PUBLISHED

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT
JERRY TERRELL JACKSON,
Petitioner-Appellee,
v.
LORETTA K. KELLY, Warden,
Sussex I State Prison,
Respondent-Appellant.

JERRY TERRELL JACKSON,

Petitioner-Appellant,
v.
LORETTA K. KELLY, Warden,
Sussex I State Prison,
Respondent-Appellee.

No. 10-1

No. 10-3

Appeals from the United States District Court

for the Eastern District of Virginia, at Alexandria.
Leonie M. Brinkema, District Judge.
(1:06-cv-01097-LMB-TCB)
Argued: January 26, 2011
Decided: April 25, 2011
Before DUNCAN, DAVIS, and WYNN, Circuit Judges.

JACKSON v. KELLY

Reversed by published opinion. Judge Duncan wrote the opinion, in which Judge Davis and Judge Wynn joined.

COUNSEL
ARGUED: Matthew P. Dullaghan, OFFICE OF THE
ATTORNEY GENERAL OF VIRGINIA, Richmond, Virginia, for Loretta K. Kelly, Warden, Sussex I State Prison.
Michele Jill Brace, Washington, D.C., for Jerry Terrell Jackson. ON BRIEF: Kenneth T. Cuccinelli, II, Attorney General
of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia, for Loretta K. Kelly, Warden, Sussex I State Prison. Philip E. Holladay, Jr., Taryn
Koball, KING & SPALDING LLP, Atlanta, Georgia, for
Jerry Terrell Jackson.

OPINION
DUNCAN, Circuit Judge:
In the fall of 2002, a jury found petitioner Jerry Jackson
guilty of breaking into 88-year-old Ruth Phillipss home, raping her, and smothering her to death with a pillow from her
bed. Jackson was sentenced to death. Jacksons direct and collateral appeals were denied by the Supreme Court of Virginia.
Jackson sought federal habeas relief, which the district court
granted as to his penalty-phase claims following an evidentiary hearing.
The government appealed, urging that the district court
abused its discretion by holding the evidentiary hearing and
that relief was erroneously granted on Jacksons claims that
counsels development and presentation of mitigation evidence, as well as his failure to object to alleged instructional
error, were constitutionally deficient. Jackson has cross-

JACKSON v. KELLY

appealed, asserting additional claims arising out of alleged

instructional error.
We assess the merits of Jacksons petition under the deferential standards spelled out in Strickland v. Washington, 466
U.S. 668 (1984), and the Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death
Penalty Act ("AEDPA"), 28 U.S.C. 2254 ("AEDPA"). Our
review is informed by the Supreme Courts recent guidance
in Cullen v. Pinholster, No. 09-1088, 2011 WL1225705 (U.S.
April 4, 2011). For the reasons described below, we conclude
that, based on the record available to the state court that adjudicated Jacksons claims on the merits, the writ was improvidently granted.
I.
A.
On Sunday, August 26, 2001, 88-year-old Ruth Phillips did
not show up to church. Jackson v. Commonwealth, 590 S.E.2d
520, 524 (Va. 2004) ("Jackson I"). Concerned by her absence,
Mrs. Phillipss son tried reaching her by telephone. Id. When
there was no answer, he went to her Williamsburg, Virginia,
apartment to check on her. Id. After letting himself in, he
found his mothers body "lying twisted and exposed on a
bed in her bedroom." Id. As he later described it, her "leg was
twisted around, and her pubic region was exposed[; h]er
breast was exposed[; and h]er nightgown was up around her
neck." Id. (alterations in original).
Mrs. Phillipss autopsy showed that she had died of
asphyxia, which "occurs when the brain is without a supply
of oxygen for four to six minutes." Id. The autopsy also found
a bruise on her nose and lacerations on the exterior and interior of her vagina. Id. A crime scene investigator recovered a
hair from Mrs. Phillipss chest and another from the bed
underneath her stomach; more hairs were found in the vicinity
of her left thigh. Id. Forensic analysis revealed that several of

JACKSON v. KELLY

the hairs were pubic hair that was inconsistent with samples
taken from Mrs. Phillips. Id. These hairs were later found "to
be consistent with [Jacksons] mtDNA to the exclusion of
99.998% of the population with a 95% degree of confidence."
Jackson v. Warden of the Sussex I State Prison, 627 S.E.2d
776, 783 (Va. 2006) ("Jackson II").
In December 2001, investigators conducted a videotaped
interview with Jackson. Jackson I, 590 S.E.2d at 524. After
waiving his Miranda rights, he "admitted entering Mrs. Phillips apartment, searching through and taking money out of
her purse." Id. Jackson claimed he did not know Mrs. Phillips
was home when he flipped on the light and began to sift
through her purse. Id. As a result, he was "scared" when Mrs.
Phillips, who had been lying in bed, exclaimed: "What do you
want? Ill give you whatever, just get out." Id.
Jackson acknowledged that when he realized Mrs. Phillips
had seen him, "he held a pillow over her face for two or three
minutes and tried to make her pass out so she could not
identify him" and further "admitted that he inserted his penis
into her vagina while he was holding the pillow over her
face." Id. at 524-25. Jackson added that after exiting through
a back window, he drove away in Mrs. Phillipss car, which
he ultimately abandoned. Id. at 524-25. He also reported that
he used the sixty dollars he stole from Mrs. Phillipss purse
to buy marijuana. Id. at 525. Jackson repeatedly insisted that
he had not intended to kill Mrs. Phillips. Id.
A Virginia grand jury indicted Jackson in March 2002 and
charged him, inter alia, with two counts of capital murder for
the premeditated killing of Phillips in the commission of rape
or attempted rape and in the commission of robbery or
attempted robbery. Id. at 523.
Jacksons trial was bifurcated into a guilt and a penalty
phase. During the guilt phase, Jackson retreated from his earlier statement to law enforcement, testifying that he had con-

JACKSON v. KELLY

fessed to investigators because he believed "that was what

[they] wanted to hear" and that an accomplice had in fact
smothered Phillips. Id. at 525. Jackson further "denied having
any knowledge about who raped Mrs. Phillips or about how
his pubic hairs got on her body." Id.
The jury found Jackson guilty of both capital counts and of
various other state crimes. Id. at 523. Following penalty-phase
proceedingswhich we discuss in greater detail belowthe
jury found a "probability that [Jackson] would commit criminal acts of violence that would constitute a continuing threat
to society" and recommended a death sentence on both capital
counts. J.A. 983-85. In April 2003 the state circuit court
accepted the jurys recommendation and imposed a death sentence.
Jackson appealed his convictions. The Supreme Court of
Virginia affirmed in January 2004. See Jackson I, 90 S.E.2d
at 520. The United States Supreme Court declined review.
Jackson v. Virginia, 543 U.S. 891 (2004).
B.
On December 3, 2004, Jackson "filed an oversized habeas
petition with the [Supreme Court of Virginia] along with a
motion for leave to exceed the courts 50-page limit." J.A.
2384. The Supreme Court of Virginia denied the motion for
extra pages and directed Jackson to file a "corrected petition."
Id. at 1140. Jackson filed an amended petition on January 4,
2005, alleging fourteen distinct claims of constitutional error.
The Supreme Court of Virginia rejected each of Jacksons
habeas arguments and denied his petition on its merits on
March 24, 2006. See Jackson II, 627 S.E.2d at 780. We
briefly review the state courts analysis of Jacksons claims at
issue in this appeal: (1) that defense counsel1 provided consti1

