Clark v. Sweeney · ¶1

A Maryland jury found Jeremiah Sweeney guilty of second-degree murder and other crimes. After those convictions were affirmed on direct appeal, Sweeney sought postconviction relief in state court. Sweeney argued, among other things, that his trial counsel was ineffective under Strickland v. Washington, 466 U. S. 668, 686, for failing to voir dire the jury to ensure that one juror's unauthorized crime-scene visit had not tainted the other jurors. The state court denied relief after a hearing. Sweeney then petitioned for a writ of habeas corpus under 28 U. S. C. § 2254 in Federal District Court, again arguing that his trial counsel was ineffective for not seeking to voir dire the entire jury. The District Court denied relief, concluding that the state court's application of Strickland was not objectively unreasonable. The Fourth Circuit reversed in an unpublished opinion and ordered a new…

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