Purdy v. Director, TDCJ-CID

CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Texas
DecidedSeptember 24, 2021
Docket3:20-cv-00737
StatusUnknown

This text of Purdy v. Director, TDCJ-CID (Purdy v. Director, TDCJ-CID) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Purdy v. Director, TDCJ-CID, (N.D. Tex. 2021).

Opinion

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT NORTHERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS DALLAS DIVISION GEORGE EDWARD PURDY, § TDCJ No. 2187077, § § Petitioner, § § V. § No. 3:20-cv-737-K-BN § DIRECTOR, TDCJ-CID, § § Respondent. § FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATION OF THE UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE Petitioner George Edward Purdy, a Texas prisoner, now challenges two Dallas County convictions for sexual assault of a child through a pro se application for a writ of habeas corpus under 28 U.S.C. § 2254. See Dkt. Nos. 3, 4. United States District Judge Ed Kinkeade referred the habeas petition to the undersigned United States magistrate judge for pretrial management under 28 U.S.C. § 636(b) and a standing order of reference. The State responded, arguing that most of Purdy’s claims are time barred, while the rest are meritless. See Dkt. No. 16. Purdy failed to reply, and the deadline by which to do so has expired. The undersigned now enters these findings of fact, conclusions of law, and recommendation that the Court should deny federal habeas relief. Applicable Background As to each sexual assault conviction, Purdy pled guilty pursuant to a plea agreement on May 6, 2016 and was placed on deferred adjudication community supervision for 5 years. See State v. Purdy, Nos. F07-33144-S, F07-33145-S (282d Jud. Dist. Ct., Dallas Cnty., Tex. May 6, 2016); Dkt. No. 16-1 at 1-19, 28-44. Purdy appealed neither deferred adjudication order. See Dkt. No. 3 at 3. The State subsequently moved to revoke his probation and adjudicate his guilt

because Purdy violated the terms of his supervision by accessing the internet and by failing to install monitoring software on all applicable devices. See Dkt. No. 16-1 at 20-21, 45-46. The trial court found the State’s allegations true, granted its motions, and adjudicated Purdy guilty, sentencing him to concurrent terms of 10 years of imprisonment. See State v. Purdy, Nos. F07-33144-S, F07-33145-S (282d Jud. Dist. Ct., Dallas Cnty., Tex. Sept. 25, 2017); Dkt. No. 16-1 at 22-26, 47-51. Purdy appealed these judgments, which the Dallas Court of Appeals affirmed

as modified. See Purdy v. State, Nos. 05-17-01141-CR, 05-17-01142-CR, 2018 WL 5306895 (Tex. App. – Dallas Oct. 26, 2018, no pet.). Purdy did not petition the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals (CCA) for discretionary review. See Dkt. No. 16-1 at 100. But he did file applications for a state writ of habeas corpus no sooner than June 21, 2019, applications the CCA denied without written order on January 15, 2020. See Ex parte Purdy, WR-90,494-01, -02

(Tex. Crim. App. Jan. 15, 2020) (per curiam); Dkt. No. 16-1 at 102-84. Purdy then filed this Section 2254 petition on March 20, 2020, the date on which he certifies that he placed it in the prison mailing system,1 see Dkt. No. 3 at

1 See RULE 3(d), RULES GOVERNING SECTION 2254 CASES IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURTS (“A paper filed by an inmate confined in an institution is timely if deposited in the institution’s internal mailing system on or before the last day for filing.”); Uranga v. Davis, 893 F.3d 282, 286 (5th Cir. 2018) (“We reaffirm 14. Legal Standards and Analysis “Federal habeas features an intricate procedural blend of statutory and

caselaw authority.” Adekeye v. Davis, 938 F.3d 678, 682 (5th Cir. 2019). In the district court, this process begins – and often ends – with the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 (AEDPA), under which “state prisoners face strict procedural requirements and a high standard of review.” Adekeye, 938 F.3d at 682 (citation omitted). This is because, “[u]nder AEDPA, state courts play the leading role in assessing challenges to state sentences based on federal law.” Shinn v. Kayer, 141 S. Ct. 517, 526 (2020) (per curiam).

Purdy raises twelve claims for federal habeas review, ten concerning the proceedings leading to his placement on deferred adjudication community supervision and two concerning his subsequent revocation and adjudication of guilty. See Dkt. Nos. 3, 4. I. Claims Concerning Deferred Adjudication Community Supervision Purdy’s claims concerning the proceedings leading to his placement on deferred

adjudication community supervision are barred by AEDPA’s one-year statute of limitation, which Purdy fails to overcome through equitable tolling or a credible assertion of actual innocence. A state criminal judgment becomes final under AEDPA “when there is no more

that the operative date of the prison mailbox rule remains the date the pleading is delivered to prison authorities.”). ‘availability of direct appeal to the state courts.’” Frosch v. Thaler, No. 2:12-cv-231, 2013 WL 271423, at *1 (N.D. Tex. Jan. 3, 2013) (quoting Jimenez v. Quarterman, 555 U.S. 113, 119 (2009)), rec. adopted, 2013 WL 271446 (N.D. Tex. Jan. 24, 2013).

Finality under AEDPA is complicated here by the fact that adjudication of Purdy’s guilt was initially deferred, and he was instead placed on community supervision. Then, some 16 months later, he was adjudicated guilty and sentenced. Under Texas law, “a judge may defer the adjudication of guilt of particular defendants and place them on ‘community supervision’ if they plead guilty or nolo contendere.” Tharpe v. Thaler, 628 F.3d 719, 722 (5th Cir. 2010) (citing TEX. CODE CRIM. P. art. 42.12, § 5(a)). If the defendant violates a condition of his community supervision, the court holds a hearing to determine whether it should impose a judgment of guilt. Id. If the court convicts the defendant, it also sentences him. Id. Two distinct limitations periods then apply for the filing of habeas petitions. One limitations period applies to claims relating to the deferred adjudication order, and another limitations period applies to claims relating to the adjudication of guilt. Id. at 724; see also Caldwell v. Dretke, 429 F.3d 521, 526-30 (5th Cir. 2005). Frey v. Stephens, 616 F. App’x 704, 707 (5th Cir. 2015); see also Caldwell, 429 F.3d at 530 (“Because an order of deferred adjudication community supervision is a final judgment within the plain meaning of AEDPA section 2244, the one-year statute of limitations, for challenging substantive issues of [an order] of deferred adjudication, [begins] to run when the order deferring adjudication [becomes] final.”); Tharpe, 628 F.3d at 724 (holding that “a habeas claim that challenges a deferred-adjudication order and another habeas claim that challenges a conviction and sentence involve two different ‘judgments’ for AEDPA purposes” and “in dealing with two entirely separate and distinct judgments – one a deferred-adjudication order and the other a judgment of conviction and sentence – [federal courts] are dealing with two separate and distinct limitation periods under the AEDPA” (distinguishing Burton v. Stewart, 549 U.S. 147 (2007))). AEDPA establishes a one-year statute of limitations for federal habeas

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Bluebook (online)
Purdy v. Director, TDCJ-CID, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/purdy-v-director-tdcj-cid-txnd-2021.