Jackson was represented at trial by two attorneys, Patrick Kelley and

Andrew A. Protogyrou. Jackson v. Kelly, 699 F. Supp. 2d 838, 843 n.6

JACKSON v. KELLY

tutionally deficient representation by failing to interview

Jacksons siblings and by failing to present evidence of Jacksons positive traits;2 and (2) that the participation of two
jurors who indicated they would not consider certain mitigating factors unless instructed to do socoupled with the
absence of a specific mitigation instructionconstituted constitutional error on the part of the prosecutor, defense counsel,
and the trial court.
The Supreme Court of Virginia rejected Jacksons argument that counsels failure to interview his brother and sister,
Damien and Chandal Jackson, constituted ineffective assistance of counsel. The court reasoned that Jacksons claim did
not satisfy the "prejudice" prong of the Supreme Courts twopart Strickland test for constitutionally deficient representation. Jackson II, 627 S.E.2d at 786 (citing Strickland, 466
U.S. at 687). It did not address whether his claim satisfied the
first prong of the test, i.e., whether "counsels representation
fell below an objective standard of reasonableness." Strickland, 466 U.S. at 688; see also McHone v. Polk, 392 F.3d
691, 704 (4th Cir. 2004) (noting that when a defendant "fails
to demonstrate sufficient prejudice from certain acts or omissions" a court "need not decide whether counsels performance in those respects was, in fact, deficient under
Strickland").
The court anchored its determination in two related findings. First, it concluded that counsel had presented ample mit(E.D. Va. 2010) ("Jackson III"). All references to defense counsel with
respect to the penalty phase of Jacksons trial are to Protogyrou, who was
responsible for that portion of the trial.
2
As part of his claim that counsels development and presentation of
mitigation evidence was constitutionally deficient, Jacksons state-court
habeas petition also asserted that counsel failed to present expert evidence
about the impact of childhood abuse on development. The Supreme Court
of Virginia did not explicitly address this point, which Jackson again
raised in his federal habeas petition.

JACKSON v. KELLY

igation evidence in the form of seventeen mitigation

witnesses. The court noted that the jury had heard "the testimony of physicians, psychologists, social workers, and a pastor who had treated, evaluated, and/or counseled [Jackson]
and his family, to substantiate that [he] was the victim of child
abuse."3 Jackson II, 627 S.E.2d at 786. The court also cited
counsels elicitation of testimony from "the police officer who
investigated the charges of child abuse against petitioners
stepfather and from several of petitioners neighbors, friends,
and family members, including his mother, father, and stepfather." Id. at 786-87. In light of this mitigating evidence of
Jacksons traumatic childhood, the court deemed the testimony that would have been offered by Jacksons siblings
"largely cumulative,"4 reasoning that it amounted to mere "anecdotal evidence of specific instances of the abuse from the
perspective of [the] siblings." Id. at 787.
3

The court discussed this testimony in detail, noting that it

included information that petitioners stepfather received a suspended jail sentence for physically abusing petitioner; hospital
and doctors office records indicating petitioner had been physically disciplined with a belt resulting in lasting bruises; records
that petitioner had suffered various fractures of unknown origin
to his extremities; that petitioner often appeared bruised; that
reports of abuse were made to the James City County Department
of Social Services and that twice the abuse was determined to be
"founded;" that petitioner was allowed to drink beer as a young
child; that petitioner and his stepfather had a bad relationship and
that, even during counseling, petitioners stepfather constantly
berated petitioner by calling petitioner "evil;" that petitioners
"problems were compounded by the weakness of [his] parental
subsystem" and lack of "material resources" which required petitioner to be left unsupervised; that petitioners family did not follow through with counseling or recommendations; and that on at
least one occasion, petitioner had been sexually abused.

Jackson II, 627 S.E.2d at 786.

4
Jacksons habeas petition included an eight-page affidavit from
Damien Jackson and a five-page affidavit from Chandal Jackson, which
detailed the testimony they would have offered at trial.

JACKSON v. KELLY

As a second, related basis for its holding, the court found

that talking to Jacksons siblings would not have altered counsels trial strategy. The court cited counsels "strategic decision not to call . . . Damien [] to testify because Damiens
successful transition from the abusive environment into a military career would have diminished the mitigating effect of
[Jacksons] abusive upbringing." Id. Observing that counsel
was aware of Jacksons abusive background when he opted
not to have Damien testify, the court found no suggestion in
the record that counsels strategy "would have been altered by
knowing the specific details of the abuse." Id. As a result, the
court held that Jackson had "failed to demonstrate . . . a reasonable probability that, but for counsels alleged errors, the
result of the proceeding would have been different." Id. (citing Strickland, 466 U.S. at 687, 694).
The state court also rejected Jacksons claim that counsel
"had failed to adequately investigate and present available
mitigation evidence concerning [Jacksons] good character,"
holding that it satisfied neither prong of the Strickland analysis. Id. With regard to counsels performance, the court found
that the record of the penalty-phase proceedings "demonstrate[d] that the jury heard evidence of petitioners good
qualities, including evidence that petitioner was wellmannered and cooperative, followed directions, was motivated and ambitious, and had positive relationships outside of
his immediate family environment." Id. As for the second
prong, the court noted that Jackson had not shown that "additional evidence of his good character, such as his love for his
grandmother and his desire that his parents reunite, would
have affected the jurys determination," and, as a result, could
not demonstrate prejudice. Id.
The Supreme Court of Virginia further held that Jacksons
claims arising out of alleged instructional error lacked merit.
It first rejected Jacksons argument that two jurors were not
qualified for service because they "indicated that they would
not consider age and background as mitigation evidence

JACKSON v. KELLY

unless the trial court instructed them to do so" and were not
specifically given such an instruction.5 Id. The court found the
claim procedurally defaulted, as Jackson had not raised it at
trial or on direct appeal. Id. Jacksons related argument that
the governments failure to request an instruction that emphasized age and background as mitigation evidence amounted to
prosecutorial misconduct was also deemed defaulted. Id. at
788.
The Supreme Court of Virginia denied on its merits Jacksons non-defaulted argument that his counsels failure to
request an age-and-background instruction constituted ineffective assistance of counsel. Id. at 787. In doing so, the court
explicitly rejected Jacksons underlying assertion that both
jurors qualification had been "conditioned" upon the delivery
of a particular instruction. Id. at 787. To the contrary, the
court explained, "[b]oth jurors were qualified upon the trial
courts determination that they would be fair and impartial."
Id. As a result, the court reasoned, the failure to request an
instruction could not have been prejudicial. Id.
The state court cited additional reasons why Jacksons
claim satisfied neither prong of the Strickland analysis. It
observed that a request by defense counsel for a particularized
instruction "would have been properly refused" under Virginia law. Id. at 788 (citing George v. Commonwealth, 411
S.E.2d 12, 23 (Va. 1991); LeVasseur v. Commonwealth, 304
S.E.2d 644, 661 (Va. 1983)). Consequently, the court reasoned, counsels omission was not unreasonable. Id. The
court further noted that "the jury was instructed to consider
petitioners history, background, and mitigating factors," in
the context of its assessment of "whether petitioner posed a
future danger to society." Id. (emphasis added).
5

We provide additional detail on the jurors statements below in the

context of our discussion of Jacksons claims of alleged instructional
error.

