KANNE, Circuit Judge.
Wendell Weaver was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to forty years imprisonment. In a petition for a writ of habeas corpus, he alleges that his constitutional rights were violated by the trial courts disqualification of his counsel of choice, the ineffective assistance of his replacement counsel, the states use of certain testimony at trial, and the trial courts admission of other crimes evidence. The district court denied the petition. We affirm.
I. BACKGROUND
Previous state court decisions exhaustively relate Weavers case. (R. 20-16, Order affirming judgment of trial court, at 14-31; R. 20-25, Order affirming dismissal of post-conviction petitions, at 25-55.) We provide only those facts relevant to this appeal and accept the state courts factual findings as correct because Weaver has not presented clear and convincing evidence to the contrary. See 28 U.S.C. § 2254(e)(1) ; Todd v. Schomig , 283 F.3d 842, 846 (7th Cir. 2002).
A. Proceedings in the trial court
Police officers arrested Wendell Weaver on August 12, 2003 for the murder of Randy Sanders. Before trial, the court decided two motions relevant to this appeal. First, the state moved to disqualify Weavers attorney, Charles Murphy, on the ground that he represented a potential state witness, Rondell Traywick. The trial court heard argument and disqualified Murphy. Second, Weaver moved in limine to bar evidence that he pointed a gun-later identified as the murder weapon-at a police officer during an unrelated incident. The trial court denied the motion.
At trial, Danny Callico-a friend of Sanders-took the stand. He testified that he and Sanders sold drugs together and that he was with Sanders when Sanders was fatally shot on April 4, 2002. That day Sanders had driven Callico and another associate, Lamont Delaney, to a McDonalds parking lot where the three of them smoked marijuana. Callico testified that Weaver fired shots into Sanderss car when Sanders stopped at an intersection after leaving the lot.
In addition to Callicos testimony, the state also presented evidence linking cartridge casings recovered near the scene and bullets found in Sanderss body to a pistol police recovered from Weaver during an unrelated incident. During the trial, Officer Pinal described the recovery of the weapon. As he told it, on September 9, 2002, Pinal and another officer saw Weaver place a gun in his waistband outside a sandwich shop. Pinal testified that he and the other officer approached Weaver and identified themselves as police. As they approached, Weaver drew the gun and fled. Pinal further testified that Weaver pointed the handgun at him as he fled and later tossed the gun into a vacant lot. At trial, a firearms expert testified that shots fired from the pistol Pinal recovered from Weaver matched the casings and bullets recovered from the scene.
Weavers counsel attempted to undermine both Callico and Pinal on cross-examination. Callico admitted that he was a heroin dealer with an extensive criminal background. He also acknowledged that had initially told police that he did not know who the shooters were before identifying Weaver a year later. It also became clear that Callico had changed his justification for initially withholding from police that Weaver had killed Sanders. While Callico had told the grand jury he was afraid to tell police about Weavers involvement, at trial he claimed he failed to do so because he planned to take care of Weaver. On cross, Officer Pinal acknowledged that he never had the gun or magazine tested for fingerprints and that, during the chase, he lost sight of Weaver for thirty seconds.
Clifton Lewis, a bystander, also testified. He explained that he saw the passenger of one car shooting the driver of another car. He saw no one shooting from the street, and could not identify the shooter.
During closing argument, Weavers counsel emphasized the time gap between Sanderss murder and the recovery of the pistol. He also highlighted that Callicos unreliable testimony was the only direct evidence that Weaver shot Sanders. At the conclusion of the trial, a jury convicted Weaver of first degree murder.
B. Direct appeal and collateral attacks in state court
After his conviction, Weaver found little success in state court. On direct appeal, the Illinois appellate court affirmed his conviction. And the Illinois Supreme Court rejected his petition for leave to appeal that decision.
Weaver then filed a counseled state post-conviction petition, see 725 Ill. Comp. Stat. 5/122-1, and a pro se petition for relief from judgment, see 735 Ill. Comp. Stat. 5/2-1401. Both petitions were dismissed. In a consolidated appeal, the Illinois appellate court affirmed the dismissals. The Illinois Supreme Court later denied Weavers request for leave to appeal the decision.
C. Federal proceedings
In December 2012, Weaver filed a petition for a writ of habeas corpus in federal district court. See 28 U.S.C. § 2254. In relevant part, the petition claimed that:
(1) the trial court denied him the right to his counsel of choice;
(2) his trial counsel was ineffective for failing to (a) call a number of witnesses to testify, and (b) properly cross-examine Callico;
(3) the state violated his due process rights by using Callicos coerced and perjured testimony; and
(4) the trial court violated his due process rights by admitting evidence of other crimes related to the September 2002 incident.
