Stevenson

MEMORANDUM ***

James Lenwood Stevenson appeals the district court’s denial of his petition for habeas corpus relief, contending that there was insufficient evidence to support his conviction for kidnapping for the purpose of robbery in violation of California Penal Code § 209. We affirm.

Stevenson’s petition is governed by the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 (AEDPA), Pub.L. No. 104-132, 110 Stat. 1214. We will grant habeas relief only if the state court’s decision was “contrary to, or involved an unreasonable application of, clearly established Federal law, as determined by the Supreme Court.” 28 U.S.C. § 2254 (d)(1). The Supreme Court has held that in reviewing a sufficiency of the evidence claim, “the relevant question is whether, after viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, any rational trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt.” Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 319 , 99 S.Ct. 2781 , 61 L.Ed.2d 560 (1979). Accordingly, we review the decision of the California Court of Appeal upholding Stevenson’s conviction to determine whether it was an unreasonable application of…