10

JACKSON v. KELLY

Having rejected these arguments, along with Jacksons

other habeas claims, the Supreme Court of Virginia denied his
petition for relief. The United States Supreme Court again
denied certiorari in January 2007. Jackson v. Kelly, 549 U.S.
1122 (2007).
C.
The federal district court for the Eastern District of Virginia
granted Jackson a stay of execution in September 2006, and
appointed habeas counsel in early December of that year. On
December 11, 2006, Jackson moved for an extension of the
deadline for his federal habeas petition, to a date "not later
than April 17, 2007." J.A. 1310. Jackson asserted that April
17 was when the statutory one-year limitation periodwhich
had been tolled by his filing of his state habeas petition on
December 3, 2004would expire. See 28 U.S.C.
2244(d)(1)-(2).
The court granted an extension to March 16, 2007, explaining that it did not count the tolling period from December 3,
2004, but instead from January 4, 2005the date that Jackson
filed his amended petition. The court noted that the Supreme
Court of Virginias habeas decision had identified January 4
as the date Jacksons petition was filed. On December 18,
2006, Jackson filed a "Notice," asserting once again that the
tolling period should be counted from December 3, 2004.
Jackson provided his "Notice" to the government, but the government did not respond.
Three days later, on December 21, 2006, the government
filed a motion for reconsideration of the extension to March
16, urging that no extension was warranted. The government
made no mention of Jacksons "Notice" nor did it otherwise
address the tolling period. The court denied the governments
motion for reconsideration on January 19, 2007, reaffirming
that Jackson had until March 16 to file his petition.

JACKSON v. KELLY

11

On March 8, 2007, Jackson filed a second motion to extend

the deadline to April 17. Again, the government opted not to
respond. The district court granted the motion the next day,
concluding that Jacksons calculation, which treated December 3, 2004, as the date his state habeas petition was filed,
reflected "a correct statement of the law." J.A. 1356. On April
17, 2007, Jackson filed his petition for federal habeas relief.
Jacksons petition included a request for an evidentiary
hearing, which the court granted on February 28, 2008. The
courts initial order did not specify why the request had been
granted but stated generally that Jacksons mitigation claim
"ha[d] not been adequately developed in the record." Id. at
1516. In response to a government motion to reconsider the
evidentiary hearing, the court clarified that the proceeding
was warranted because Jacksons filings "alleged sufficient
facts that, if fully established, would entitle him to relief on
two of the 17 claims raised in his federal habeas petition." Id.
at 1527-28.
The court held the evidentiary hearing on April 30 and May
1, 2008. Nine witnesses testified, including Jacksons siblings
and the two attorneys who had represented Jackson at trial.
On August 14, 2008, the court denied Jackson relief as to the
guilt phase of his trial.
Some eighteen months later, on March 29, 2010, the court
granted Jackson relief as to the penalty phase, finding that
counsel rendered ineffective assistance by failing to investigate and argue key mitigation evidence and by failing to challenge the lack of a jury instruction on age and background.
See Jackson v. Kelly, 699 F. Supp. 2d 838 (E.D. Va. 2010)
("Jackson III"). The court recognized "the extremely deferential standards for collateral review of a state court judgment"
but concluded that the Supreme Court of Virginia had erred
by denying relief. Id. at 843. We review the courts lengthy
analysis, which is the subject of both the governments appeal
and Jacksons cross-appeal. In light of Cullens admonition

12

JACKSON v. KELLY

that our review is limited "to the record that was before the
state court that adjudicated the claim on the merits," 2011 WL
1225705, at *8, we avoid discussion of the evidence taken in
the federal evidentiary hearing.
1.
The district court first assessed Jacksons claims that his
counsel had provided ineffective assistance at the penalty
phase by failing to (1) interview Jacksons siblings, (2) present scientific evidence linking childhood abuse to adult
behavior, or (3) present evidence of Jacksons positive traits.
The court began with counsels failure to interview Jacksons brother and sister. As the Supreme Court of Virginia
had not addressed whether counsels omission satisfied the
ineffectiveness prong of the Strickland analysis, the district
court assessed that portion of his claim de novo. Id. at 844
(citing Porter v. McCollum, 130 S. Ct. 447, 452 (2009)).
The court discussed counsels efforts to develop mitigation
evidence related to Jacksons abusive upbringing. The court
noted that counsel had pursued that goal by "assembl[ing] a
collection of Jacksons medical, social, and educational
records, which contained references to numerous instances of
abuse." Id. It further observed that counsel had interviewed
Jackson, as well as his mother, father, stepfather, godmother,
uncle, cousin, and pastor. Id. at 847-48 & n.13.
While recognizing the steps that counsel had taken, the
court held that additional research had been warranted. The
court rested its conclusion on the contents of the records
counsel had assembled, which it discussed in some detail.6 Id.
(Text continued on page 14)
6

The court summarized the records that it concluded "should have

prompted further investigation" as follows (all citations are to the joint
appendix that was before the district court):

JACKSON v. KELLY
[A] report generated after a particularly severe beating by Tim
Knight [Jacksons stepfather], when Jackson was twelve years
old, notes, "There is a previous history of abuse by [redacted] and
this incident appears to be much more severe. In addition, neither
of the victims reported the abuse; Jerrys injuries were discovered
by accident and he was reluctant to cooperate with the investigation." Id. at 539. The "planned, calculated" nature of that incident
also leads to the conclusion that more abuse was occurring: "Both
boys indicated that [redacted] made them strip naked and exercise so that they would be too tired to run from him during their
punishment; [redacted] then beat both of them with his belt while
they were naked." Id. at 625, 538. Another report of the same
incident states: "This is the 3rd incident of known physical abuse
of Jerry by Mr. Knight and the 1st resulted in maiming charges,"
Id. at 625 (emphasis in original), and estimating "the likelihood
of reoccurance [sic][is] high. The children did not report the
abuse, & Jerry was afraid to cooperate w/ DSS. They appeared
to accept their parents decision that they deserved the beatings."
Id. Another report contains a passing reference to a beating with
a two-by-four. Id. at 617. A report made when Jackson was nine
years old states, "Worker asked if similar incidents had occurred
& he stated that about two weeks earlier he had gotten his
[redacted]." Id. at 670. A social worker later wrote of Jackson,
then age thirteen, "I get the impression that Jerry has been physically beaten by all the adults in his life, starting with his natural
father." Id. at 533. Another record notes that Jacksons mother
and stepfather "seem[ed] to be confused about how to handle
Jerry, since the Court has mandated that Tim cannot use physical
punishment." Id. at 2727.
The records also contain indications of serious neglect at an early
age, which should have been explored further. See, e.g., id. at 652
(A police report from 1988, when Jackson was seven years old,
states "neighbors called the police when they found 2 children
huddled in the stairwellnot the first time . . . . [redacted] locked
them out of the apt."); id. at 2729 (referring to Jacksons "weak
parental subsystem"); id. at 2677-79 (referring to "lack of parental attention"); id. at 2769 (referring to Jackson feeling "loss and
abandonment").
The records in counsels possession also contained leads to other
types of mitigation evidence. One report, for instance, contains a
reference to Jackson "drinking alcohol" at age twelve, id. at 619,

