ing ▁that ▁even ▁if ▁the ▁trial ▁judge ▁committed ▁an ▁error ▁when ▁considering ▁the ▁defense ' s ▁Bat son ▁challeng es , ▁that ▁error ▁was ▁har ml ess ▁beyond ▁a ▁reasonable ▁doubt . ▁Ay ala ▁subsequently ▁file d ▁a ▁pet ition ▁for ▁habe as ▁cor pus , ▁which ▁was ▁denied ▁by ▁a ▁district ▁court ▁judge ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 6 . ▁On ▁appeal , ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Court ▁of ▁App e als ▁for ▁the ▁N inth ▁Circ uit ▁granted ▁Ay ala ' s ▁habe as ▁pet ition ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 3 , ▁holding ▁that ▁Ay ala ▁was ▁denied ▁due ▁process ▁at ▁trial ▁and ▁that ▁the ▁trial ▁court ' s ▁error ▁was ▁not ▁har ml ess . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁the ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁granted ▁cert ior ari ▁to ▁review ▁the ▁N inth ▁Circ uit ' s ▁r uling . ▁ ▁Op in ion ▁of ▁the ▁Court ▁ ▁In ▁his ▁majority ▁opinion , ▁Justice ▁Samuel ▁Al ito ▁held ▁that ▁the ▁ex clusion ▁of ▁Ay ala ' s ▁coun sel ▁during ▁the ▁Bat son ▁hear ings ▁was ▁har ml ess ▁error . ▁Justice ▁Al ito ▁emphas ized ▁that ▁under ▁federal ▁law , ▁prisoners ▁are ▁not ▁entitled ▁to ▁habe as ▁relief ▁unless ▁they ▁can ▁demonstrate ▁" actual ▁pre jud ice ". ▁Additionally , ▁Justice ▁Al ito ▁noted ▁that ▁under ▁the ▁Ant iter ror ism ▁and ▁Effect ive ▁Death ▁Pen alty ▁Act , ▁federal ▁courts ▁should ▁be ▁" high ly ▁de fer ential " ▁to ▁state ▁courts ▁"