The district court denied the petition, which we now review de novo . Smith v. Gaetz , 565 F.3d 346, 351 (7th Cir. 2009).
II. ANALYSIS
Weaver seeks habeas relief under the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996, 28 U.S.C. § 2254. Under the Act, we may grant relief if a state courts decision was (1) contrary to, or an unreasonable application of, clearly established Supreme Court precedent; or (2) rested on an unreasonable factual determination. 28 U.S.C. § 2254(d)(1)-(2).
A state courts decision is contrary to clearly established federal law if the state court arrives at a conclusion opposite to that reached by [the Supreme] Court on a question of law or if the state court confronts facts that are materially indistinguishable from a relevant Supreme Court precedent but reaches an opposite result. Williams v. Taylor , 529 U.S. 362, 404-05, 120 S.Ct. 1495, 146 L.Ed.2d 389 (2000). A state court unreasonably applies clearly established law if the state court correctly identifies the governing legal principle from [Supreme Court] decisions but unreasonably applies it to the facts of the particular case. Bell v. Cone , 535 U.S. 685, 694, 122 S.Ct. 1843, 152 L.Ed.2d 914 (2002). A state court decision rests on an unreasonable factual determination when the state court determined an underlying factual issue against the clear and convincing weight of the evidence.
Morgan v. Hardy , 662 F.3d 790, 798 (7th Cir. 2011). [S]o long as fair-minded jurists could disagree on the correctness of the state courts decision, the decision is reasonable. Harrington v. Richter , 562 U.S. 86, 101, 131 S.Ct. 770, 178 L.Ed.2d 624 (2011).
Under the Act, we review the last state court decision to address the merits of a prisoners claim. See Wilson v. Sellers , --- U.S. ----, 138 S.Ct. 1188, 1192, 200 L.Ed.2d 530 (2018). In Weavers case, the Illinois appellate court last addressed the merits of his claims on direct appeal and when it affirmed the denial of his post-conviction petitions.
We now turn to Weavers choice-of-counsel, ineffective assistance, due process, and other evidence claims. As to the first three claims, we find the decision of the state appellate court reasonable. Weavers final claim is procedurally defaulted.
A. Weavers choice-of-counsel claim fails.
Before trial, the Illinois trial court disqualified Weavers counsel, Charles Murphy, due to a potential conflict arising from one of the states potential witnesses, Rondell Traywick. Murphy had previously represented Traywick in a criminal matter. And just a month before the disqualification hearing, Murphy visited Traywick in jail to discuss his recent criminal charges and Traywicks intention to accept the states plea offer. According to the state, Gary Lupe Mullen-an associate of Weavers-had told Traywick that he and Weaver were involved in the shooting.
Weaver claims that the disqualification denied him his Sixth Amendment right to the counsel of his choice. See Wheatv. United States , 486 U.S. 153, 159, 108 S.Ct. 1692, 100 L.Ed.2d 140 (1988). To prevail under Section 2254(d), Weaver must demonstrate that the Illinois appellate court unreasonably applied Wheat -the Supreme Courts clearly established precedent on the issue.
Wheat requires that a court recognize a presumption in favor of a petitioners counsel of choice. 486 U.S. at 164, 108 S.Ct. 1692. Nevertheless, a demonstration of an actual conflict or serious potential for conflict may overcome this presumption. Id . Moreover, under Wheat , [t]he evaluation of the facts and circumstances of each case ... must be left primarily to the informed judgment of the trial court, id. , which has broad latitude to rel[y] on instinct and judgment based on experience in making its decision. Id . at 163, 108 S.Ct. 1692.
Here, the Illinois appellate court reasonably applied Wheat . The court began with Wheat and its presumption that the Sixth Amendment protects a defendants right to counsel. Then, it explained that the protection is not absolute and applied a test from the Illinois Supreme Court decision, People v. Ortega , 209 Ill. 2d 354, 283 Ill.Dec. 530, 808 N.E.2d 496 (2004), to determine if Weaver was entitled to his counsel of choice despite a potential conflict.
In doing so, the appellate court noted that the trial court determined that Charles Murphys prior professional relationship and continuing communication with Traywick signified a potential conflict of interest where Traywick was a possible witness against [Weaver]. (R. 20-16 at 22.) It further noted the trial courts finding that Charlie Murphys prison consultation with Traywick could be considered representation [and that concurrent representation of Traywick could create] a per se conflict of interest. (Id. ) It then held that the trial court properly disqualified Murphy because Murphys concurrent representation of Traywick could leave the conviction vulnerable to being overturned. It also highlighted the state and publics right to a fair trial, and the courts interest in the integrity of the verdict. This was a reasonable application of Wheat .
