Carlos Trevino v. Thaler, USSC No. 11-10189, 5/28/13 United States Supreme Court decision, vacating and remanding 449 Fed. Appx. 145 (5th Cir. Nov. 14, 2011) Last term in Martinez v. Ryan, 132 S. Ct. 1309 (2012), a case arising out of Arizona, the Court held that where a state’s rules of appellate procedure allowed a state… Read more
4. Procedure
Johnson v. Williams, USSC No. 11-465, 2/20/13 United States Supreme Court decision, reversing and remanding Williams v. Cavazos, 646 F.3d 626 (9th Cir. 2011) When a defendant convicted in state court raises a federal claim and a state court rules against the defendant in an opinion that addresses some issues but does not expressly address… Read more
Questions presented: 1. Whether the Michigan Supreme Court’s recognition that a state statute abolished the long-maligned diminished-capacity defense was an “unexpected and indefensible” change in a common-law doctrine of criminal law under this Court’s retroactivity jurisprudence. See Rogers v. Tennessee, 532 U.S. 451 (2001). 2. Whether the Michigan Court of Appeals’ retroactive application of the… Read more
Chaidez v. United States, USSC No. 11-820, affirming 655 F.3d 684 (7th Cir. 2011) Issue: We know that Padilla v. Kentucky, 559 U.S. 356 (2010) requires counsel to advise a defendant about the risk of deportation arising from a guilty plea. The question presented by Chaidez is whether or not that rule applies retroactively so… Read more
Ryan v. Gonzales, USSC No. 10-930; Tibbals v. Carter, USSC No. 11-218, 1/8/13 United States Supreme Court decision, reversing In re Gonzalez, 623 F.3d 1242 (9th Cir. 2010), and reversing and remanding Carter v. Bradshaw, 644 F.3d 329 (6th Cir. 2011) These two cases present the question whether the incompetence of a state prisoner requires suspension… Read more
Martin Woolley v. Rednour, 7th Cir No. 10-3550, 12/14/12 seventh circuit decision Habeas Review – Issue Left Unaddressed by State Court Where, on state (Illinois) postconviction review of an IAC claim, the trial court ruled that counsel’s performance had been deficient but not prejudicial, and the state appellate court affirmed solely on the basis of… Read more
Elliot D. Ray v. Clements, 7th Cir No. 11-3228, 11/19/12 seventh circuit decision, appeal following remand in 592 F.3d 793 (7th Cir 2010) (summarized in prior post) … (W)e hold that in cases where the pro se prisoner’s post-conviction motion is not received, the petitioner must submit a sworn statement and some evidence to support his claim… Read more
Question Presented: The Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 (AEDPA) contains a one-year statute of limitations for filing a habeas petition. In Holland v. Florida, 130 S. Ct. 2549, 2562 (2010), this Court affirmed that a habeas petitioner is entitled to equitable tolling of that one-year period “only if he shows: (1) that… Read more
