Randy Thomas v. Cynthia Davis

Type

Opinion

Author

Raymond M. Kethledge

Filed

Feb. 18, 2026

Case

Randy Thomas v. Cynthia Davis

Case status

Decided

The first passage of the document, as extracted by the source provider.

NOT RECOMMENDED FOR PUBLICATION File Name: 26a0087n.06 No. 25-3340 UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FILED FOR THE SIXTH CIRCUIT Feb 18, 2026 KELLY L. STEPHENS, Clerk ) RANDY A. THOMAS, ) Petitioner-Appellant, ) ON APPEAL FROM THE ) UNITED STATES DISTRICT v. ) COURT FOR THE ) NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CYNTHIA DAVIS, Warden, ) OHIO Respondent-Appellee. ) ) OPINION Before: KETHLEDGE, BUSH, and NALBANDIAN, Circuit Judges. KETHLEDGE, Circuit Judge. Randy Thomas appeals the district court’s denial of his petition for a writ of habeas corpus. We reject his arguments and affirm. In April 2013, Thomas visited his grandparents’ house in Akron, Ohio. While he was there, he saw Anthony Smith selling drugs in front of the house, so Thomas asked Smith to move along. Smith responded by challenging Thomas to a fight. Thomas accepted, and the two met on a nearby street. Thomas threw the first punch, after which Smith pulled out a gun; Thomas slapped the gun out of Smith’s hand and picked it up. Smith then charged at him, Thomas says, so Thomas shot Smith. Smith died shortly thereafter. An Ohio grand jury later indicted Thomas on one count of aggravated murder. He pled not guilty. At trial, Thomas argued t…

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