Thomas B. Haynes v. Robert H. Butler, Sr., Warden, and William Guste, Jr., Attorney General of the State of Louisiana

EDITH H. JONES, Circuit Judge:

In this appeal from the district court’s denial of habeas corpus relief, the petitioner-appellant asserts that the sentence imposed for his 1977 conviction of aggravated rape was unconstitutional and that he was denied effective assistance of counsel. Finding no entitlement to relief, we AFFIRM.

I

In 1977, Haynes, assisted by retained counsel, pleaded guilty to aggravated rape committed April 28, 1977 and was sentenced to fifty years imprisonment at hard labor. Haynes did not directly appeal the conviction but years later unsuccessfully sought post-conviction…