13

14

JACKSON v. KELLY

at 846-47. In doing so, it identified numerous reports documenting severe abuse and neglect, as well as allegations of
sexual abuse. Id. at 846-47.
The court emphasized, moreover, that the records troubling contents reflected only "incomplete, limited snapshots
of Jacksons childhood, documenting only four or five
instances of abuse and providing mental health assessments
from a few isolated time periods." Id. at 846. Faced with these
glimpses into Jacksons background, the court reasoned, "a
reasonable attorney would have realized that a thorough
investigation into Jacksons home life was essential." Id. at
847. In this regard, the court noted, Jacksons parents were
unreliable sources of information, as Jacksons father and
stepfather had been implicated in incidents of abuse, and his
mother had at least tacitly "endorse[d]" it. Id. at 848.
Against this backdrop, the court held that counsels decision not to speak to Jacksons siblings "was a critical and
glaring omission." Id. at 849. The court observed that both
siblings were older than Jackson and had lived in the same
household as Jackson for significant stretches of his childanother to an allegation of sexual abuse by a relative, id., and
another to an unexplored allegation that Jackson, at age seven,
had been "outright raped" by a visitor at his grandmothers house.
Id. at 2799-2800. These pieces of information, together with
Jacksons report to his attorney (reflected in counsels notes) that
someone forced Jackson and his brother to masturbate in front of
them, Tr. at 237 ("Made him + brother masturbate in front of
him."), that he was "molested for years", id. at 236, and that his
brother was raped by an uncle while Jackson hid in the closet
fearing he would be raped next, id. at 357, indicate the likely
existence of a wealth of mitigating evidence completely unexplored by trial counsel. Those records also document that Damien
would have direct knowledge of the abuse because he was referenced in the reports as well.
Jackson III, 699 F. Supp. 2d at 846-47 (alterations in original and footnote
omitted). The court also cited "passing references to diagnosable depression." Id. at 847.

JACKSON v. KELLY

15

hood. Id. at 849. As a result, the court found, both "were the
only credible witnesses" regarding the incidents of abuse documented in the record. Id. In the courts view, "Damien or
Chandal could have offered detail to the reported abuse,
described the nature of Jacksons relationship with his father
and stepfather, or indicated whether there were other unreported problems." Id.
The court rejected the notion that counsels investigation
reflected a "strategic choice" to avoid "the jury drawing unfavorable comparisons between Jackson and his siblings" for
two reasons. Id. First, it found that "counsel did not rely on
this strategy at trial," citing instances on direct examination
in which counsel "opened the door" to cross-examination
about Damien, as well as counsels own comparison of Jackson to his brother in closing argument. Id. at 849-50. Second,
the court concluded that counsel could not have made a reasonable strategic choice without first speaking to Jacksons
siblings to assess what testimony they could offer. Id. at 850.
The court next reviewed counsels failure to present expert
testimony to link Jacksons abusive childhood to his adult
behavior. Id. at 851. The court observed that determining
whether this omission constituted ineffective assistance was
"difficult," as counsels failure to "discover and present the
crucial evidence of Jacksons abusive childhood" precluded
his establishing "the basis for introducing scientific evidence
linking the effects of such a childhood abuse to adult behavior." Id. Despite this obstacle, the court found, without further
explanation, that "counsels . . . failure to connect the dots
between childhood abuse and adult behavior must be viewed
as yet another instance of deficient performance under Strickland." Id. at 851-52.
The court then turned to Jacksons claim that counsel had
failed to investigate and adduce evidence of his positive traits.
The court rejected the Supreme Court of Virginias factual
conclusion that such evidence had been presented. Id. at 852.

16

JACKSON v. KELLY

It explained that much of the evidence cited by the state court

"consisted of hearsay statements recited by a psychologist
who had never treated Jackson personally, but read from
reports describing Jacksons demeanor during a counseling
session when he was approximately twelve years old." Id. It
also found that the state court had treated "isolated statements" by a prison guard and Jacksons mother as positive
character evidence. Id. (citing the guards statement that he
had not had problems with Jackson until a particular incident
and Jacksons mothers testimony that she had been "able to
communicate better and talk more" with Jackson while he was
in prison).
The district court deemed the Supreme Court of Virginias
factual finding "an unreasonable determination of the facts in
light of the evidence," id. (quoting 28 U.S.C. 2254(d)(2)),
reasoning that "[t]hese bland, hearsay comments offered no
real insight into Jacksons character or personality," id. The
court further found that Jackson had shown by "clear and
convincing evidence, that no evidence of his positive traits
was ever presented to the jury." Id. (quoting 28 U.S.C.
2254(e)(1)). The court also rejected the possibility that the
paucity of positive character evidence presented reflected the
absence of such evidence or a strategy to avoid evidence "inconsistent with the defenses mitigation theme." Id. at 852-53.
Having concluded that counsels performance was constitutionally deficient in the three respects described above, the
court turned to the prejudice prong of the Strickland analysis.
Id. at 854. To assess the impact of counsels behavior on
Jacksons sentence, the court reviewed the evidence presented
at the penalty phase of his trial. See id. at 855.
The court first described the governments presentation,
which it found consisted of testimony from Mrs. Phillipss
son, two prison officers, and "a victim of a burglary Jackson
committed the evening before Phillips was murdered." Id. The
court observed that the government had introduced evidence

JACKSON v. KELLY

17

of Jacksons "extensive" criminal history,7 but noted that his

record "consisted mostly of property crimes and contempt
violations." Id. at 855. The court did not reference the evidence of Jacksons rape and murder that the government had
presented to the jury in the penalty phase. See id.
The court then briefly reviewed the testimony of the seventeen witnesses defense counsel had called during the penalty
phase. Id. at 855-57. These witnesses included: (1) an emergency room doctor who had examined Jackson when he was
eleven; (2) a clinical psychologist whose associate had evaluated Jackson when he was eleven; (3) a records custodian
from the Newport News Health Department; (4) a child psychologist who had evaluated Jackson when he was fourteen;
(5) a pediatrician who had examined Jackson when he was
fourteen; (6) a records custodian from the New Horizon Family Counseling Center; (7) a clinical psychologist who had
interviewed Jackson when he was fifteen; (8) a police officer
who investigated an assault and battery on Jackson by his
stepfather when Jackson was eleven; and (9) a social services
official who had investigated multiple allegations of child
abuse against Jackson. Id. at 855-57.
The district court also noted mitigating testimony from
three individuals who had interacted with Jackson and his
family when he was a child: (10) the familys pastor; (11)
Jacksons neighbor and godmother; and (12) Jacksons cousin
and godsister. Id. at 857. The court cited additional testimony
from four members of Jacksons family: (13) Jacksons uncle;
(14) Jacksons biological father; (15) Jacksons stepfather;
and (16) Jacksons mother. Id. at 857-58. Jackson himself was
the seventeenth and final mitigation witness. Id. at 858.
7

The government introduced "18 orders showing Jacksons convictions

or adjudications of delinquency for such offenses as grand larceny, petit
larceny, trespassing, drug possession, receiving stolen property, contempt
of court, identity fraud, statutory burglary, credit card theft, and obtaining
money under false pretenses." Jackson, 590 S.E.2d at 525.

