Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit July 8, 2002, 01-2259 (Darryl Burton v. David Dormire, Jeremiah Nixon)

BYE, Circuit Judge.

The writ of habeas corpus balances the constitutional imperative of a fair criminal trial with respect for * state court judgments and the finality thereby achieved for victims of crime and society at large. The writ serves as a “bulwark against convictions that violate fundamental fairness,”

Engle v. Isaac,

456 U.S. 107, 126, 102 S.Ct. 1558, 71 L.Ed.