081492P.pdf   03/06/2009  Reva Francis  v.  Jennifer Miller
   U.S. Court of Appeals Case No:  08-1492
   U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri - Kansas City   
   [PUBLISHED] [Arnold, Author, with Loken, Chief Judge, and Beam,
   Circuit Judge]
   Prisoner case - habeas. Missouri Court of Appeals relied on an
   independent and adequate state procedural bar in rejected Francis's claim
   that her trial counsel was ineffective by failing to retain a psychiatric
   expert to investigate batter spouse syndrome as a defense, and the court
   was precluded from considering the claim; State court did not
   unreasonably apply Strickland by determining that counsel's decision to
   pursue an accident defense was reasonable and a deliberate and informed
   choice as to trial strategy; state court did not unreasonably apply clearly
   established federal law when it determined that counsel's decision not to
   call Francis after initially informing the jury she would testify did not
   rise to the level of ineffective assistance of counsel.