petition by the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida. The district court granted a certificate of appealability (“COA”) on the following grounds:(1) [WJhether Bell is entitled to tolling of the Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act (“AEDPA”) statute of limitations because of late appointment of collateral counsel; (2) whether Bell is entitled to equitable tolling of the AEDPA…