Troy R. Shaw v. State of Indiana

130 N.E.3d 91
CourtIndiana Supreme Court
DecidedAugust 21, 2019
DocketSupreme Court Case 19S-PC-466
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 130 N.E.3d 91 (Troy R. Shaw v. State of Indiana) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Troy R. Shaw v. State of Indiana, 130 N.E.3d 91 (Ind. 2019).

Opinion

Per curiam.

At issue is whether a petitioner who has obtained the right to a new appeal from a federal court may, without prior authorization, file a post-conviction petition that challenges only the issues emerging from the new direct appeal.

We hold that a post-conviction petition that addresses only the proceedings on remand from this grant of relief is not a "second" or "successive" petition under Ind. Post-Conviction Rule 1(12). In these limited cases, such a petition may proceed *92 without the prior authorization of this Court or the Court of Appeals.

Facts and Procedural History

In 2002, a jury convicted Troy R. Shaw of the murder of Brett King. Shaw's conviction and 60-year sentence were affirmed on direct appeal. Shaw v. State , No. 02A03-0205-CR-132, 787 N.E.2d 1030 (Ind. Ct. App. 2003).

In April 2007, Shaw filed his first petition for post-conviction relief, alleging the ineffective assistance of trial and appellate counsel. The post-conviction court denied his petition in March 2008, and the Court of Appeals affirmed. Shaw v. State , 898 N.E.2d 465 , 470 (Ind. Ct. App. 2008), trans. denied . Shaw thereafter filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus, which was denied by the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Indiana. Shaw v. Mize , No. 2:09-cv-325-JMS-WGH, 2012 WL 527454 (S.D. Ind. 2012).

But the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit vacated the District Court's judgment, holding that Shaw's appellate counsel's performance was deficient in several respects. Shaw v. Wilson, 721 F.3d 908 (7th Cir. 2013), reh'g denied, reh'g en banc denied, cert. denied, 573 U.S. 916 , 134 S.Ct. 2818 , 189 L.Ed.2d 785 (2014). The Seventh Circuit remanded "with instructions to issue a writ of habeas corpus unless the State of Indiana grants Shaw a new appeal within 120 days after issuance of the mandate." Id. at 919-20 . A new appeal was opened and held in abeyance until the State's petition for certiorari was denied.

In Shaw's second direct appeal, he argued that he was prejudiced when, 17 months after the omnibus date, the State amended the charging information to charge him with murder instead of Class B felony battery. But the Court of Appeals affirmed the conviction and sentence, holding that Shaw failed to demonstrate substantial prejudice. Shaw v. State , 82 N.E.3d 886 (Ind. Ct. App. 2017), reh'g denied , trans. denied .

Shaw filed another petition for post-conviction relief, alleging that his appellate attorney failed to properly argue the issues in his new direct appeal. The trial court dismissed the petition as an unauthorized successive petition for post-conviction relief under Ind. Post-Conviction Rule 1(12). In a memorandum decision, the Court of Appeals affirmed the dismissal. Shaw v. State , No. 18A-PC-1181, 2018 WL 4925223 (Ind. Ct. App. 2018).

Shaw seeks transfer, and the Public Defender of Indiana has filed an amicus brief in support of transfer. For the reasons discussed below, we grant transfer, thus vacating the Court of Appeals decision, and remand for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.

Discussion and Decision

"Any person who has been convicted of, or sentenced for, a crime by a court of this state" has the right to collaterally attack that conviction or sentence through a petition for post-conviction relief. Ind. Post-Conviction Rule 1(1). But a second or successive post-conviction petition cannot be filed without prior authorization from this Court (in capital appeals) or the Court of Appeals (in all other appeals), either of which "will authorize the filing of the petition if the petitioner establishes a reasonable possibility" that the petitioner is entitled to relief. Ind. P-C. R. 1(12). By permitting successive post-conviction petitions only when the petitioner makes some showing of merit, this appellate screening function reduces the burden on trial courts. Overstreet v. State , 993 N.E.2d 179 , 180 (Ind. 2013).

Post-conviction proceedings are not a "super-appeal"; rather, the grounds enumerated *93 in the Post-Conviction Rules are "limited to 'issues that were not known at the time of the original trial or that were not available on direct appeal.' " Wilkes v. State , 984 N.E.2d 1236 , 1240 (Ind. 2013), quoting Ben-Yisrayl v. State , 738 N.E.2d 253 , 258 (Ind. 2000).

In affirming the trial court's dismissal of Shaw's second post-conviction petition as unauthorized under P-C. R. 1(12), the Court of Appeals relied on Azania v. State , 738 N.E.2d 248 , 250 (Ind.

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Bluebook (online)
130 N.E.3d 91, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/troy-r-shaw-v-state-of-indiana-ind-2019.