In so holding, we reject Weavers suggestion that Rodriguez v. Chandler compels us to grant relief in his favor. 382 F.3d 670 (7th Cir. 2004). In Rodriguez , we granted habeas relief when the trial court disqualified the defendants attorney because the attorney was also representing one of the states potential trial witnesses, a detective, in an unrelated real estate matter. Id . at 672-674. This case is distinct because the risks presented by Murphys simultaneous representation are much clearer. For instance, Murphy could have pressured Traywick to provide testimony favorable to Weaver at Traywicks own detriment in his pending criminal case. Alternatively, Murphy may have spared Traywick from his most incisive questions during cross-examination hoping to help keep Traywick from incriminating himself or disclosing de-tails harmful to his own prosecution. This potential for conflict was further compounded by discovery suggesting that Weaver was Traywicks boss and that he had arranged for Murphy to represent Traywick in his prior criminal case.
We likewise reject Weavers suggestion that Traywicks failure to testify mandates relief. See id. at 673. Wheat expressly noted that disqualification decisions are made not with the wisdom of hindsight after the trial has taken place, but in the murkier pre-trial context when relationships between parties are seen through a glass, darkly. 486 U.S. at 162, 108 S.Ct. 1692. Wheat thus permitted pre-trial disqualification even when potential conflict does not burgeon into an actual conflict as the trial progresses. Id . at 163, 108 S.Ct. 1692.
For these reasons, the Illinois appellate court reasonably applied Wheat . Weavers choice-of-counsel claim therefore fails.
B. Weavers ineffective assistance claims fail.
Weaver contends that trial counsel was ineffective for failing to (1) cross-examine Callico effectively; (2) call a witness to testify that Callico told him he could not identify the shooter; (3) call a number of witnesses to dispute Officer Pinals testimony; and (4) call witnesses to testify that another person had confessed to shooting Sanders. Weaver also argues that his counsels performance was ineffective as a whole. See Thompson v. Battaglia , 458 F.3d 614, 616 (7th Cir. 2006). For all his claims, Weaver must demonstrate that the state court unreasonably applied Strickland v. Washington , the Supreme Courts clearly established precedent on the issue. 466 U.S. 668, 104 S.Ct. 2052, 80 L.Ed.2d 674 (1984).
Under Strickland , Weaver must show that his counsels performance fell below an objective standard of reasonableness and that there is a reasonable probability that, but for counsels unprofessional errors, the result of the proceeding would have been different. 466 U.S. at 688, 694, 104 S.Ct. 2052. We give state courts broad latitude in applying this general standard. Knowles v. Mirzayance , 556 U.S. 111, 123, 129 S.Ct. 1411, 173 L.Ed.2d 251 (2009) (describing the standard of review on Strickland claims evaluated under § 2254 as doubly deferential). Thus, only a clear error in applying Strickland would support a writ of habeas corpus. Murrell v. Frank , 332 F.3d 1102, 1111 (7th Cir. 2003) (quoting Dixon v. Snyder , 266 F.3d 693, 700-01 (7th Cir. 2001) ). None of Weavers claims meet this bar.
Weaver first argues that trial counsel was ineffective for failing to cross-examine Callico about his prior statement to police that the shooter was on foot.
Weaver contends that such questioning would have further impeached Callico because it contradicted some physical evidence and another witnesss testimony. When presented with this claim, the Illinois appellate court found that counsels performance was adequate and that Weaver was not prejudiced. This holding was reasonable. Although trial counsel did not question Callico about that particular statement, through vigorous cross-examination trial counsel undercut Callicos general credibility as a witness and his ability to identify Sanderss shooter.
Second, Weaver insists that trial counsel was ineffective for failing to contact Callicos associate, Lamont Delaney, or call him to testify that Callico admitted that he did not see who the shooters were. But Weaver has not shown that trial counsel failed to investigate Delaney, only that counsel never located him. As for the failure to call Delaney, we presume that trial counsels decision not to call a witness was strategic. See Strickland , 466 U.S. at 689, 104 S.Ct. 2052 (the defendant must overcome the presumption that counsels conduct falls within the wide range of reasonable professional assistance.). Weaver has not overcome that presumption. In fact, during the trial, Weavers counsel used Delaneys absence to cast doubt on the states theory. The Illinois appellate court therefore reasonably applied Strickland when it rejected this claim on direct appeal.
Third, Weaver argues that trial counsel was ineffective for failing to call four witnesses to dispute Officer Pinals claim that Weaver had the murder weapon. Here again, we find that the Illinois appellate court reasonably applied Strickland . We again presume that Weavers counsel did not call the witnesses as a matter of trial strategy and the conflicting affidavits offered by the four potential witnesses fail to overcome that presumption.
