Jones v. Lund
Filing
45
ORDER re 1 Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus. The petition is denied. Signed by Chief Judge Linda R Reade on 10/21/2014. (NEF and order mailed to Petitioner) (pac)
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF IOWA
EASTERN DIVISION
MICHAEL NAVARRO JONES,
Petitioner,
No. 12-CV-2091-LRR
vs.
ORDER
MARK LUND,
Respondent.
____________________
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I.
INTRODUCTION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
II.
PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
A.
B.
C.
D.
Conviction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Direct Appeal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
State Post-Conviction Relief Proceedings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Federal Habeas Corpus Action. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2
3
4
4
III.
FACTUAL BACKGROUND. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
IV.
STANDARDS OF REVIEW. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
A.
B.
V.
Requirements under 28 U.S.C. § 2254(d). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Exhaustion and Procedural Default . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
DISCUSSION .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
A.
B.
C.
Prosecutorial Misconduct. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Motion to Suppress. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Ineffective Assistance of Counsel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
1.
2.
Applicable law. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Trial counsel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
a.
b.
c.
d.
Weight of the evidence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Marital privilege . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Introduction of the gun. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Allegedly perjured gun testimony.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1
17
18
19
20
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.
Allegedly perjured officer testimony.. . . . . . . . . . . . .
Interviewing and calling witness to testify. . . . . . . . . .
Removal of problematic jurors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Impeachment of alibi witness. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Jury instruction on “theft”. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Objections to prosecutorial misconduct.. . . . . . . . . . .
21
23
24
25
26
27
i.
ii.
28
iii.
iv.
k.
3.
29
30
30
Destruction of exculpatory evidence.. . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Appellate counsel .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
a.
b.
c.
4.
Attempt to rebut witness. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Referring to the petitioner as
“the robber”. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Personal beliefs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using false testimony. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Two dismissed jurors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Lesser-included offenses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Conference regarding jury instructions.. . . . . . . . . . . 35
Post-conviction relief counsel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
VI.
CERTIFICATE OF APPEALABILITY.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
VII.
CONCLUSION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
I. INTRODUCTION
The matter before the court is Michael Navarro Jones’s (“the petitioner”) “Petition
Under 28 U.S.C. § 2254 for Writ of Habeas Corpus” (“petition”) (docket no. 1).
II. PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND
A. Conviction
On October 1, 2008, in the Iowa District Court for Black Hawk County (“Iowa
District Court”), Case No. FECR 149154, a jury found the petitioner guilty of first degree
robbery (count I), in violation of Iowa Code sections 711.1 and 711.2, and possessing a
firearm as a felon (count II), in violation of Iowa Code section 724.26. Post-conviction
relief appeal appendix (“PCR appeal app’x”) (docket no. 21-20) at 96-97. On October 17,
2008, the petitioner pled guilty to being a habitual offender as to count II in violation of
Iowa Code section 902.8. Id. at 104-05. On November 17, 2008, the petitioner was
2
sentenced to twenty-five years’ imprisonment on count I and fifteen years’ imprisonment
on count II. Id. at 108. The court ordered the sentences to run concurrently. Id.
B. Direct Appeal
The petitioner appealed his conviction to the Iowa Court of Appeals on a number
of grounds. First, the petitioner asserted that “the [Iowa District Court] erred in denying
his motion to suppress evidence seized from his home after obtaining information during
a traffic stop.” State v. Jones (Jones I), 778 N.W.2d 218 (Table), 2009 WL 4842500,
at *1 (Iowa Ct. App. Dec. 17, 2009). Second, the petitioner claimed that “his [trial]
counsel was ineffective for failing to challenge the weight of the evidence in a motion for
a new trial and in failing to challenge the veracity of some of the State’s witnesses.” Id.
In the petitioner’s pro se brief, the petitioner made additional claims regarding trial
counsel’s ineffective assistance and prosecutorial misconduct. Direct appeal pro se brief
(docket no. 21-2).
On December 17, 2009, the Iowa Court of Appeals rejected the petitioner’s
arguments that the Iowa District Court erred in denying his motion to suppress and that
trial “counsel was ineffective for failing to challenge the weight of the evidence in a
motion for new trial.” Jones I, 2009 WL 4842500, at *2. With regard to the petitioner’s
argument that trial counsel was ineffective for failing to challenge the veracity of some of
the State’s witnesses, the Iowa Court of Appeals concluded that “the record [was]
insufficient to address this claim . . . [and] preserve[d] the issue for possible postconviction
proceedings.” Id. at *3. The Iowa Court of Appeals also declined to address “several
other issues” in the petitioner’s pro se supplemental brief because they “were not raised
below.” Id. at *3 n.2. On February 10, 2010, the Iowa Supreme Court denied the
petitioner’s request for further review. See direct appeal order denying further review
(docket no. 21-9).
3
C. State Post-Conviction Relief Proceedings
The petitioner then sought post-conviction relief in the Iowa District Court,
asserting that his trial counsel, appellate counsel and post-conviction counsel were
ineffective for various reasons. The Iowa District Court denied the petitioner’s claims in
their entirety. See Jones v. State (Jones II), 821 N.W.2d 778 (Table), 2012 WL 3590334,
at *1 (Iowa Ct. App. Aug. 22, 2012). On August 22, 2012, the Iowa Court of Appeals
affirmed the Iowa District Court’s decision, including the denial of the petitioner’s
ineffective assistance of counsel claims. Id. at *7. On October 25, 2012, the Iowa
Supreme Court denied the petitioner’s request for further review. See PCR order denying
further review (docket no. 21-19).