18

JACKSON v. KELLY

The court measured the testimony of these seventeen mitigation witnesses against the testimony elicited at the evidentiary hearing. See id. at 858-61. In light of its assessment of that
material, the court flatly rejected the Supreme Court of Virginias determination that the failure to interview Jacksons
siblings did not satisfy Stricklands prejudice prong. See id. at
862. It noted that the Supreme Court of Virginia did not hold
an evidentiary hearing and found that the state court erred by
deferring to "trial counsels premature, uninformed strategic
choice."8 Id.
The court also rejected the Supreme Court of Virginias
determination "that the new evidence of abuse proffered by
Jackson was cumulative." Id. The court emphasized that an
assessment of prejudice arising out of counsels performance
during a capital cases penalty phase "is not a rote cataloging
exercise" to "ensure[] that counsel presented some testimony
on each potential area of mitigation." Id. at 863. Given its
determination that the Supreme Court of Virginias inquiry
had amounted to such an exercise, the court found that the
state court had unreasonably applied federal law by failing to
consider "the entire evidentiary picture presented to the
jury." Id. (quoting Strickland, 466 U.S. at 696).
In the district courts view, counsels presentation
amounted to "a parade of ineffective record witnesses," "contradictory testimony from character witnesses who reported
8
The court reasoned in particular that the state court had mistakenly
viewed as dispositive its determination that speaking with Jacksons siblings would not have altered counsels strategy. Id. (citing Jackson II, 626
S.E.2d at 786-87). The court observed that, under the Supreme Courts
standard articulated in Wiggins v. Smith, 539 U.S. 510 (2003), the pertinent "question is not whether, subjectively, Jacksons own counsel would
have introduced the evidence," but instead "whether, objectively, a competent attorney, aware of this evidence, would have introduced it." Id.
(emphasis added) (quoting Wiggins, 539 U.S. at 535). As a result, it
deemed the state courts analysis "contrary to, and an unreasonable application of, Wiggins." Id.

JACKSON v. KELLY

19

little or no abuse," and "unchallenged testimony" from Jacksons abusers that his problems "were his own fault." Id. The
court concluded that this evidentiary showing prejudiced
Jackson, id. at 863-64, and that prejudice "was compounded"
by the absence of testimony linking childhood trauma to psychological development, id. at 864. The court deemed it
unnecessary to decide whether Jackson had shown independent prejudice arising out of the failure to present evidence of
his positive traits, as that omission was prejudicial when
viewed "in combination with" the failure to interview Jacksons siblings. Id. As a result, the court found habeas relief
warranted on all three of Jacksons claims related to counsels
development and presentation of mitigation evidence.
2.
The court then addressed Jacksons assertion that counsels
failure to challenge the lack of a particularized mitigation
instruction amounted to constitutionally deficient representation.9 Id. at 864. The court recounted the colloquies of two
jurors at voir dire, which it concluded showed that "[t]rial
counsel and the trial court knew . . . that [these] jurors felt that
neither age nor troubled background were mitigating factors."
Id. at 865. The court found that, under these circumstances,
the failure to specifically instruct the jury to consider age and
background in mitigation "tr[od] on the guarantees of the
Eighth Amendment." Id. In support of its conclusion, it cited
the Supreme Courts admonition that although "[t]he sentencer . . . may determine the weight to be given relevant mitigating evidence," it "may not give it no weight by excluding
9
We do not summarize the district courts analysis of Jacksons second
claim of instructional error, which challenged counsels failure to ask the
district court to clarify for the jury that mitigation factors need not be
unanimously found. Jackson has abandoned this argument, in light of the
Supreme Courts decision that relief on this issue is foreclosed on collateral review. See Appellees Br. at 69 (citing Smith v. Spisak, 130 S. Ct.
676, 684 (2010)).

20

JACKSON v. KELLY

such evidence from . . . consideration." Id. (quoting Eddings

v. Oklahoma, 455 U.S. 104, 114-15 (1982)).
The court recognized that "failure to instruct a jury as to
specific mitigating factors is generally not constitutional
error." Id. at 866 (citing Buchanan v. Angelone, 522 U.S. 269,
278 (1998)). Nevertheless, it found that the "entire context in
which the instructions were given," id. (quoting Buchanan,
522 U.S. at 278), suggested "a defect of constitutional proportion," id. The court cited three factors as creating a "context"
in which a particularized instruction was mandated: the two
jurors responses during voir dire, the fact that Jackson was
twenty years old when he raped and murdered Mrs. Phillips,
and the evidence of Jacksons abusive background presented
during mitigation. Id.
The court rejected the Supreme Court of Virginias conclusion that Jacksons claim of instructional error did not satisfy
the first prong of the Strickland analysis. The court noted that
the state courts finding that counsels performance was reasonable relied on its conclusion that the trial court would have
"properly refused" any request for a particularized instruction.
Id. at 867 n.31 (quoting Jackson II, 627 S.E.2d at 787). The
court found this assessment so unsupported by the record as
to not merit AEDPA deference. Id. at 867 (citing Uttecht v.
Brown, 551 U.S. 1, 20 (2007)). The court cited the trial
courts statement that jurors would consider age "when
theyre told its a factor" as indisputable evidence that the trial
court appreciated "the need for a clarifying instruction," and
would have provided one if asked to do so. Id. The court similarly rejected the Supreme Court of Virginias determination
that the future dangerousness instructions charge to jurors to
consider Jacksons history and background precluded a finding of prejudice on Stricklands second prong, finding the
courts reasoning "contrary to" Supreme Court caselaw. Id. at
867-68. (citing Penry v. Lynaugh, 492 U.S. 302, 323-24
(1989)).

JACKSON v. KELLY

21

Having rejected the Supreme Court of Virginias Strickland

analysis, the court conducted its own assessment of whether
counsels failure to request a "proper instruction" constituted
ineffective assistance of counsel. See id. at 866. On the first
prong, the court held that counsels behavior was objectively
unreasonable, as counsel had conceded that his failure to challenge the instructions was not a strategic choice and counsel
"was unquestionably aware" of at least one jurors need for a
specific instruction. Id. at 866-67. With regard to the second
prong, the court cited the "clear constitutional mandate that
the jury consider age and troubled background" in mitigation,
as well as "the specific voir dire in this case" as showing "a
strong likelihood" that the trial court would have provided a
specific mitigation instruction "had counsel only asked for it."
Id. at 867. On the basis of these findings, the court found
habeas relief warranted on this claim as well. Id.
In light of its determination that penalty-phase relief was
appropriate on several of Jacksons claims, the district court
vacated his death sentence. Id. at 870. In April of 2010 the
government filed notice of appeal. Jackson filed notice of
cross-appeal on May 3, 2010. On August 6, 2010, the district
court denied Jackson a certificate of appealability, holding
that he had not shown that Virginia courts resolution of those
claims "was debatable or wrong." J.A. 2510. We granted
Jackson a certificate of appealability for his cross-appeal
claims on November 4, 2010.
II.
Before turning to the substantive claims on appeal and
cross-appeal, we address two procedural arguments made by
the government: (1) that Jacksons federal habeas petition was
barred by the statute of limitations and (2) that the district
court abused its discretion by holding an evidentiary hearing.10
10

Because we hold that the writ was improvidently granted, we bypass

the governments argument that some of the claims on which the district
court granted relief were procedurally defaulted.

