The following excerpt is from Marsala v. Lackner, No. 2:13-cv-1614 CKD P (E.D. Cal. 2016):
1988) (stating that to prevail on such a claim petitioner must demonstrate that an erroneous instruction "so infected the entire trial that the resulting conviction violates due process."). The analysis for determining whether a trial is "so infected with unfairness" as to rise to the level of a due process violation is similar to the analysis used in determining whether an error had "a substantial and injurious effect" on the outcome of the trial. See McKinney v. Rees, 993 F.2d 1378, 1385 (9th Cir. 1993).
The above passage should not be considered legal advice. Reliable answers to complex legal questions require comprehensive research memos. To learn more visit www.alexi.com.