D. Federal Habeas Corpus Action
On December 10, 2012, the petitioner filed the petition for writ of habeas corpus,
alleging twenty grounds for relief under 28 U.S.C. § 2254. On June 28, 2013, Mark Lund
(“the respondent”) filed an answer (docket no. 16). In the answer, the respondent argues
that grounds I, IV, VII, VIII, IX, XVI, XVIII and XX are either barred, procedurally
defaulted or unexhausted. Answer ¶ 7. The respondent does not waive the exhaustion
requirement, id. ¶ 9, and argues that the “[p]etitioner’s twenty claims for relief lack merit
because they do not concern a state court adjudication contrary to or involving an
unreasonable application of clearly established federal law.” Id. ¶ 7. On November 25,
2013, the petitioner filed a pro se brief, in which he declined to provide briefing on
grounds I, II, IV, V, VII, VIII, IX, X, XVI and XVIII, but briefed the remaining grounds
for relief. See the petitioner’s brief (docket no. 32) at 2. On February 12, 2014, the
respondent filed a merits brief (“the respondent’s brief”) (docket no. 38). On March 31,
2014, the petitioner filed a reply (docket no. 41). The matter is fully submitted and ready
for decision.
4
III. FACTUAL BACKGROUND
The Iowa Court of Appeals summarized the facts1 on the petitioner’s direct appeal
of his convictions as follows:
On August 2, 2007, a Check into Cash store was robbed at
gunpoint. The two employees working at the time gave a
description of the suspect and the vehicle, having recognized
him from previous visits to the store. On August 24, 2007,
Officer Camarata received a call from a Black Hawk County
Sheriff’s lieutenant about sighting the possible robbery suspect.
Officer Camarata, in plain clothes, located the vehicle but
contacted a uniformed officer, Officer Crozier, to make the
vehicle stop. Officer Crozier initially observed the driver was
not wearing a seatbelt, so [he] stopped the vehicle. By the
time Officer Crozier approached the driver, [the petitioner], he
was wearing his seatbelt. Officer Crozier then asked to see
[the petitioner’s] driver’s license, ran a criminal history check,
and allowed him to be on his way, without issuing a citation.
The police then prepared a photo line-up, and [the petitioner]
was immediately identified by one of the Check into Cash
employees. After obtaining a search warrant, the police
searched what they believed to be [the petitioner’s] residence,
and found a nine millimeter handgun in a safe in the home,
along with various papers bearing [the petitioner’s] name and
address, indicating the home was [the petitioner’s] residence.
Jones I, 2009 WL 4842500, at *1.
The petitioner filed a motion to suppress in the Iowa District Court “challenging the
legality of the traffic stop, claiming that Officer Crozier did not have reasonable suspicion
to stop his vehicle.” Id. The Iowa District Court denied the motion to suppress. At trial,
the petitioner relied primarily on an alibi defense, arguing that he was out of town on the
day of the robbery. See direct appeal appendix (“direct appeal app’x”), vol. 2 pt. 1
1
The court views the facts in the light most favorable to the verdicts. See
Hendricks v. Lock, 238 F.3d 985, 986 (8th Cir. 2001); Copeland v. Washington, 232 F.3d
969, 971 (8th Cir. 2000); Mallett v. Bowersox, 160 F.3d 456, 458 (8th Cir. 1998). When
relevant, additional facts are discussed in the court’s analysis.
5
(docket no. 21-12) at 321; direct appeal appellant’s final brief (“appellant’s brief”) (docket
no. 21-1) at 13.
The Iowa Court of Appeals affirmed the Iowa District Court’s findings with respect
to the legality of the traffic stop and the ensuing search of the petitioner’s vehicle:
Officer Crozier, at the direction of Investigator Camarata,
made an investigatory stop. The knowledge of Camarata is
imputed to Crozier for the purposes of the stop. Crozier
provided a pretextual reason for the stop to Jones. However,
Crozier’s real reason for the stop was the direction of
Camarata and the imputed knowledge of Camarata. Camarata
had a reasonable suspicion based upon articulable facts that a
stocky, muscular, longer haired African American male
driving a red Suburban had committed an armed robbery in the
same city approximately three weeks earlier. The articulable
facts include the credible reports of two eyewitnesses to the
armed robbery. Jones fit the description and facts completely.
The stop was brief and non-invasive other than the production
of Jones’s driver’s license. The totality of the circumstances
establishes that the stop did not violate the Defendant’s right
to be free of unreasonable searches and seizures.
Jones I, 2009 WL 4842500, at *2 (quoting the Iowa District Court).
IV. STANDARDS OF REVIEW
A. 28 U.S.C. § 2254(d)
The United States Code provides the standard for habeas corpus review:
An application for a writ of habeas corpus on behalf of a
person in custody pursuant to the judgment of a State court
shall not be granted with respect to any claim that was
adjudicated on the merits in State court proceedings unless the
adjudication of the claim—
(1)
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; or
6
(2)
resulted in a decision that was based on an unreasonable
determination of the facts in light of the evidence
presented in the State court proceeding.
