Molloy v. Scott

60 F. App'x 183
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
DecidedDecember 12, 2002
Docket02-6173
StatusUnpublished

This text of 60 F. App'x 183 (Molloy v. Scott) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Molloy v. Scott, 60 F. App'x 183 (10th Cir. 2002).

Opinion

ORDER AND JUDGMENT **

PAUL KELLY, JR., Circuit Judge.

Petitioner-Appellant Mark D. Molloy, a state inmate appearing pro se, seeks a certificate of appealability (“COA”) allowing him to appeal the district court’s order denying relief on his petition for a writ of habeas corpus pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2254. Because Mr. Molloy has failed to make “a substantial showing of the denial of a constitutional right” as required by 28 U.S.C. § 2253(c)(2), we deny his request and dismiss the appeal.

Mr. Molloy was convicted by a jury in Oklahoma state court of possession with intent to use a substance to manufacture a controlled dangerous substance (Count I), unlawful possession of a controlled dangerous substance with intent to distribute (Count II), and possession of a sawed-off shotgun after former conviction of a felony (Count III). He was sentenced to consecutive prison terms of 35, 10 and 5 years and was fined $70,000. On direct appeal, the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals (“OCCA”) affirmed. I R. Doc. 8, Ex. C.

Mr. Molloy then filed a petition for a writ of habeas corpus pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2254 in federal district court asserting the same two claims raised before the OCCA: (1) that the search of his residence was unlawful under the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments because the search warrant was invalid; and (2) that he was subjected to double jeopardy in violation of the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments because he received multiple punishments for the same offense. The magistrate judge carefully considered each of these claims and issued a Report and Recommendation recommending that the district court deny Mr. Malloy’s petition. After detailed consideration of Mr. Molloy’s objections, the district court adopted the magistrate judge’s recommendation and denied Mr. Molloy’s petition on the merits. Mr. Molloy now asserts, before us, the same claims raised before the district court in seeking a COA.

In order for this court to grant a COA, Mr. Molloy must make “a substantial showing of the denial of a constitutional right.” 28 U.S.C. § 2253(c)(2). Where, as here, the district court has rejected the habeas petitioner’s constitutional claims on the merits, the petitioner must demonstrate that “reasonable jurists would find the district court’s assessment of the constitutional claims debatable or wrong.” *185 Slack v. McDaniel, 529 U.S. 473, 484, 120 S.Ct. 1595, 146 L.Ed.2d 542 (2000).

The claims before the district court were presented to the OCCA and were denied by that court in a summary opinion that contained a short discussion of each claim. As such, the district court could not properly issue a writ of habeas corpus unless it found that the state court adjudication resulted in a decision that “was contrary to, or involved an unreasonable application of, clearly established Federal law, as determined by the Supreme Court of the United States.” 28 U.S.C. § 2254(d)(1); Williams v. Taylor, 529 U.S. 362, 412-13, 120 S.Ct. 1495, 146 L.Ed.2d 389 (2000). Further, the fact that the OCCA denied relief to Mr. Molloy in a summary opinion has no effect on the deference owed to the state court’s result. See Aycox v. Lytle, 196 F.3d 1174, 1177 (10th Cir.1999). It is against these standards that the district court’s denial of Mr. Molloy’s petition must be assessed.

In his habeas petition, Mr. Molloy argued that the search of his residence was unlawful under the Fourth Amendment because the search warrant was invalid. The district court concluded that it was barred from reaching the merits of Mr. Molloy’s claim because he received an opportunity for full and fair litigation of the claim in state court. See Stone v. Powell, 428 U.S. 465, 494, 96 S.Ct. 3037, 49 L.Ed.2d 1067 (1976) (“[WJhere the State has provided an opportunity for full and fair litigation of a Fourth Amendment Claim, a state prisoner may not be granted federal habeas corpus relief on the ground that evidence obtained in an unconstitutional search or seizure was introduced at his trial.” (footnotes omitted)).

On appeal, Mr. Molloy first asserts the district court erred in applying Stone to bar habeas relief because he never received a full and fair opportunity to litigate this claim in state court. Whether Mr. Molloy had a full and fair opportunity to litigate his Fourth Amendment claim in state court is a question this court reviews de novo. Miranda v. Cooper, 967 F.2d 392, 401 (10th Cir.1992). In Gamble v. Oklahoma, 583 F.2d 1161, 1165 (10th Cir.1978), we held that opportunity for full and fair consideration includes, but is not limited to, the procedural opportunity to raise or otherwise present a Fourth Amendment claim and the full and fair evidentiary hearing contemplated by Townsend v. Sain, 372 U.S. 293, 83 S.Ct. 745, 9 L.Ed.2d 770 (1963), overruled on other grounds by Keeney v. Tamayo-Reyes, 504 U.S. 1, 112 S.Ct. 1715, 118 L.Ed.2d 318 (1992). Such opportunity further “contemplates recognition and at least colorable application of the correct Fourth Amendment constitutional standards.” Gamble, 583 F.2d at 1165. Upon de novo review of the district court order and the state court record, we agree with the district court that Mr. Molloy had a full and fair opportunity to litigate this claim in state court. As the district court observed, the OCCA gave “thorough consideration” to Mr. Molloy’s arguments and to “the entire record ... on appeal, including the original record, transcripts, and briefs.” I R. Doc. 8, Ex. C at 2. Therefore, we conclude that habeas review of Mr. Molloy’s Fourth Amendment claim is not available under Stone. We also agree with the district court that Mr. Molloy has not shown he was entitled to a hearing pursuant to Franks v. Delaware, 438 U.S. 154, 98 S.Ct. 2674, 57 L.Ed.2d 667 (1978).

Finally, Mr. Molloy reasserts his argument that he was subjected to double jeopardy in violation of the Fifth Amendment because he received multiple punishments for the same offense via convictions for Counts I and II. The Double Jeopardy Clause, among other things, protects *186

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Related

Blockburger v. United States
284 U.S. 299 (Supreme Court, 1931)
Townsend v. Sain
372 U.S. 293 (Supreme Court, 1963)
North Carolina v. Pearce
395 U.S. 711 (Supreme Court, 1969)
Stone v. Powell
428 U.S. 465 (Supreme Court, 1976)
Franks v. Delaware
438 U.S. 154 (Supreme Court, 1978)
Ohio v. Johnson
467 U.S. 493 (Supreme Court, 1984)
Alabama v. Smith
490 U.S. 794 (Supreme Court, 1989)
Keeney v. Tamayo-Reyes
504 U.S. 1 (Supreme Court, 1992)
Slack v. McDaniel
529 U.S. 473 (Supreme Court, 2000)
Williams v. Taylor
529 U.S. 362 (Supreme Court, 2000)
Aycox v. Lytle
196 F.3d 1174 (Tenth Circuit, 1999)
Larry James Gamble v. State of Oklahoma
583 F.2d 1161 (Tenth Circuit, 1978)
Peacock v. State
2002 OK CR 21 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 2002)

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60 F. App'x 183, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/molloy-v-scott-ca10-2002.