Petitioner appeals the district court’s denial of his petition for writ of habeas corpus. 28 U.S.C.A. § 2254. Petitioner was originally convicted of murder with malice aforethought and sentenced by a jury to 35 years imprisonment. Following a reversal of his conviction,
Gamble
v.
Texas,
Chaffin v. Stynchcombe,
In the instant case, petitioner asserts that under Pearce the Magistrate applied the improper standard in finding, because the second jury had no knowledge of the previous trial, there was no violation of his constitutional rights. Pearce, however, involved resentencing by a judge, rather than a jury. Under the Supreme Court’s holding in Chaffin the proper standard was applied.
Although the jury possibly could have inferred that petitioner had been previously tried, from defense counsel’s statement that he was going to read a witness’s testimony “from a prior time when he was under oath and sworn to tell the truth,” there is no indication whatsoever that the jury had any knowledge of the prior conviction or of the length of sentence imposed. In Chaffin the Court accorded no weight to the fact the jury knew only of the earlier trial, when there was no indication it knew of the outcome of the trial or the sentence imposed. Without such knowledge, the increased sentence could not be attacked for vindictiveness, so that no factual basis for a greater sentence need be shown.
Petitioner complains that the prosecution withheld evidence at the first trial, which was improperly introduced at the second trial. Petitioner claims that based on
Brady v. Maryland,
AFFIRMED.