28 U.S.C. § 2254(d). Thus, “[28 U.S.C. §] 2254(d) distinguishes between two types of
erroneous decisions—those of law and those of fact.” Weaver v. Bowersox, 241 F.3d
1024, 1029 (8th Cir. 2001). Claims of legal error are governed by the first subparagraph,
and claims of factual error fall within the second subparagraph. See id. at 1029-30.
Regarding an erroneous decision of law under 28 U.S.C. § 2254(d)(1), a state court
decision can be “contrary to” Supreme Court precedent if: (1) “the state court arrives at
a conclusion opposite to that reached by [the Supreme] Court on a question of law”; or (2)
“the state court confronts facts that are materially indistinguishable from a relevant
Supreme Court precedent and arrives at a result opposite to [that precedent].” Williams
v. Taylor, 529 U.S. 362, 405 (2000); see also Ryan v. Clarke, 387 F.3d 785, 790 (8th Cir.
2004) (stating that “only limited and deferential review of underlying state court decisions”
is available in habeas corpus cases (quoting Jones v. Luebbers, 359 F.3d 1005, 1011 (8th
Cir. 2004)) (internal quotation marks omitted)). Further, “the [statutory] phrase ‘clearly
established Federal law, as determined by the Supreme Court of the United States’ . . .
refers to the holdings, as opposed to the dicta, of [the Supreme] Court’s decisions as of the
time of the relevant state-court decision.” Williams, 529 U.S. at 412.
An “unreasonable application” of Supreme Court precedent can arise in one of two
ways. The Supreme Court has stated that:
First, a state-court decision involves an unreasonable
application of [the Supreme] Court’s precedent if the state
court identifies the correct governing legal rule from [Supreme
Court] cases but unreasonably applies it to the facts of the
particular state prisoner’s case. Second, a state-court decision
also involves an unreasonable application of [Supreme Court]
precedent if the state court either unreasonably extends a legal
principle from [the] precedent to a new context where it should
not apply or unreasonably refuses to extend that principle to a
new context where it should apply.
7
Id. at 407. Thus, where a state court “correctly identifies the governing legal rule but
applies it unreasonably to the facts of a particular prisoner’s case,” that decision “certainly
would qualify as a decision ‘involv[ing] an unreasonable application of . . . clearly
established Federal law.’” Id. at 407-08. Furthermore,
[u]nder [28 U.S.C.] § 2254 (d)(1)’s “unreasonable
application” clause, . . . a federal habeas court may not issue
the writ simply because that court concludes in its independent
judgment that the relevant state-court decision applied clearly
established federal law erroneously or incorrectly. Rather,
that application must also be unreasonable.
Id. at 411 (emphasis added). The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals has provided the
following standard for an unreasonable application of law: “[t]he federal habeas court
should not grant the petition unless the state court decision, evaluated objectively and on
the merits, resulted in an outcome that cannot reasonably be justified under existing
Supreme Court precedent.” Richardson v. Bowersox, 188 F.3d 973, 978 (8th Cir. 1999)
(alteration in original) (quoting Long v. Humphrey, 184 F.3d 758, 760 (8th Cir. 1999))
(internal quotation marks omitted).
Applying these standards to the present case, the court must determine whether: (1)
the Iowa courts reached a decision contrary to that reached by the Supreme Court on a
question of law; or (2) correctly identified the applicable principles of federal law but then
unreasonably applied that law to the facts of the petitioner’s claims. See, e.g., Rousan v.
Roper, 436 F.3d 951, 956 (8th Cir. 2006) (discussing the applicable standard); Closs v.
Weber, 238 F.3d 1018, 1020 (8th Cir. 2001) (same); Newman v. Hopkins, 247 F.3d 848,
850–52 (8th Cir. 2001) (same); Weaver, 241 F.3d at 1029-30, Copeland, 232 F.3d at 973.
“Claims of factual error are subjected to the standard enunciated in [28 U.S.C.] §
2254(d)(2); 28 [U.S.C. §] 2254(e)(1) then establishes a presumption of correctness in favor
of state court findings of fact.” Weaver, 241 F.3d at 1030. Accordingly, the court’s
review presumes that the Iowa courts found the facts correctly unless the petitioner rebuts
8
that presumption with clear and convincing evidence. See 28 U.S.C. § 2254(e)(1); see
also Weaver, 241 F.3d at 1030 (“[O]n habeas review, we accord state trial courts broad
latitude in determining questions of fact by virtue of the statutory presumption in favor of
state court fact-findings.”); Forsyth v. Ault, 537 F.3d 887, 890 (8th Cir. 2008) (stating that
the petitioner bears “the burden of rebutting the presumption of correctness” (quoting 28
U.S.C. § 2254(e)(1)) (internal quotation marks omitted)). “It bears repeating that even
erroneous fact-finding by the [state] courts will not justify granting a writ if those courts
erred ‘reasonably.’” Weaver, 241 F.3d at 1030; see also Forsyth, 537 F.3d at 890
(“Thus, the state court’s decision must be objectively unreasonable, and not merely
incorrect, for us to grant the writ.”).
