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Burden v. Zant, 510 U.S. 132 (1994)
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General SummaryThis case is from a collection containing the full text of over 16,000 Supreme Court cases from 1793 to the present. The body of Supreme Court decisions are, effectively, the final interpretation of the Constitution. Only an amendment to the Constitution can permanently overturn an interpretation and this has happened only four times in American history.
Burden v. Zant, 510 U.S. 132 (1994)
Burden v. Zant No. 92-8836 Decided January 10, 1994 510 U.S. 132
CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT
Syllabus
The first time petitioner Burden’s habeas petition was before this Court, his case was remanded so that his claim that his pretrial counsel’s conflict of interest denied his right to effective assistance of counsel could be considered by the Court of Appeals "free from" that court’s erroneous failure to credit a state court finding that the key prosecution witness was granted immunity while represented by Burden’s counsel. 498 U.S. 433. In rejecting his claim a second time, the Court of Appeals held that it did not have to presume the immunity finding’s correctness because the state court had not adequately developed the finding. It reasoned that the state court’s conclusion amounted to mere personal impression on an issue not subject to significant dispute at trial and stated that the District Court had found that the key witness had not been granted immunity.
Held: The Court of Appeals’ decision was based on a manifest error. The District Court did not make the immunity finding as claimed by the Court of Appeals, and the Court of Appeals overlooked evidence strongly supporting Burden’s contention regarding an immunity deal. On remand, the Court of Appeals or, subject to its further order, the District Court must determine whether counsel’s representation created an actual conflict of interest adversely affecting his performance.
Certiorari granted; 975 F.2d 771, reversed and remanded.
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Chicago:
U.S. Supreme Court, "Syllabus," Burden v. Zant, 510 U.S. 132 (1994) in 510 U.S. 132 Original Sources, accessed July 1, 2025, http://www.originalsources.com/Document.aspx?DocID=XWBR6S6VKNLSS3W.
MLA:
U.S. Supreme Court. "Syllabus." Burden v. Zant, 510 U.S. 132 (1994), in 510 U.S. 132, Original Sources. 1 Jul. 2025. http://www.originalsources.com/Document.aspx?DocID=XWBR6S6VKNLSS3W.
Harvard:
U.S. Supreme Court, 'Syllabus' in Burden v. Zant, 510 U.S. 132 (1994). cited in 1994, 510 U.S. 132. Original Sources, retrieved 1 July 2025, from http://www.originalsources.com/Document.aspx?DocID=XWBR6S6VKNLSS3W.
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