Whether the First Circuit Court of Appeals erroneously applied state law and federal habeas corpus standards in reviewing a criminal defendant's constitutional claims

1. Whether the First Circuit Court of Appeals erred when they concluded that the State of Rhode Island supreme court ’s retroactive application of a new interpretation of a criminal statute is a matter of state law, as opposed to federal law. 2. Whether the First Circuit Court of Appeals erred when they concluded that violations of a criminal defendant ’s federal constitutional rights by the state ’s highest appellate court require additional exhaustion efforts for purposes of Section 2254 habeas corpus review. 3. Whether the First Circuit Court of Appeals erroneously concluded that the Petitioner has not made a substantial showing that his federal constitutional rights have been violated in support of his request for a Certificate of Appealability in his habeas corpus case. 2