B. Exhaustion and Procedural Default
A petitioner must exhaust all available state court remedies before obtaining federal
habeas corpus review. 28 U.S.C. § 2254(b)(1)(A). To fulfill the exhaustion requirement,
a petitioner must provide the highest state court with a full and fair opportunity to consider
all of the claims before presenting them to a federal court. See, e.g., Vasquez v. Hillery,
474 U.S. 254, 257 (1986); Anderson v. Harless, 459 U.S. 4, 6 (1982); Picard v. Connor,
404 U.S. 270, 276 (1971); Miller v. Lock, 108 F.3d 868, 871 (8th Cir. 1997); Ashker v.
Leapley, 5 F.3d 1178, 1179 (8th Cir. 1993); McDougald v. Lockhart, 942 F.2d 508, 510
(8th Cir. 1991); see also 28 U.S.C. § 2254(c). This requires a petitioner to invoke “one
complete round of the State’s established appellate review process.”
O’Sullivan v.
Boerckel, 526 U.S. 838, 845 (1999). In Iowa, a “prisoner whose appeal is deflected to
the Iowa Court of Appeals must file an application for further review in the Supreme Court
of Iowa to exhaust his claims properly in the state courts.” Welch v. Lund, 616 F.3d 756,
789 (8th Cir. 2010); see also Boerckel, 526 U.S. at 845-48 (concluding that the exhaustion
doctrine requires a petitioner to seek discretionary review from the state’s supreme court
when that review is part of the state’s ordinary appellate review procedure); Baldwin v.
Reese, 541 U.S. 27, 29 (8th Cir. 2004) (reiterating that a petitioner “must ‘fairly present’
9
his claim in each appropriate state court [including a state supreme court with powers of
discretionary review], thereby alerting that court to the federal nature of the claim”).
The fair presentment component of the exhaustion requirement compels a petitioner
to “refer to a specific federal constitutional right, a particular constitutional provision, a
federal constitutional case, or a state case raising a pertinent federal constitutional issue.”
Ashker, 5 F.3d at 1179 (quoting Kelley v. Trickey, 844 F.2d 557, 558 (8th Cir. 1988))
(internal quotation marks omitted). A claim is not fairly presented to the state courts
unless the same factual grounds and legal theories asserted in the prisoner’s federal habeas
corpus petition have been properly raised in the prisoner’s state court proceedings. See
Keithley v. Hopkins, 43 F.3d 1216, 1217 (8th Cir. 1995); Flieger v. Delo, 16 F.3d 878,
884-85 (8th Cir. 1994); see also Duncan v. Henry, 513 U.S. 364, 365-66 (1995) (per
curiam) (“If state courts are to be given the opportunity to correct alleged violations of
prisoners’ federal rights, they must surely be alerted to the fact that the prisoners are
asserting claims under the United States Constitution.”); Keeney v. Tamayo-Reyes, 504
U.S. 1, 9 (1992) (full and fair presentment of claims to the state court requires “full factual
development” of the claims in that forum); Barrett v. Acevedo, 169 F.3d 1155, 1162 (8th
Cir. 1999) (“Presenting a claim that is merely similar to the federal habeas claim is not
sufficient to satisfy the fairly presented requirement.”).
A petitioner’s failure to exhaust a claim in state court sometimes implicates the
independent and adequate state ground doctrine. See Gray v. Netherland, 518 U.S. 152,
161 (1996). Specifically, the Supreme Court explained:
28 U.S.C. § 2254(b) bars the granting of habeas corpus relief
“unless it appears that the applicant has exhausted the remedies
available in the courts of the State.” Because “[t]his
requirement . . . refers only to remedies still available at the
time of the federal petition,” Engle v. Isaac, 456 U.S. 107,
125 n.28, 102 S.Ct. 1558, 1570, n.28, 71 L.Ed.2d 783
(1982), it is satisfied “if it is clear that [the habeas petitioner’s]
claims are now procedurally barred under [state] law,” Castille
v. Peoples, 489 U.S. 346, 351, 109 S.Ct. 1056, 1060, 103
10
L.Ed.2d 380 (1989). However, the procedural bar that gives
rise to exhaustion provides an independent and adequate statelaw ground for the conviction and sentence, and thus prevents
federal habeas corpus review of the defaulted claim, unless the
petitioner can demonstrate cause and prejudice for the default.
Gray, 518 U.S. at 161-62 (alterations in original). Apart from showing good cause for his
or her failure to present the claims in state court and actual prejudice as a result of the
alleged constitutional violation, a petitioner may have a procedurally defaulted claim
reviewed in federal court if he or she can demonstrate that failure to review the claim
would result in a fundamental miscarriage of justice. Coleman v. Thompson, 501 U.S.
722, 750 (1991); Reagan v. Norris, 279 F.3d 651, 656 (8th Cir. 2002); Hatcher v.
Hopkins, 256 F.3d 761, 763 (8th Cir. 2001); Keithley, 43 F.3d at 1218; Maynard v.
Lockhart, 981 F.2d 981, 985 (8th Cir. 1992); Buckley v. Lockhart, 892 F.2d 715, 718 (8th
Cir. 1989).
