McCaa v. White et al

Filing 6

MEMORANDUM OPINION. Signed by Judge Abdul K Kallon on 06/27/12. (CVA)

FILED
2012 Jun-27 AM 10:44
U.S. DISTRICT COURT
N.D. OF ALABAMA

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
NORTHERN DISTRICT OF ALABAMA
WESTERN DIVISION
ANTHONY WAYNE McCAA,

)
)
Petitioner
)
)
v.
)
)
CYNTHIA WHITE, WARDEN,
)
and THE ATTORNEY GENERAL )
OF THE STATE OF ALABAMA, )
)
Respondents.
)

Case No. 7:12-cv-00892-AKK-HGD

MEMORANDUM OPINION
On March 22, 2012, the magistrate judge’s report and recommendation was
entered and the parties were allowed therein fourteen (14) days in which to file
objections to the recommendations made by the magistrate judge. On April 2, 2012,
petitioner filed objections to the magistrate judge’s report and recommendation.
In his objections, petitioner invokes the doctrine of equitable tolling and asserts
the court should consider his untimely § 2254 habeas corpus petition. He avers that
he discovered in 2008, at his parole hearing, that he was convicted of capital murder.
After that time, he diligently attempted to obtain records pertaining to his conviction
from the Circuit Court of Greene County and provides copies of his letters, motions
and petitions for writ of mandamus filed with the Clerk of that court and the Alabama

Court of Criminal Appeals. He also provides copies of orders of the Alabama Court
of Criminal Appeals denying his mandamus petitions.
A review of the documents submitted by petitioner with his objections reveals
that, although he was originally charged with capital murder, he entered a plea of
guilty to a reduced charge of murder and was sentenced to life with the possibility of
parole. Had he been convicted of capital murder, the only possible sentences would
have been life without parole and the death penalty. While petitioner contends that
he actually was convicted of capital murder, the court records affirmatively show that
he was charged with capital murder but pled guilty to murder. Therefore, his
arguments for equitable tolling, that he did not discover he was convicted of capital
murder until 2008 and diligently pursued his state court remedies thereafter, are based
on an incorrect supposition and are, therefore, unavailing.
After careful consideration of the record in this case and the magistrate judge’s
report and recommendation and the petitioner’s objections thereto, the court hereby
ADOPTS the report of the magistrate judge, with the exception that petitioner pled
guilty to murder after being charged originally with capital murder. The court further
ACCEPTS the recommendations of the magistrate judge that the petition for writ of
habeas corpus be denied.

Page 2 of 3

A separate order in conformity with this Memorandum Opinion will be entered
contemporaneously herewith.
Done the 27th day of June, 2012.

________________________________
ABDUL K. KALLON
UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

Page 3 of 3