Opinion ID: 626317
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Saltses' habeas petition

Text: After the Saltses were convicted at trial, they filed a direct appeal to the Mississippi Court of Appeals, which resulted in a published opinion. [3] On direct appeal, the Saltses raised both claims that they now advance in this habeas proceeding: (1) ineffective assistance of counsel stemming from joint representation, and (2) ineffective assistance of counsel stemming from the trial court's denial of a continuance. The state court denied relief on both claims. The Saltses petitioned the Mississippi Supreme Court for review, and their petition was denied without opinion. After exhausting their state remedies, [4] the Saltses petitioned for a writ of habeas corpus in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi. A magistrate judge reviewed their petition and recommended that the district court issue the writ based on their conflict-of-interest claim. The district court considered objections from both parties and then adopted the magistrate judge's recommendation. The district court thus granted the Saltses' petition on their joint representation claim but not their denial-of-continuance claim. The State appealed from the district judge's ruling. The Saltses cross-appealed, arguing that they were entitled to relief on both of their claims.