Independent and adequate state grounds also preclude a federal court from
reviewing a habeas claim when a state court correctly applies a procedural default principle
of state law to dismiss a claim. See Michigan v. Long, 463 U.S. 1032, 1042 (1983)
(discussing the principle that federal courts “will not review judgments of state courts that
rest on adequate and independent state grounds”); Kilmartin v. Kemna, 253 F.3d 1087,
1087 (8th Cir. 2001) (“The rule that certain state-court procedural defaults will bar a
petition for federal habeas corpus extends to procedural defaults occurring in the course
of state post-conviction proceedings, as well as to procedural defaults occurring at trial or
on direct appeal in the state courts.” (quoting Williams v. Lockhart, 873 F.2d 1129, 1130
(8th Cir. 1989)) (internal quotation marks omitted)). Therefore, when a state court rejects
a claim based on procedural default under state law, a federal court must “respect [those]
state procedural rules” and decline to review the claim. See Ford v. Norris, 67 F.3d 162,
165 (8th Cir. 1995) (citing Coleman, 501 U.S. at 751 ). In Coleman, the Supreme Court
explained:
11
In all cases in which a state prisoner has defaulted his federal
claims in state court pursuant to an independent and adequate
state procedural rule, federal habeas review of the claims is
barred unless the prisoner can demonstrate cause for the
default and actual prejudice as a result of the alleged violation
of federal law, or demonstrate that failure to consider the
claims will result in a fundamental miscarriage of justice.
Coleman, 501 U.S. at 750.
V. DISCUSSION
The petitioner asserts twenty grounds for habeas corpus relief under 28 U.S.C. §
2254. He contends that the Iowa courts’ decisions regarding each of his twenty grounds
were contrary to, or involved an unreasonable application of, clearly established federal
law, and that the Iowa courts’ rulings were based on an unreasonable determination of the
facts in light of the evidence presented, which resulted in insufficient evidence to support
his conviction.
Fifteen of the petitioner’s grounds regard ineffective assistance of his trial, appellate
and post-conviction counsel, including grounds II, III, IV, V, VI, XI, XII, XIII, XIV, XV,
XVI, XVII, XVIII, XIX and XX. Three of the petitioner’s grounds, VII, VIII and IX,
allege various forms of prosecutorial misconduct at trial, while the two remaining claims,
I and X, allege that the Iowa District Court erred in denying the petitioner’s motion to
suppress.
A. Prosecutorial Misconduct
The petitioner claims that the prosecutor committed prosecutorial misconduct at trial
by: (1) “forcing” his wife to testify against him in violation of the marital privilege; (2)
using perjured testimony regarding identification of the gun; and (3) using perjured
testimony regarding the officer’s reason for stopping the petitioner’s vehicle on August 24,
2007. Petition at 10-12. The respondent argues that all three of these claims are
procedurally defaulted under the adequate and independent state grounds doctrine, noting
12
that the Iowa Court of Appeals refused to address the prosecutorial misconduct issues
because they were not raised at trial. The respondent’s brief at 24-26.
On direct appeal, the Iowa Court of Appeals rejected the petitioner’s prosecutorial
misconduct claims, among a host of other claims, because the petitioner raised them for
the first time on appeal. See Jones I, 2009 WL 4842500, at *3 n.2 (“[The petitioner]
raises several other issues in a pro se brief, which we do not address as the issues were not
raised below.”). In rejecting these claims, the Iowa Court of Appeals cited the Iowa
Supreme Court’s decision in Meier v. Senecaut III, where the court explained:
It is a fundamental doctrine of appellate review that issues
must ordinarily be both raised and decided by the district court
before [an appellate court] will decide them on appeal. . . . It
is not a sensible exercise of appellate review to analyze facts
of an issue “without the benefit of a full record or lower court
determination[].”
Meier v. Senecaut III, 641 N.W.2d 532, 537 (Iowa 2002) (third alteration in original)
(citations omitted) (quoting Yee v. City of Escondido, 503 U.S. 519, 538 (1992)).
Due to the Iowa Court of Appeals’s decision not to address the petitioner’s
prosecutorial misconduct claims because they were not raised before the Iowa District
Court, the court finds that these claims are procedurally defaulted under independent and
adequate state grounds.
See Lee v. Kemna, 534 U.S. 362, 375-76 (2002) (“The
[procedural default] rule applies with equal force whether the state-law ground is
substantive or procedural. . . . Ordinarily, violation of ‘firmly established and regularly
followed’ state rules . . . will be adequate to foreclose review of a federal claim.” (quoting
James v. Kentucky, 466 U.S. 341, 348 (1984))); Sweet v. Delo, 125 F.3d 1144, 1151 (8th
Cir. 1997) (“If the petitioner has ‘failed to follow applicable state procedural rules in
raising the claims,’ . . . he is procedurally barred from raising them in a federal habeas
action . . . .” (citation omitted) (quoting Sawyer v. Whitley, 505 U.S. 333, 338 (1992)));
Ford, 67 F.3d at 165 (stating that federal courts must “respect . . . state procedural rules”
(internal quotation marks omitted)). Therefore, because the petitioner “has defaulted his
13
federal claims [VII, VIII and IX] in state court pursuant to an independent and adequate
state procedural rule, federal habeas review of the claims is barred.” Coleman, 501 U.S.
at 750.
The petitioner elected not to brief any of his prosecutorial misconduct grounds and,
thus, has not attempted to show cause and prejudice or a potential for the fundamental
miscarriage of justice to overcome the procedural bar. Accordingly, the court shall deny
the petition with respect to the prosecutorial misconduct grounds.