Fourth, Weaver contends that his trial counsel was ineffective for failing to call Jason Dortch and Monique Tolliver to testify that Gary Lupe Mullen-an associate of Weavers-confessed to shooting Sanders. Once more, we find that the Illinois appellate courts rejection of this claim was reasonable. As a threshold matter, the state court found that Weaver procedurally defaulted his claim as to Dortch because he failed to present it on direct appeal. This independent and adequate state ground procedurally defaults this claim for the purpose of federal habeas review. See Kaczmarek v. Rednour , 627 F.3d 586, 592 (7th Cir. 2010).
Even excusing the default, the appellate courts finding that the testimony would have been inadmissible hearsay was based on a reasonable application of Supreme Court precedent. See Chambers v. Mississippi , 410 U.S. 284, 298-302, 93 S.Ct. 1038, 35 L.Ed.2d 297 (1973) (providing that otherwise inadmissible hearsay against the declarants penal interest may be offered when it is critical to the defense and bears considerable assurance of [its] reliability). Here, the state could not cross-examine Lupe (he died days after Sanderss murder), and Dortch and Tollivers statements were not otherwise corroborated. Under these circumstances, it was reasonable for the state court to conclude that Dortch and Tollivers statements lacked the assurances of trustworthiness demanded by Chambers . Id .
Finally, we consider Weavers claim that trial counsel was ineffective as a whole due to overall deficient performance. See Thompson , 458 F.3d at 616. For all the above reasons, this claim fails as well.
C. Weavers Napue claim fails.
Weaver argues that the state violated his due process rights because it knowingly allowed Callico to falsely testify that he saw Weaver shooting into the car. Had the state coerced Callico into identifying Weaver as the shooter and subsequently used that perjured testimony, it would have violated Weavers due process rights. See Brady v. Maryland , 373 U.S. 83, 86, 83 S.Ct. 1194, 10 L.Ed.2d 215 (1963) ; Napue v. Illinois , 360 U.S. 264, 269, 79 S.Ct. 1173, 3 L.Ed.2d 1217 (1959). But the Illinois appellate court rejected this argument, finding that the police and state had neither coerced Callicos testimony nor had they been aware of any perjury. Specifically, the court noted that Callicos affidavit did not contain sufficient facts to show the state directed Callicos testimony or knew that he was allegedly lying about Weavers involvement.
This decision rested on findings of fact. Without clear and convincing evidence to the contrary, we must accept these factual findings as true. See Todd , 283 F.3d at 846 ; 28 U.S.C. § 2254(d)(2). Weaver directs the court to the pre-trial inconsistencies and post-trial recantation, but those are insufficient to reverse the state courts factual findings. See United States v. Saadeh , 61 F.3d 510, 523 (7th Cir. 1995) ([M]ere inconsistencies in testimony by government witnesses do not establish the governments knowing use of false testimony) (quoting United States v. Verser , 916 F.2d 1268, 1271 (7th Cir. 1990) ); Mendiola v. Schomig , 224 F.3d 589, 593 (7th Cir. 2000) (Disbelief of recantations is sensible ... because the formality of a court, the presence of the litigants, and the gaze of a judge induce witnesses to hew more closely to the truth than they do when ... attempting to appease the losing sides advocate.). Because Weaver does not point to clear and convincing evidence to the contrary, we accept the state courts finding that the state did not pressure Callico to perjure himself nor was it aware of any perjury. As a result, the state courts denial of Weavers Napue claim was reasonable.
D. Weavers other crimes evidence claim fails.
Weaver also argues that the trial court violated his due process rights by admitting evidence of other crimes, specifically that he pointed a gun at Officer Pinal during the 2002 incident. This claim is procedurally defaulted. [S]tate prisoners must give the state courts one full opportunity to resolve any constitutional issues by invoking one complete round of the States established appellate review process. OSullivan v. Boerckel , 526 U.S. 838, 845, 119 S.Ct. 1728, 144 L.Ed.2d 1 (1999). To exhaust state remedies in the Illinois courts, the prisoner must include his claims in a petition for leave to appeal to the Illinois Supreme Court. Snow v. Pfister , 880 F.3d 857, 864 (7th Cir. 2018) (citing OSullivan , 526 U.S. at 845-46, 119 S.Ct. 1728 ). Weaver did not include this claim in either of his petitions to the Illinois Supreme Court. And because Weaver has not established cause for the default, we will not excuse it. See Coleman v. Thompson , 501 U.S. 722, 750, 111 S.Ct. 2546, 115 L.Ed.2d 640 (1991).
III. CONCLUSION
The Illinois appellate court reasonably applied relevant Supreme Court precedent when it denied Weavers choice-of-counsel, ineffective assistance of counsel, and due process claims. And Weaver procedurally defaulted his other crimes evidence claim when he failed to ask the Illinois Supreme Court to review it. Accordingly, we AFFIRM the judgment of the district court denying Weavers petition for a writ of habeas corpus.