Bejarano (John) Vs. Warden (Death Penalty-Pc)

• Court: Nevada Supreme Court
• Decided: September 13, 2019
• Docket: 76629
• Status: Published

Opinion

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEVADA

JOHN BEJARANO, No. 76629 Appellant, vs. TIMOTHY FILSON, WARDEN, ELY STATE PRISON; AND ADAM PAUL FILED LAXALT, NEVADA ATTORNEY SEP 1 3 2019 GENERAL, EUZABETH A. BROWN Res • ondents. CLERK OF SUPREME COURT By S !Yr DEPUreCtR1P(41/4r ORDER OF AFFIRMANCE This is an appeal from a district court order denying a postconviction petition for a writ of habeas corpus. Second Judicial District Court, Washoe County; Kathleen M. Drakulich, Judge. Appellant filed his petition on January 9, 2017, more than one year after the remittitur issued on appeal from the judgment of conviction. See Bejarano v. State, Docket No. 19023 (Order Dismissing Appeal, December 22, 1988). The petition was therefore untimely filed. See NRS 34.726(1). Moreover, because appellant previously sought postconviction relief, Bejarano v. State, 106 Nev. 840, 801 P.2d 1388 (1990), the petition was successive to the extent it raised claims that were previously litigated and resolved on their merits, and it constituted an abuse of the writ to the extent it raised new claims. See NRS 34.810(2). Accordingly, the petition was procedurally barred absent a demonstration of good cause and actual prejudice, NRS 34.726(1); NRS 34.810(3), or a showing that the procedural bars should be excused to prevent a fundamental miscarriage of justice, Pellegrini v. State, 117 Nev. 860, 887, 34 P.3d 519, 537 (2001). Appellant argues that he demonstrated good cause and prejudice sufficient to excuse the procedural bars, and that a fundamental

SUPREME COURT OF NEVADA

.1 miscarriage of justice would result if his petition was not considered, because Hurst v. Florida, 136 S. Ct. 616 (2016), set forth new retroactive rules that: (1) require trial courts to instruct jurors that the State must prove that the aggravating circumstances are not outweighed by the mitigating circumstances beyond a reasonable doubt, and (2) prohibit the reweighing of aggravating and mitigating circumstances when an aggravating circumstance is stricken by a reviewing court. We disagree. See Castillo v. State, 135 Nev., Adv. Op. 16, 442 P.3d 558 (2019) (discussing death-eligibility in Nevada and rejecting the arguments that Hurst announced new law relevant to the weighing component of Nevada's death penalty procedures or to appellate reweighing), Jeremias v. State, 134 Nev. 46, 57-59, 412 P.3d 43, 53-54 (rejecting the argument that Hurst announced new law relevant to the weighing component of Nevada's death penalty procedures), cert. denied, 139 S. Ct. 415 (2018). Accordingly, we ORDER the judgment of the district court AFFIRMED.

Pele_u ,J. , J. Pickering Hardesty

J Parraguirre Stiglich • , J. Cadish Silver

2 cc: Hon. Kathleen M. Drakulich, District Judge Federal Public Defender/Las Vegas Attorney General/Carson City Washoe County District Attorney Washoe District Court Clerk

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