B. Motion to Suppress
The petitioner argues that the Iowa District Court erred when it overruled his
motion to suppress evidence obtained from the police stop of his vehicle. Two of the
petitioner’s grounds appear to encompass this allegation, with little discernible difference
between the two. In ground I, the petitioner alleges that “the [Iowa] District Court erred
in overruling [his] Motion to Suppress” because the officer “did not have probable cause
to stop [his] vehicle nor did he have information imputed from any other [o]fficer to stop
[the petitioner].” Petition at 4. In ground X, the petitioner alleges that “the [Iowa]
District Court abused its discretion . . . when it denied [the petitioner’s] motion to suppress
the unreasonable search and seizure of [his] vehicle.” Petition at 13. The only difference
between these two grounds is that the latter is explicitly presented in the Fourth
Amendment context; however, analysis of the first ground also clearly derives from the
Fourth Amendment as it relates to the lawfulness of the vehicle stop. See United States
v. Cortez, 449 U.S. 411, 417 (1981) (stating that “[t]he Fourth Amendment applies to .
. . investigatory stops such as the stop of [a] vehicle”).
“[W]here 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.”
Stone v. Powell, 428 U.S. 465, 482 (1976). Further, “[a]
search-and-seizure claim is cognizable in a habeas action only if ‘the state provided no
14
procedure by which the prisoner could raise his Fourth Amendment claim, or the prisoner
was foreclosed from using that procedure because of an unconscionable breakdown in the
system.’” Sweet, 125 F.3d at 1149 (quoting Willett v. Lockhart, 37 F.3d 1265, 1273 (8th
Cir. 1994)).
The petitioner’s Fourth Amendment grounds are not cognizable. The Iowa Court
of Appeals’s opinion on direct appeal illustrates that the Iowa courts did, in fact, provide
the petitioner with the opportunity to litigate his Fourth Amendment claims. See Jones I,
2009 WL 4842500, at *1-2 (“The stop was brief, only identification was requested and a
criminal history check was run, and in light of the totality of the circumstances confronting
[the officer], we find the stop was reasonable.”). Because the petitioner cannot show that
the Iowa courts provided no procedure by which he could raise his Fourth Amendment
claims or that he was foreclosed from using that procedure, any substantive Fourth
Amendment grounds asserted by the petitioner are barred from federal habeas corpus
review by Stone. Accordingly, the court shall deny the petition with respect to grounds
I and X.
C. Ineffective Assistance of Counsel
The petitioner claims that his trial, appellate and post-conviction counsel violated
his constitutional right to effective assistance of counsel.
1.
Applicable law
The Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution provides, in pertinent part,
that “[i]n all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right . . . to have the
Assistance of Counsel for his [or her] defen[s]e.” U.S. Const. amend. VI. Furthermore,
there is a constitutional right to effective assistance of counsel on direct appeal. Evitts v.
Lucey, 469 U.S. 387, 396 (1985); Douglas v. California, 372 U.S. 353, 357-58 (1963).
An ineffective assistance of counsel claim has two components:
First, the defendant must show that counsel’s performance was
deficient. This requires showing that counsel made errors so
serious that counsel was not functioning as the “counsel”
15
guaranteed the defendant by the Sixth Amendment. Second,
the defendant must show that the deficient performance
prejudiced the defense. This requires showing that counsel’s
errors were so serious as to deprive the defendant of a fair
trial, a trial whose result is reliable.
Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 687 (1984); see also Williams, 529 U.S. at 390
(reasserting the Strickland standard). Although Strickland requires a showing of both
deficient performance and prejudice, “a court deciding an ineffective assistance claim
[need not] . . . address both components of the inquiry if the defendant makes an
insufficient showing on one.” Strickland, 466 U.S. at 697. “If it is easier to dispose of
an ineffectiveness claim on the ground of lack of sufficient prejudice, . . . that course
should be followed.” Id.; see also United States v. Apfel, 97 F.3d 1074, 1076 (8th Cir.
1996) (“[A court] need not address the reasonableness of the attorney’s behavior if the
[petitioner] cannot prove prejudice.”).
To establish unreasonably deficient performance, a “defendant must show that
counsel’s representation fell below an objective standard of reasonableness.” Strickland,
466 U.S. at 688. The “reasonableness of counsel’s challenged conduct [must be reviewed]
on the facts of the particular case, viewed as of the time of counsel’s conduct.” Id. at 690.
There is a strong presumption of competence and reasonable professional judgment. See
id.; United States v. Taylor, 258 F.3d 815, 818 (8th Cir. 2001) (“We operate on the
‘strong presumption that counsel’s conduct falls within a wide range of reasonable
professional assistance’” (quoting Strickland, 466 U.S. at 689)); Sanders v. Trickey, 875
F.2d 205, 210 (8th Cir. 1989) (stating that courts must afford counsel broad latitude to
make strategic and tactical choices). In sum, the court must “determine whether, in light
of all the circumstances, the identified acts or omissions were outside the wide range of
professionally competent assistance.” Strickland, 466 U.S. at 690.
To establish prejudice, “[i]t is not enough for the defendant to show that the errors
had some conceivable effect on the outcome of the proceeding.” Id. at 693. Rather, a
16
defendant “must show that there is a reasonable probability that, but for counsel’s
unprofessional errors, the result of the proceeding would have been different.
A
reasonable probability is a probability sufficient to undermine confidence in the outcome.”
Id. at 694. In other words, “the question is whether there is a reasonable probability that,
absent the errors, the factfinder would have had a reasonable doubt respecting guilt.” Id.
at 695. In answering that question, the court “must consider the totality of the evidence
before the judge or jury.” Id.
