Jackson v. Burt

877 F. Supp. 389, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2981, 1995 WL 100343
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Michigan
DecidedFebruary 27, 1995
DocketCiv. A. No. 93-70706
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 877 F. Supp. 389 (Jackson v. Burt) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Michigan primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Jackson v. Burt, 877 F. Supp. 389, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2981, 1995 WL 100343 (E.D. Mich. 1995).

Opinion

ORDER REJECTING MAGISTRATE JUDGE’S JULY 29, 1994 REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION AND DENYING PETITIONER’S 28 U.S.C. § 2254 MOTION

GADOLA, District Judge.

The court, pursuant to Ride 72(b) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1)(B), and Local Rule 72.1(d)(2) (E.D.Mich. Jan. 1, 1992), has reviewed the magistrate judge’s July 29, 1994 report and recommendation as well as respondent’s August 3, 1994 objections and petitioner’s September 29, 1994 response filed thereto. After conducting a de novo review, the court will reject the magistrate judge’s report and recommendation and deny petitioner’s 28 U.S.C. § 2254 motion.

I. Facts

Petitioner Lamare Jackson was convicted of two counts of armed robbery following a bench trial. As a result of his conviction, petitioner was sentenced to twenty-five to fifty years in prison for each robbery count and was given a life sentence as a habitual offender.

Petitioner sought review before the Michigan Court of Appeals. He argued that he was entitled to a new trial because the court did not comply with state procedural rules in obtaining a waiver of his right to a jury trial, and that the court failed to make a finding of fact that his waiver was voluntary. In addition, petitioner argued that he was denied the effective assistance of counsel as required by the state and federal constitutions because he was jointly represented by his codefendant’s attorney at the pretrial jury waiver proceeding. After the court of appeals affirmed his armed robbery convictions, petitioner applied to the Michigan Supreme Court for review on the same grounds presented below. Leave to appeal was denied on December 2, 1992, 441 Mich. 889, 495 N.W.2d 386.

Petitioner commenced this action on February 10, 1993 by filing a pro se application for a writ of habeas corpus pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2254. Petitioner challenges his [392]*392conviction by arguing that the trial court failed to follow controlling state procedural rules in obtaining his jury trial waiver. In addition, petitioner claims that he was denied the effective assistance of counsel at his pretrial waiver proceeding.

II. Analysis

Petitioner seeks habeas relief on the basis that his waiver of a jury trial was invalid. In addition, petitioner alleges that he was denied the effective assistance of counsel as required by the state and federal constitutions when he was represented by his codefendant’s attorney at the pretrial waiver proceeding.

Respondent contends that petitioner has failed to establish that he has been denied a federal right. In addition, respondent claims that petitioner based his jury waiver arguments before the state appellate courts solely on state law, without raising a federal constitutional issue. As a result, respondent argues that petitioner failed to exhaust his state remedies before seeking federal habeas relief. However, respondent admits petitioner properly raised his ineffective assistance of counsel claim before the Michigan courts as a federal constitutional question.

The court will first examine whether petitioner properly exhausted his state remedies. After that determination, the court will review petitioner’s claims regarding waiver and assistance of counsel.

A. Exhaustion of State Remedies

Under 28 U.S.C. § 2254(b), a petitioner seeking federal habeas corpus relief is required to exhaust all available remedies in state court prior to filing in federal court. Darr v. Burford, 339 U.S. 200, 204, 70 S.Ct. 587, 590, 94 L.Ed. 761 (1950); Ex parte Royall, 117 U.S. 241, 251, 6 S.Ct. 734, 740, 29 L.Ed. 868 (1886). A petitioner is required to fairly present the substance of his federal constitutional claims to the state appellate courts before raising them in a habeas corpus petition. Picard v. Connor, 404 U.S. 270, 278, 92 S.Ct. 509, 513, 30 L.Ed.2d 438 (1971). Moreover, a broad claim against a sentence or conviction raised on appeal is not the substantial equivalent of a claim of a constitutional violation. Id. at 278, 92 S.Ct. at 513.

A petitioner’s state remedies may be limited or barred by his failure to follow state procedural rules. If state remedies are barred by a procedural default, the petitioner is deemed to have exhausted his remedies. However, a federal court will grant habeas review if petitioner can show cause for his failure to comply with state procedures and the prejudice that resulted. Engle v. Isaac, 456 U.S. 107, 125-26 n. 28, 102 S.Ct. 1558, 1570-71 n. 28, 71 L.Ed.2d 783 (1982); Wainwright v. Sykes, 433 U.S. 72, 87-91, 97 S.Ct. 2497, 2506-08, 53 L.Ed.2d 594 (1977). Even when cause or prejudice cannot be established for procedural default, habeas relief may be granted if the petitioner can show that failure to grant the relief will result in a fundamental miscarriage of justice as when a constitutional violation probably has resulted in the conviction of an innocent man. Murray v. Carrier, 477 U.S. 478, 496, 106 S.Ct. 2639, 2649, 91 L.Ed.2d 397 (1986).

In this case, respondent contends that petitioner did not fairly present his federal constitutional claim regarding his jury waiver to the Michigan courts. After a full examination of the record in this case, the court agrees. The substance of petitioner’s appeals before the Michigan courts regarding his jury waiver was solely based upon state procedural rules enunciated in People v. Pasley, 419 Mich. 297, 353 N.W.2d 440 (1984), M.C.L.A. § 763.3, and Michigan Court Rule 6.402(B). Although three United States Supreme Court decisions citing the right to a jury trial were mentioned in passing in the first paragraph of a state court brief, the sole challenge presented on appeal stemmed from violations of state statute, state court rule, and state ease law. Petitioner was required to present, in substance, the same federal claim to the state court as he would seek to present in federal court. Picard, 404 U.S. at 278, 92 S.Ct. at 513. Because he failed to do this, petitioner failed to exhaust his state remedies and his federal constitutional claim regarding jury waiver will be deemed unexhausted and not entitled to federal review.

Respondent does not dispute the fact that petitioner has properly exhausted his state remedies as they pertain to his ineffective [393]*393assistance of counsel claim.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
877 F. Supp. 389, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2981, 1995 WL 100343, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/jackson-v-burt-mied-1995.