22

JACKSON v. KELLY

We conclude that Jacksons federal habeas petition was not

time barred, but that the district court erred by relying on evidence it obtained from its own hearing when assessing Jacksons mitigation-related Strickland claims, which had been
adjudicated on their merits by the Supreme Court of Virginia.
A.
The government argues that Jacksons federal habeas petition was time-barred, urging that the district courts grant of
an extension to April 17, 2007 erroneously extended Jacksons filing deadline beyond the one-year statutory deadline.
See 28 U.S.C. 2244(d)(1). The government concedes that
the statute of limitations is tolled during the period in "which
a properly filed application for State post-conviction or other
collateral review . . . is pending." Id. 2244(d)(2). However,
it urges that Jacksons oversized brief, which he submitted on
December 3, 2004, did not constitute a "properly filed application." Counting from January 4, 2005, the date that Jacksons corrected petition was filed, the government argues that
the statute of limitations expired on March 16, 2007. We disagree.
Jacksons submission of an oversized habeas brief and a
motion to permit the extra pages to the Supreme Court of Virginia constituted "delivery and acceptance . . . in compliance
with the applicable laws and rules governing filings." Artuz v.
Bennett, 531 U.S. 4, 8 (2000). Jacksons initial petition was
neither rejected nor dismissed by the Supreme Court of Virginia. Jackson was instead directed to file a "corrected petition" in a timely manner. J.A. 1140. The Supreme Court of
Virginias emphasis on "correction" indicates to us that the
requested alteration constituted an amendment to Jacksons
initial filing.
In any event, it is apparent from the record that Jackson
relied on the federal district courts grant of an extension to
April 17, 2007 when timing the submission of his federal

JACKSON v. KELLY

23

habeas brief. Significantly, the government raised no objection to Jacksons statute-of-limitations calculations prior to
that deadline, nor did it otherwise suggest that Jacksons federal habeas petition should be time-barred. Even if the government were correct that Jacksons oversized petition was
not "properly filed," under these circumstances, Jackson
would undoubtedly be entitled to equitable tolling. See Green
v. Johnson, 515 F.3d 290, 304 (4th Cir. 2008) (noting that
equitable tolling is appropriate when "due to circumstances
external to the partys own conductit would be unconscionable to enforce the limitation period against the party and
gross injustice would result").
B.
The government also urges that the district court erred by
holding an evidentiary hearing. We consider that argument in
light of the Supreme Courts recent delineation of such hearings limited role in federal habeas proceedings.
In Cullen v. Pinholster, the Supreme Court clarified that
AEDPA limits federal habeas review "to the record that was
before the state court that adjudicated the claim on the merits." 2011 WL 1225705, at *8. In other words, when a habeas
petitioners claim has been adjudicated on the merits in state
court, a federal court is precluded from supplementing the
record with facts adduced for the first time at a federal evidentiary hearing. See id. at *9 ("It would be strange to ask
federal courts to analyze whether a state courts adjudication
resulted in a decision that unreasonably applied federal law to
facts not before the state court.").
The district court did not have the benefit of Cullens guidance when it determined that a hearing was warranted because
Jackson had "alleged sufficient facts that, if fully established,
would entitle him to relief on two of the 17 claims raised in
his federal habeas petition." J.A. 1527-28. It is now clear,
however, that the courts reliance on material developed at the

24

JACKSON v. KELLY

federal evidentiary hearing was at odds with AEDPAs placement of "primary responsibility [for habeas review] with the
state courts," and illustrated the difficulties inherent in "allow[ing] a petitioner to overcome an adverse state-court decision
with new evidence introduced in a federal habeas court and
reviewed by that court in the first instance effectively de
novo." Cullen, 2011 WL 1225705, at *8. Mindful that "evidence introduced in federal court has no bearing on
2254(d)(1) review," id. at *10, we proceed to assess Jacksons petition on the basis of the facts contained in the statecourt record.
III.
We turn to the standards by which we evaluate the merits
of the issues before us on appeal and cross-appeal. Our review
is bounded by the familiar contours of AEDPA deference,
which, as recently reinforced by the Supreme Courts unanimous decision in Harrington v. Richter, 131 S. Ct. 770
(2011), helps to ensure "confidence in the writ and the law it
vindicates." Id. at 780. We may grant habeas relief on claims
adjudicated on their merits in state court only if that
adjudication resulted in a decision that was contrary
to, or involved an unreasonable application of,
clearly established Federal law, as determined by the
Supreme Court of the United States or resulted in a
decision that was based on an unreasonable determination of the facts in light of the evidence presented
in the State court proceeding.
Appleby v. Warden, 595 F.3d 532, 535 (4th Cir. 2010) (internal quotations omitted) (citing 28 U.S.C. 2254(d)).
A state courts holding is "contrary to" clearly established
federal law "if the state court arrives at a conclusion opposite
to that reached by th[e Supreme] Court on a question of law"
or "confronts facts that are materially indistinguishable from

JACKSON v. KELLY

25

a relevant Supreme Court precedent and arrives at" an opposite result. Lewis v. Wheeler, 609 F.3d 291, 300 (4th Cir.
2010) (quoting Williams v. Taylor, 529 U.S. 362, 405 (2000)).
By contrast, a "state court unreasonably applies federal law
when it identifies the correct governing legal rule from th[e]
Courts cases but unreasonably applies it to the facts of the
particular . . . case," or "unreasonably extends a legal principle from [the Courts] precedent to a new context where it
should not apply or unreasonably refuses to extend that principle to a new context where it should apply." Id. at 300-01
(quoting Williams, 529 U.S. at 407) (alterations in original).
In short, to obtain federal habeas relief, "a state prisoner must
show that the state courts ruling on the claim being presented
in federal court was so lacking in justification that there was
an error well understood and comprehended in existing law
beyond any possibility for fairminded disagreement." Harrington, 131 S. Ct. at 786-87; see also Schriro v. Landrigan,
550 U.S. 465, 474 (2007) (noting that on AEDPA review, the
pertinent question "is not whether a federal court believes the
state courts determination was incorrect but whether that
determination was unreasonablea substantially higher
threshold").
To demonstrate ineffective assistance of counsel, Jackson
must show "that counsels performance was deficient, and
that the deficiency prejudiced the defense." Wiggins v. Smith,
539 U.S. 510, 521 (2003) (citing Strickland, 466 U.S. at 687).
This two-part analysis presents a "high bar" to petitioners, and
we must assess their efforts to surmount it with "scrupulous
care, lest intrusive post-trial inquiry threaten the integrity of
the very adversary process the right to counsel is meant to
serve." Harrington, 131 S. Ct. at 788 (internal quotations
omitted).
Even if Jackson could satisfy the "difficult standard" of
Stricklands first prong, James v. Harrison, 389 F.3d 450, 457
(4th Cir. 2004), he would still be required to show prejudice.
In a capital case, "the prejudice inquiry centers on whether

26

JACKSON v. KELLY

there is a reasonable probability that, absent [counsels]

errors, the sentencer . . . would have concluded that the balance of aggravating and mitigating circumstances did not warrant death." Williams v. Ozmint, 494 F.3d 478, 484 (4th Cir.
2007) (quoting Strickland, 466 U.S. at 695) (alterations in
Ozmint). Such a showing "requires a substantial, not just conceivable, likelihood of a different result." Cullen, 2011 WL
1225705, at *12 (internal quotations omitted). When making
this determination we review the "totality of the evidence
before the . . . jury." Ozmint, 494 F.3d at 484.
IV.
Against the backdrop of these highly deferential standards
we proceed to the issues before us. We begin with the governments challenge to the grant of federal habeas relief on Jacksons mitigation-related claims. We then turn to the
governments appeal of the district courts grant of relief on
Jacksons claims of instructional error and to Jacksons
related claims on cross-appeal. For the reasons described
below, we conclude the writ was improvidently granted.
A.
Like the Supreme Court of Virginia, we bypass whether
defense counsels performance was deficient and proceed
directly to the prejudice prong of the Strickland analysis. See
Strickland, 466 U.S. at 688; see also McHone, 392 F.3d at
704. We conclude that the state courts finding that Jackson
had not shown prejudice arising from any alleged mitigationrelated deficiencies was not "clearly unreasonable" and that
the district court erred by holding otherwise.
We first address Jacksons claim that counsels failure to
interview his siblings had a substantial likelihood of affecting
the outcome of penalty-phase proceedings. Given the array of
evidence of childhood abuse presented to the jury, nothing in
the state-court record shows that the Supreme Court of Vir-