In the context of reviewing petitions under 28 U.S.C. § 2254, the Supreme Court
has set forth a “doubly” deferential standard for ineffective assistance claims. Harrington
v. Richter, 131 S. Ct. 770, 788 (2011) (“The standards created by Strickland and §
2254(d) are both ‘highly deferential,’ and when the two apply in tandem, review is
‘doubly’ so.” (citations omitted)). “Federal habeas courts must guard against the danger
of equating unreasonableness under Strickland with unreasonableness under § 2254(d).”
Id. Accordingly, the issue the court must decide “is not whether counsel’s actions were
reasonable. The question is whether there is any reasonable argument that counsel
satisfied Strickland’s deferential standard.” Id.
2.
Trial counsel
The petitioner alleges eleven grounds of ineffective assistance against his trial
counsel.
a.
Weight of the evidence
The petitioner claims that his “trial counsel failed to provide effective assistance of
counsel by failing to challenge the weight of the evidence in [a] motion for new trial.”
Petition at 5. He further alleges that there was no evidence placing him at the scene of the
crime or linking him to the crime in any way. Id. On direct appeal, the Iowa Court of
Appeals concluded that “trial counsel did not fail to perform an essential duty by not
moving for a new trial” because the verdict was not “contrary to the law or evidence of
the case.” Jones I, 2009 WL 4842500, at *2 (citing Iowa R. Crim. P. 2.24(2)(b)(6)). The
17
Iowa Court of Appeals reasoned that, because “[t]here was sufficient evidence [that the
petitioner] lived in the residence that contained the safe with the gun; . . . the witness gave
an accurate description of [the petitioner]; and . . . [the petitioner’s] alibi defense contained
inconsistencies such that the jury could reject the defense,” the evidence in the case
supported the jury’s verdict. Id.
The court finds that it was reasonable for the Iowa Court of Appeals to conclude
that trial counsel did not perform deficiently in failing to challenge the weight of the
evidence in a motion for new trial. Based upon the Iowa Court of Appeals’s conclusion
that the verdict was not contrary to the evidence, the petitioner’s trial counsel had no duty
to bring a meritless motion for new trial. See McReynolds v. Kemna, 208 F.3d 721, 724
(8th Cir. 2000) (holding that counsel does “not act outside the spectrum of professionally
reasonable performance in failing to urge [claims that are] unlikely to succeed” in a motion
for new trial). Moreover, any motion for new trial would have failed, so the petitioner
cannot show prejudice. Therefore, the Iowa Court of Appeals reasonably held that trial
counsel did not provide ineffective assistance. Accordingly, the petition shall be denied
with respect to ground II.
b.
Marital privilege
The petitioner claims that trial counsel provided ineffective assistance by failing to
object to testimony from his wife and file a motion in limine to exclude testimony from his
wife. Petition at 6. Regarding this ground, the Iowa Court of Appeals found that the
marital privilege was inapplicable because the petitioner “and his wife were married after
the events surrounding the robbery occurred.” Jones I, 2009 WL 4842500, at *3 n.1. See
Iowa Code § 622.9, which provides that husband and wife are not “permitted to reveal in
testimony any such communication made while the marriage subsisted.”
The court finds that the Iowa Court of Appeals reasonably held that trial counsel did
not provide ineffective assistance by failing to object pursuant to the inapplicable marital
privilege. The Iowa Court of Appeals found that the petitioner and his wife were not
18
married during the events surrounding the robbery. Id. The petitioner has not attempted
to rebut this finding by clear and convincing evidence and, therefore, the court must
presume it to be correct. See Bainter v. Trickey, 932 F.2d 713, 715 (8th Cir. 1991) (“A
state court’s specific factual findings made in the course of deciding an ineffective
assistance of counsel claim are presumed correct pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2254(d).”
(citations omitted) (internal quotation marks omitted)). Moreover, the Iowa Court of
Appeals agreed that the petitioner’s wife’s testimony was not inadmissible pursuant to
Iowa’s marital privilege since the communications surrounding the robbery were not
“made while the marriage subsisted.” See Jones I, 2009 WL 4842500, at *3 n.1; Iowa
Code § 622.9. Since the Iowa Court of Appeals determined that this testimony was
properly admitted under state law, trial counsel had no duty to object at trial and did not
perform deficiently for failing to do so. See Estelle v. McGuire, 502 U.S. 62, 66 (1991)
(holding that an inquiry into “incorrectly admitted” evidence “is no part of a federal
court’s habeas review of a state conviction” and “it is not the province of a federal habeas
court to reexamine state-court determinations on state-law questions). Additionally, any
argument to exclude the wife’s testimony would have failed, so the petitioner cannot show
prejudice. Therefore, the Iowa Court of Appeals reasonably held that trial counsel did not
provide ineffective assistance. Accordingly, the petition is denied with respect to ground
III.
c.
Introduction of the gun
The petitioner claims that his trial counsel was ineffective for failing to move to
suppress and object to “the introduction of the gun based upon [the] fact that no evidence
linked the [petitioner] to the gun through knowledge, immediate possession, or control.”
Petition at 7. While the petitioner elected not to brief and expound upon this issue, he
raised similar grounds in his application for further review to the Iowa Supreme Court.
Direct appeal pro se application for further review (docket no. 21-7) at 14-16 (arguing that
19
witness’s gun identification testimony was inconsistent and changed from the time he
initially described the weapon to the time he testified for the prosecution).
