Carter v. Secretary, Department of Corrections (Hendry County)

CourtDistrict Court, M.D. Florida
DecidedMarch 24, 2022
Docket2:19-cv-00324
StatusUnknown

This text of Carter v. Secretary, Department of Corrections (Hendry County) (Carter v. Secretary, Department of Corrections (Hendry County)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, M.D. Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Carter v. Secretary, Department of Corrections (Hendry County), (M.D. Fla. 2022).

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT MIDDLE DISTRICT OF FLORIDA FORT MYERS DIVISION

ANTHONY ALFONSO CARTER,

Petitioner,

v. Case No. 2:19-cv-324-JES-NPM

SECRETARY, FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS,

Respondent.

ORDER OF DISMISSAL This matter is before the Court on Petitioner Anthony Alfonso Carter’s (“Carter’s” or “Petitioner’s”) pro se 28 U.S.C. § 2254 petition for writ of habeas corpus and supporting memorandum. (Docs. 1, 2). Carter, who is incarcerated within the Florida Department of Corrections, challenges his state court conviction for burglary. (Doc. 1 at 1). Respondent opposes Carter’s petition and asks the Court to dismiss it as time-barred, or alternatively, for raising only a non-cognizable claim of ineffective assistance of postconviction counsel. (Doc. 18 at 1,6). Although provided an opportunity to do so (Doc. 15), Carter did not file a reply. Upon careful review of the petition, supporting memorandum, response, and exhibits, the Court concludes that the petition must be dismissed because it was filed outside of the one-year statute of limitation for federal habeas petitions, and Carter is not entitled to statutory or equitable tolling of the limitation period. The Court further finds that, even if timely, Carter has not stated a cognizable claim for habeas relief. Accordingly, the

petition is alternatively denied. I. Background and Procedural History On April 8, 2010, a jury found Carter guilty of one count of burglary of a dwelling and one count of grand theft. (Doc. 19-2 at 42–43, 263). The facts surrounding the crimes for which Carter was convicted were summarized in his brief on direct appeal as follows: Felix Valdez testified during trial that he lived on 555 South Elm Street in Hendry County, Florida on June 22, 2009. On that day when he returned from work around 6:00 p.m. he discovered that his TV was missing. He also discovered on his bed, a cup from Olive Garden and a class ring which he found out belonged to his neighbor, Mr. Aquilar.1 He gave them back to his neighbor. He described the TV as flat screen, twenty- nine inch, and black in color. He indicated that his girlfriend had purchased the TV. He could not testify as to what it cost. They were both paying on it on a payment plan for around $60 or $70 dollars. He indicated that as of that date, April 8, 2010, he was still paying on the TV. He indicated that he went around the neighborhood to see if anyone had seen anything and met up with a young girl on the corner about 100 yards from his house.

1 The jury acquitted Petitioner of burglarizing Mr. Aguilar’s home. (Doc. 19-2 at 42). Shurlyn Williams testified that she was fourteen years of age. She indicated that she lives on the same block as Mr. Aguilar. She indicated that she had known Mr. Carter personally for four or five years and is friends with his children. She identified him in court. Ms. Williams indicated that On June 22, 2009, she saw Mr. Carter around Mr. Valdez's house. She said that she saw Mr. Carter that day going through the window of Mr. Valdez's house and coming out with a black TV which he put in his car and then he left. She indicated that a few minutes later police came and asked her if she had seen anyone going in the house. She indicated that they showed her a photo of Mr. Carter which she circled when she was talking to them. (Doc. 19-2 at 606–07) (citations to the record omitted and slight alterations made for clarity).2 On June 17, 2010, the trial court sentenced Carter as a habitual felony offender (HFO) and prison releasee reoffender (PRR) to concurrent terms of fifteen years in prison on the burglary count and five years in prison on the grand theft count. (Id. at 52–58, 314–17). On February 9, 2011, Carter filed a motion to correct his sentence under Rule 3.800(b) of the Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure. (Id. at 326–28). On April 12, 2011, the trial court granted the motion in part and struck the HFO designation from the burglary conviction and the PRR designation

2 The State accepted Petitioner’s statement of facts for purposes of the appeal. (Doc. 19-2 at 617). from the grand theft conviction. (Id. at 528). Otherwise, the sentence remained the same. (Id.) Carter filed a direct appeal arguing that the state had not

proven the value of the stolen television in the grand theft charge. (Doc. 19-2 at 608). On January 18, 2012, the Second District Court of Appeal (“Second DCA”), reversed Carter’s conviction and sentence for grand theft in a written order and remanded to the trial court to reduce his grand theft conviction to petit theft and resentence him accordingly. Carter v. State, 77 So. 3d 849, 852 (Fla. 2d DCA 2012). On June 4, 2012, the trial court resentenced Carter to sixty days in prison on the grand theft conviction. (Doc. 19-2 at 580–83). On February 25, 2013, Carter filed a motion for postconviction relief under Rule 3.850 of the Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure (“Rule 3.850 motion”). (Doc. 19-2 at 638). He amended the

Petition on May 17, 2013 (id. at 716–19) and again on March 13, 2015, this time raising a claim of newly-discovered evidence based on the alleged recantation of trial testimony by witness Shurlyn Williams. (Id. at 716–19). In the second amended petition, Carter’s first postconviction counsel, Pavlina Petrova, said that the State’s eyewitness, Shurlyn Williams, recanted her identification of Carter as the burglar but subsequently withdrew the recantation and told her that she stood by her initial testimony. (Id.) In an attached deposition, Ms. Petrova described her interaction with Ms. Williams as follows: On July 5, 2014, I went to Ms. Williams' residence. I knocked on the door. Ms. Williams came outside and closed the door. I introduced myself. I told her that I am appointed to represent Anthony Carter in his 3.850 motion and my understanding of the case is that she was the only witness that has seen Mr. Carter committing the burglary and the theft. I didn't have a chance to tell Ms. Williams more details when she said, “Actually I haven't seen it. They told me.” Ms. Williams continued telling me that "they" told her that “they” have seen Mr. Carter burglarize their residence and told Ms. Williams that they will give her money if she tells them where Mr. Carter lives. At this time, Ms. Williams’ boyfriend started yelling from inside the house for Ms. Williams to go inside. Ms. Williams went inside the house while I was still standing at the front door. Shortly after, Ms. Williams came back outside. We moved across the parking lot. When I asked Ms. Williams who are those, “they” she is talking about, she stated that “they” are the victim Valdez and his in-laws. However, now she stated to me that she stands behind her prior statements to police, deposition and trial that she has seen Mr. Carter burglarize Mr. Valdez' home. I asked Ms. Williams if she is afraid that the State would file perjury charges against her. She stated that she is afraid of that because State files charges against people that are lying to the police. (Doc. 19-2 at 735–36). The Court appointed a different postconviction attorney, Brian L. Edwards, to handle the new claim and ordered an evidentiary hearing. (Id. at 742). On May 15, 2017, the state court conducted an evidentiary hearing. (Doc. 21- 1). However, Carter presented no testimony or evidence at the

hearing to support the supplemental ground of newly discovered evidence. Specifically, neither Ms. Petrova nor Ms. Williams 3 testified. (Doc. 21-1; Doc. 19-2 at 744). On May 23, 2017, the state court denied each of Carter’s postconviction claims in a written order. (Doc. 19-2 at 741–47).

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