How to Win a Certificate of Appealability After a Federal Habeas Corpus Denial Under 28 U.S.C. § 2254
A Certificate of Appealability (COA) is granted only if the petitioner makes a “substantial showing of the denial of a constitutional right” under 28 U.S.C. § 2253(c)(2). After a federal district court denies a state-prisoner habeas petition under 28 U.S.C. § 2254, the COA becomes the gateway to appellate review in the circuit court. This […]