JACKSON v. KELLY

27

ginia unreasonably determined that the failure to develop and

present testimony from Jacksons siblings did not constitute
Strickland prejudice.
As described above, counsel called seventeen mitigation
witnesses, including nine professionals, many of whom had
treated or worked with Jackson when he was a child, five
family members, Jacksons godmother, the familys pastor,
and Jackson himself. These mitigation witnesses testimony
shed considerable light on Jacksons traumatic childhood. For
instance, in response to probing inquiries from counsel, the
social worker who had researched multiple instances of Jacksons childhood abuse read an account of her investigation
suggesting that Jackson and his brother had been "outright
raped." J.A. 899. The jury also heard record evidence that
Jacksons stepfather harangued him in the midst of counseling
sessions, stating that "he hate[d] him and that [Jackson wa]s
evil." Id. at 825. These are just two of many, striking examples of physical and emotional abuse presented to the jury at
the penalty phase.11
Even the district courts selective summary12 of the pro11

The district court noted that this disturbing language appeared in the
written records assembled by counsel; indeed, it cited these two statements
as data reviewed by counsel that should have prompted further investigation. Jackson III, 699 F. Supp. 2d at 847. However, the court failed to
mention that these same accounts were read to the jury. In summarizing
the witnesses presentations of these reports, the court blandly alluded to
the former incident as an alleged sexual assault and to the latter as "verbal[] abus[e]." Id. at 856-57.
12
The district courts minimization of the potency of mitigation evidence at trial is notably illustrated by its assertion that the trial court
"warned" defense counsel about the dryness of his evidence. See Jackson
III, 699 F. Supp. 2d at 845. The pertinent statement was not a "warning."
It was instead offered as a rationale for continuing with mitigation witnesses after counsel noted that Jackson had not taken his medication,
which Jackson explained "help[ed him] to stay awake." J.A. 887. The trial
court noted that he had seen Jackson "looking down and looking around,"
but reasoned that such behavior was understandable given the nature of
the witnesses testimony. J.A. 888.

28

JACKSON v. KELLY

ceedings at trial illustrates the severity of the accounts of

abuse presented to the jury in mitigation. See Jackson III, 699
F. Supp. 2d. at 855-58. Testimony from Jacksons trial
recounted by the district court included descriptions of Jackson suffering a broken arm when he was less than two years
old (an injury which neither of his parents could explain);
being sexually assaulted; receiving medical treatment on multiple occasions for severe bruising; finding himself locked out
of his apartment by his biological father at a young age; being
struck with a belt; enduring a beating in the eye and chest
with a large stick; and, on at least one occasion, having to
strip naked and perform exercises before being beaten. See
Jackson III, 699 F. Supp. 2d. at 855-58. The district court also
cited testimony that Jacksons father "had a reputation for
alcohol consumption" and that his stepfather had been criminally prosecuted for child abuse, which resulted in a suspended sentence, a protective order, and mandatory
counseling. Id.
Against the backdrop of this mitigation evidence, the
Supreme Court of Virginia supportably found that the testimony described in Jacksons siblings affidavits would have
been "largely cumulative" of material already before the jury,
as they amounted to "anecdotal evidence of specific instances
of the abuse from the perspective of [Jacksons] siblings."
Jackson II, 627 S.E.2d at 787. As a result, the state court reasoned, the failure to develop and present Jacksons siblings as
witnesses was not substantially likely to have affected the outcome of penalty-phase proceedings. Given the breadth and
depth of evidence of childhood abuse provided to the jury, we
cannot say that determination was clearly unreasonable. See
Harrington, 131 S. Ct. at 791.
We also see no basis on which to conclude that counsels
alleged failure to present positive character evidence prejudiced Jackson. The district courts contrary finding reflected
a lack of deference to the Supreme Court of Virginias threshold factual conclusion "that the jury heard evidence of [Jack-

JACKSON v. KELLY

29

sons] good qualities." Jackson II, 627 S.E.2d at 787. The

district courts dismissal of the statements on which the
Supreme Court of Virginia relied as "bland, hearsay comments," which "offered no real insight into Jacksons character or personality," Jackson III, 699 F. Supp. 2d at 852,
constituted an assessment of the potency of the positive mitigation evidence rather than the existence of such evidence.
Put otherwise, the bare insistence that the positive statements
cited by the Supreme Court of Virginia did not constitute
"genuine" evidence was far from a refutation by clear and
convincing evidence of the Supreme Court of Virginias factual conclusion. See 28 U.S.C. 2254(e)(1). Although it
invoked AEDPAs language, the district court did not give
that standard sufficient "operation or function in its reasoning." Harrington, 131 S. Ct at 787.
More fundamentally, the district courts "reweigh[ing of]
the evidence in aggravation against the totality of available
mitigating evidence," was conspicuously one-sided. Wiggins,
539 U.S. at 534; see also Emmett v. Kelly, 474 F.3d 154, 170
(4th Cir. 2007). Specifically, the district court failed to mention considerable evidence regarding the horrific circumstances of Jacksons rape and murder of Mrs. Phillips. This
omission was particularly striking in light of the governments
careful emphasis on the disturbing details of Jacksons crimes
at closing.
The troubling circumstances highlighted by the government
included the fact that Jackson intruded upon the "sanctity of
[Mrs. Phillipss] home," despite the fact that her car was
parked outside; that he had entered through a window that she
had left "open just a little bit so she did not have to use [her]
air conditioner, so she could save some money," J.A. 960; that
he ignored her plea to take what he wanted and leave; that
after raping and murdering her, he absconded with her car;
that he left his victim with her dress pulled up and her body
grotesquely twisted; and that he used the money he took from
her purse to buy drugs.

