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153849P.pdf   05/16/2019  Timothy Kemp  v.  Wendy Kelley
   U.S. Court of Appeals Case No:  15-3849
   U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas - Pine Bluff   
[PUBLISHED] [Wollman, Author, with Melloy and Gruender, Circuit Judges] Prisoner case - Habeas. Death Penalty Matter. The district court did not err in denying Kemp's Section 2254 petition which alleged that trial counsel was constitutionally ineffective for failing to adequately investigate and present mitigating evidence related to Kemp's childhood abuse, fetal-alcohol exposure and post-traumatic stress disorder; counsel's investigation of Kemp's background satisfied his Strickland obligation and his decision to complete the investigation himself was reasonable; decision not to interview distant family members was reasonable; decision to hire a psychologist to evaluate the effect of Kemp's abusive childhood on his mental health was reasonable in the circumstances; decision not to seek additional mitigating evidence in addition to that already gathered was within the realm of professionally reasonable judgment; issues not included in the certificate of appealability would not be considered.