(HC) Hunter-Harrison v. Atchley

CourtDistrict Court, E.D. California
DecidedDecember 9, 2020
Docket2:20-cv-00592
StatusUnknown

This text of (HC) Hunter-Harrison v. Atchley ((HC) Hunter-Harrison v. Atchley) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
(HC) Hunter-Harrison v. Atchley, (E.D. Cal. 2020).

Opinion

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 9 FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 10 11 GRANVAL G. HUNTER-HARRISON, No. 2:20-cv-00592-WBS-CKD JR., 12 Petitioner, 13 FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS v. 14 M. ATCHLEY, 15 Respondent. 16 17 Petitioner is a state prisoner proceeding pro se in this habeas corpus action filed pursuant 18 to 28 U.S.C. § 2254. Currently pending before the court is respondent’s motion to dismiss the 19 federal habeas petition on the ground that it was filed beyond the one-year statute of limitations. 20 ECF No. 11. Respondent also contends that the habeas petition is wholly unexhausted and 21 contains a state law claim that is not cognizable on federal habeas review. ECF No. 11 at 4. By 22 way of opposition thereto, petitioner filed a motion to stay these proceedings in order to exhaust 23 his state court remedies. ECF No. 14. In accordance with an order to show cause issued on 24 September 24, 2020, petitioner filed a complete copy of his prison mail log to assist the court in 25 resolving the pending motions. ECF Nos. 17, 20. For the reasons discussed below, the 26 undersigned recommends denying respondent’s motion to dismiss based on the statute of 27 limitations, but granting it to the extent that claims one and two are not cognizable on federal 28 habeas review. The court further recommends granting petitioner’s motion for a stay pursuant to 1 Rhines v. Weber, 544 U.S. 269 (2005).1 2 I. Factual and Procedural History 3 Petitioner entered a no contest plea to two counts of assault with a semi-automatic firearm 4 in the Sacramento County Superior Court. ECF No. 1 at 1. On May 18, 2017, he was sentenced 5 to a determinate term of 27 years, 4 months in prison pursuant to the stipulated terms of his plea 6 agreement. ECF No. 1 at 26-27 (Felony Abstract of Judgment). 7 On direct appeal, petitioner’s counsel filed a Wende brief in the California Court of 8 Appeal. See California v. Wende, 25 Cal.3d 436 (1979). Petitioner filed a pro se supplemental 9 brief challenging the validity of his plea, the effectiveness of his lawyer, and the applicability of 10 changes to the firearms sentencing enhancement statute under Senate Bill 620. The California 11 Court of Appeal affirmed petitioner’s conviction on March 28, 2018, but modified the judgment 12 to dismiss the remaining charges “as contemplated in the negotiated plea agreement.” ECF No. 13 13-2 at 4 (direct appeal opinion). 14 Petitioner filed a pro se petition for review in the California Supreme Court on April 30, 15 2018.2 ECF No. 13-3. Petitioner raised two claims for relief. ECF No. 13-3. He first argued that 16 his plea and sentence were unlawful pursuant to California Penal Code § 667.5. Id. Lastly, he 17 asserted that Senate Bill 620 should be applied retroactively to his sentence. Id. On July 11, 18 2018, the California Supreme Court denied the petition for review “without prejudice to the filing 19 of a petition for a writ of habeas corpus in the trial court raising the question of the applicability 20 of Senate Bill No. 620… to defendant’s no contest plea.” ECF No. 13-4. However, petitioner 21 alleged in his 2254 petition that he did not receive notice of this decision until over a year later on 22 August 5, 2019. ECF No 1 at 13, 38-39; ECF No. 20 at 5. According to petitioner, a copy of the 23 California Supreme Court decision was sent to him following a letter that he sent requesting 24 information about the status of his direct appeal. ECF No. 1 at 13, ECF No. 14 at 9-10 (file 25 stamped copy of the letter). 26

27 1 Hereinafter referred to as a “Rhines stay.” 2 This date was calculated using the prison mailbox rule. See Houston v. Lack, 487 U.S. 266 28 (1988). 1 Next, petitioner filed a habeas corpus petition in the Sacramento County Superior Court 2 on January 21, 2020.3 This state habeas petition was denied on April 28, 2020. ECF No. 13-5 at 3 2 (Sacramento County Superior Court docket sheet). 4 Before this state habeas application was denied, petitioner filed the instant federal habeas 5 corpus application on March 10, 2020.4 Petitioner raises three claims for relief. First, petitioner 6 contends that his plea is void pursuant to California Penal Code § 1016.8 because it is against 7 public policy. ECF No. 1 at 5. Next petitioner asserts that he qualifies for sentencing relief 8 pursuant to California Senate Bill 620. ECF No. 1 at 7. In his third claim for relief, petitioner 9 alleges that he received ineffective assistance of counsel because his attorney did not keep him 10 informed, “used sharp practices,” and coerced him into accepting a plea agreement. ECF No. 1 at 11 8. 12 Respondent filed a motion to dismiss the 2254 petition on May 26, 2020 arguing that the 13 petition is untimely filed, wholly unexhausted, and contains a non-cognizable state law 14 sentencing challenge. ECF No. 11. According to respondent, petitioner’s conviction became 15 final on October 9, 2018 following the expiration of time to seek certiorari review by the United 16 States Supreme Court. ECF No. 11 at 2. The one-year statute of limitations governing federal 17 habeas petitions commenced the next day and expired on October 9, 2019. ECF No. 11 at 2-3; 18 see also 28 U.S.C. § 2244(d)(1). As petitioner’s only state habeas corpus petition was not filed 19 until on or about January 21, 2020, he is not entitled to any statutory tolling of the limitations 20 period. ECF No. 11 at 3; see also 28 U.S.C. § 2244(d)(2). Based on respondent’s calculation, 21 petitioner’s § 2254 application was filed 5 months late, on March 10, 2020. 22 While petitioner did not file any specific opposition to respondent’s motion to dismiss, he 23 did file a motion to stay and abey these proceedings pursuant to Rhines v. Weber, 544 U.S. 269 24 3 Due to the closure of the Sacramento County Superior Court at the time of filing respondent’s 25 motion to dismiss due to COVID 19 restrictions, a copy of this petition was not filed with the state lodged documents. See ECF No. 11 at 2, n. 5. Therefore, the prison mailbox rule was not 26 applied to this filing. 27 4 All of the remaining filing dates were calculated using the prison mailbox rule. See Houston v. Lack, 487 U.S. 266 (1988); Campbell v. Henry, 614 F.3dd 1056, 1069 (9th Cir. 2010) (applying 28 the prison mailbox rule to both state and federal filings by incarcerated inmates). 1 (2005). ECF No. 14. To establish cause for his failure to previously exhaust state court remedies, 2 petitioner relies upon the year long delay in receiving a copy of the California Supreme Court’s 3 decision denying his direct appeal. 4 II. Legal Standards 5 A. Statute of Limitations 6 Section 2244(d)(1) of Title 28 of the United States Code contains a one-year statute of 7 limitations for filing a habeas petition in federal court. The one-year clock commences from 8 several alternative triggering dates which are described as: 9 “(A) the date on which the judgment became final by the conclusion of direct review or the expiration of the time for seeking such review; 10 (B) the date on which the impediment to filing ... is removed, if the 11 applicant was prevented from filing by such State action; 12 (C) the date on which the constitutional right asserted was initially recognized by the Supreme Court ...

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Bluebook (online)
(HC) Hunter-Harrison v. Atchley, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hc-hunter-harrison-v-atchley-caed-2020.