Davis v. Warden, No. 15-2299 (8th Cir. 2016)
Annotate this CasePetitioner was convicted of aiding and abetting first-degree felony murder and sentenced to life in prison. Petitioner challenged the district court's denial of his petition for habeas relief, claiming that the state trial court erred when it admitted a statement he made to police while in custody because the police violated his Fifth Amendment right to remain silent. The state court determined that petitioner's admission to being at the crime scene was harmless because mere presence at the scene of a crime is insufficient to establish that he aided or abetted criminal activity and it was cumulative to other evidence linking him to the crime scene. The court concluded that the Minnesota Supreme Court’s decision adjudicated the merits of petitioner's case, but did not result in a decision that was contrary to, or involved the unreasonable application of, clearly-established federal law. Accordingly, the court affirmed the judgment of the district court and denied the petition for habeas relief.
Court Description: Shepherd, Author, with Beam and Kelly, Circuit Judges] Prisoner case - habeas. The Minnesota Supreme Court did not unreasonably apply federal law when it concluded that the admission of Davis's videotaped statements at trial was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt. Judge Kelly, concurring in the result.
Some case metadata and case summaries were written with the help of AI, which can produce inaccuracies. You should read the full case before relying on it for legal research purposes.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.