30

JACKSON v. KELLY

The government also pointedly emphasized Jacksons own

testimony during the guilt phase, noting that his retreat from
his earlier videotaped statement "absolutely showed no
remorse." Id. at 961. The government further observed that
Jackson "had the audacity" to claim that Mrs. Phillips had not
been raped and to attempt to shift blame to his alleged accomplices. Id. at 961-62. This body of aggravating evidence only
reinforces our determination that the Supreme Court of Virginia was not clearly unreasonable in determining that Jackson had failed "to demonstrate how additional evidence of his
good character, such as his love for his grandmother and his
desire that his parents reunite, would have affected the jurys
determination." Jackson II, 627 S.E.2d at 787.
Finally, we turn to Jacksons assertion that counsel failed
to present expert testimony linking childhood abuse to adult
behavior. The Supreme Court of Virginia did not address this
claim, see supra n. 2, and the district court declined to make
an independent finding of prejudice arising from the absence
of psychological testimony, see Jackson III, 699 F. Supp. 2d
at 864. In light of the balance of aggravating and mitigating
evidence discussed above, we are unconvinced that such
expert testimony would have yielded "a substantial . . . likelihood of a different result." Cullen, 2011 WL 1225705, at
*12 (quoting Harrington, 131 S. Ct. at 791).
In sum, we find that even if counsels development and
presentation of mitigation evidence was deficient, any deficiencies did not amount to prejudice under Stricklands second prong.
B.
The remaining claims on which the district court granted
relief, as well as Jacksons claims on cross-appeal, all involve
alleged instructional error, arising out of the trial courts failure to specifically instruct the jury on particular mitigating
factors. We begin with the claim on which habeas relief was

JACKSON v. KELLY

31

granted, i.e., that counsels failure to object to the lack of a

specific mitigation instruction constituted constitutionally
deficient representation. As this argument was adjudicated on
a complete factual record in state court, we review it through
the "doubly" deferential lens of AEDPA and Strickland, Cullen, 2011 WL 1225705, at *12; Harrington, 131 S. Ct. at 788,
and conclude that it lacks merit.
We briefly recount the disputed jurors colloquies at voir
dire. Juror Dana Metheny initially responded "No" when
asked by defense counsel whether she would "be able to consider the age of Mr. Jackson in making a decision on whether
to impose life without the possibility of parole, or death." J.A.
639. She repeated her answer after counsel clarified that the
question was whether she would consider "age or any other
evidence that we may put before you if we so elect . . . in mitigation that you may consider; family, doctors, past, the way
he grew up." Id. at 639-40. However, she repeatedly
responded "Yes" when asked if she would consider such
issues if instructed to do so by the court. E.g., id. ("If the
Court tells you to consider issues in mitigation, such as age,
such as background, such as family, such as psychological or
psychiatric issues, would you consider those issues in mitigation before you voted for death?" "Yes.").
Juror Wendy Berube expressed similar reluctance to consider age as mitigating evidence. When asked whether she
would consider factors in mitigation, she responded "Yes. I
mean, I would consider everything," adding "I dont think that
age matters, if that is what youre asking." Id. at 665-66
(emphasis added). When queried "If the Court instructs you
age matters, would you then consider it?" she responded
"Yes." Id. at 666. She gave the same response when asked if
she would "follow the Courts instructions?" Id. In deeming
both jurors qualified to serve, the trial court stated: "They
dont know whether [age is] a factor for them to consider or
not . . . [B]ut when theyre told that its a factor they must

32

JACKSON v. KELLY

consider or they should consider, not what weight theyd give

to it, they all agree that theyll consider it." Id. at 671.
The district courts grant of habeas relief was anchored in
its reading of the jurors colloquies and the trial courts statement as a clear indication that neither juror was qualified to
serve unless they were "specifically instructed" to consider
various types of mitigation evidence. Jackson III, 699 F.
Supp. 2d at 866. However, the Supreme Court of Virginia
supportably found that the "contention that qualification of
these jurors was conditioned upon the giving of a specific
instruction is not supported in fact or in law." Jackson II, 627
S.E.2d at 788. Neither the district courts analysis nor Jacksons argument on appeal shows that the state courts conclusion was clearly unreasonable. As a result, AEDPA mandates
that we defer to the state courts assessment.13
Both jurors plainly expressed their willingness to consider
any and all mitigation evidence if instructed to do so by the
judge. The trial court provided just such an instruction,
admonishing the jury that "in determining the appropriate
punishment you shall consider any mitigation evidence presented of circumstances which do not justify or excuse the
13

The district court erred when it declined to afford such deference to

the state courts fact finding. Jackson III, 699 F. Supp. 2d at 853. The
Supreme Court of Virginia found that any request for a specific instruction
"would have been properly refused." Jackson II, 627 S.E.2d at 788. In
support of its holding the state court cited Virginia precedents illustrating
the appropriateness of general instructions. See id.; see also Gray v. Commonwealth, 356 S.E.2d 157, 178 (Va. 1987) ("[F]ailure to list mitigating
factors inures to the benefit of a defendant."); LeVasseur v. Commonwealth, 304 S.E.2d 644, 661 (Va. 1983) ("We have repeatedly held that
an instruction is improper which singles out one portion of the evidence
for special emphasis.").
This body of caselaw may be why the trial court did not present an
itemized instruction on its own initiative. In any event, Virginia precedent
on this point, as well as the trial courts decision to proceed with a general
instruction, provided sufficient support for the state courts determination
so as to warrant AEDPA deference.

JACKSON v. KELLY

33

offense but which in fairness or mercy may extenuate or

reduce the degree of moral culpability and punishment." J.A.
617 (emphasis added). Significantly, both age and background had been expressly presented to the jury by defense
counsel as mitigating factors. We have already described
counsels argument that Jacksons traumatic childhood should
be weighed in mitigation. Counsel also specifically emphasized Jacksons relative youth at the time he committed the
rape and murder. See, e.g., Id. at 972 ("[Y]ou have a videotape back there [of Jacksons confession] . . . [W]atch that 19year-old kid talk."); id. at 973 ("Life for a 20-year-old man
without the possibility of parole. Ever. Thats what we ask.").
More fundamentally, there is simply no factual or legal
basis for the district courts apparent assumption that either
juror was "conditionally" qualified and that a specific mitigation instruction was therefore constitutionally mandated. Tellingly, in his brief and at oral argument, Jackson could not cite
a single case in which such conditional qualification had been
recognized. Nor were we able to find one. As the Supreme
Court of Virginia found, "[b]oth jurors were qualified upon
the trial courts determination that they would be fair and
impartial." Jackson II, 627 S.E.2d at 788; see also Bell v.
Cone, 543 U.S. 447, 456 (2005) (noting "the presumption that
state courts know and follow the law" (internal quotation
omitted)). Nothing more was required.
By the same token, the district courts reliance on cases in
which factfinders declined to give any consideration to mitigating evidence was misplaced. As explained above, there is
no evidence here that either of the jurors refused to consider
such evidence following the trial courts instruction. Cf. Morgan v. Illinois, 504 U.S. 719, 736 (1992) (discussing jurors
who "obviously deem mitigating evidence to be irrelevant to
their decision to impose the death penalty"); Eddings v. Oklahoma, 455 U.S. 104, 113 (1982) (noting trial judges erroneous conclusion that "as a matter of law he was unable even
to consider the [mitigating] evidence" of defendants family

34

JACKSON v. KELLY

history). Both jurors stated that they would listen to an

instruction to consider mitigating evidence; they were ultimately admonished to do just that. Absent any indication that
the Supreme Court of Virginias analysis was clearly unreasonable, counsels failure to object to the lack of a specific
mitigating instruction cannot support a claim for habeas relief.
For the same reasons, Jacksons claims on cross-appeal
lack merit. Jackson argues that (1) Juror Berube should not
have been seated in the first place because she would not consider age as a mitigating factor, (2) both disputed jurors were
rendered unfit for service when no specific instruction was
given and the trial court erred by not removing them on its
own motion, and (3) defense counsels failure to move to
strike the jurors when a specific mitigating instruction was not
provided was unreasonable. However, as the Supreme Court
of Virginia supportably found, the jurors service was not
"conditional." Any concerns the jurors expressed were adequately addressed by the general mitigation instruction.
V.
For the foregoing reasons we reverse the district courts
grant of habeas relief in this case.
REVERSED