The Iowa Court of Appeals does not appear to have considered the exact claim
raised by the petitioner. Although, in considering a related claim, the Iowa Court of
Appeals stated that “[t]he record does indeed reveal inconsistencies in the witness’s
testimony about the gun. [The petitioner’s] attorney was aware of these inconsistencies
and thoroughly cross-examined the witness about them.” Jones II, 2012 WL 3590334, at
*6 (considering the petitioner’s claim of ineffective assistance for failing to object to
prosecutorial misconduct of presenting allegedly false gun identification testimony).
The court finds that the petitioner has not met his burden of overcoming the strong
presumption in favor of counsel’s competence and reasonable professional judgment. The
record shows that trial counsel thoroughly cross-examined the prosecution’s witness about
his identification of the gun. See direct appeal app’x at 36-43. The petitioner even
admitted that his “trial counsel more than adequately cross-examined [the witness]
regarding his change in identification of the gun.” Direct appeal pro se application for
further review at 15.
Trial counsel made the strategic decision to cross-examine and
impeach the prosecution witness’s inconsistent gun testimony rather than file an additional
motion to suppress, which allowed the jury to weigh the witness’s credibility. See
Sanders, 875 F.2d at 207 (“A court must avoid second-guessing trial strategy.”).
Therefore, trial counsel did not perform deficiently by choosing not to move to suppress
introduction of the gun into evidence. Accordingly, the court shall deny the petition with
respect to ground IV.
d.
Allegedly perjured gun testimony
Similarly, the petitioner claims that trial counsel was ineffective for failing to move
to suppress and object to “the perjured testimony regarding the identification of [the] gun
by the State[’]s witness.” Petition at 8. The Iowa Court of Appeals found that trial
counsel “did not breach an essential duty in failing to also rais[e] a claim of prosecutorial
20
misconduct based on the inconsistencies [in the witness’s testimony].” Jones II, 2012 WL
3590334, at *6. The court finds that this ground fails based upon the same reasons as
ground IV. Trial counsel made a strategic decision to cross-examine and impeach the gun
witness rather than file another motion to suppress, and it was reasonable for the Iowa
Court of Appeals to conclude that trial counsel did not perform deficiently for making this
strategic decision. Accordingly, the court shall deny the petition with respect to ground
V.
e.
Allegedly perjured officer testimony
Next, the petitioner claims ineffective assistance of trial counsel for “failure to
object to [the officer’s reason] for stopping the [petitioner] and committing an[]
unwarranted search and seizure of [him] and his vehicle.” Petition at 9. Trial counsel
made a pre-trial motion to suppress the evidence gained from the police stop of the vehicle
that occurred on August 24, 2007. See direct appeal app’x at 17. The Iowa District Court
denied the motion, and the Iowa Court of Appeals affirmed on direct appeal. Id. at 18-21;
Jones I, 2009 WL 4842500, at *2. Specifically, the Iowa Court of Appeals stated that the
stopping officer was “armed with the knowledge imputed to him by [another officer], who
had a reasonable suspicion [the petitioner] had committed the robbery based on the
location, vehicle, and the description of the suspect.” Jones I, 2009 WL 4842500, at *2.
Although the reason given to the petitioner for the stop was that he had been observed not
wearing his seat belt despite him wearing his seatbelt when the stopping officer approached
the vehicle, see direct appeal app’x at 76-79, the Iowa Court of Appeals noted that the
“[s]tate is not limited to reasons given by the investigating officer in justifying an
investigative stop.” Jones I, 2009 WL 4842500, at *2.
The court finds that this was a reasonable application of federal law. The Supreme
Court has held that “the fact that the officer does not have the state of mind which is
hypothecated by the reasons which provide the legal justification for the officer’s action
does not invalidate the action taken as long as the circumstances, viewed objectively,
21
justify that action.” Whren v. United States, 517 U.S. 806, 813 (1996) (citation omitted)
(internal quotation marks omitted). Moreover, “where law enforcement authorities are
cooperating in an investigation, as here, the knowledge of one is presumed shared by all.”
Illinois v. Andreas, 463 U.S. 765, 782 n.5 (1983).
The petitioner argues that the stopping officer “testified at the suppression hearing
that he did not receive any radio call from [the other officer,] [s]o it cannot be asserted that
he relied upon the radio communication” in effectuating the stop. Petitioner’s brief at 12.
On the contrary, both the stopping officer and the other officer testified at the suppression
hearing that the other officer radioed and advised the stopping officer that the petitioner
be stopped because his appearance and vehicle accurately fit the description of the robbery
suspect. See direct appeal app’x at 39-45, 71-72 (officers’ testimony). On post-conviction
review, the Iowa Court of Appeals again confirmed the validity of the stop and held that
“[i]n light of the [Iowa District Court’s] ruling on [the petitioner’s] motion to suppress, the
validity of the stop was no longer an issue at trial. . . . Because [the petitioner] called the
validity of the stop into question before trial, his attorney had no duty to muddy the waters
by raising the issue at trial.” Jones II, 2012 WL 3590334, at *3.
The court finds that it was reasonable for the Iowa Court of Appeals to conclude
that trial counsel had no duty to object to the officer’s testimony regarding his reason for
the traffic stop. The stopping officer had shared knowledge with the other officer
regarding the petitioner’s likeness to the robbery suspect.
Moreover, the officer’s
articulated reason for the stop is of no consequence. Therefore, because the petitioner’s
trial counsel had no duty to object to the officer’s testimony after the Iowa District Court
had already ruled it admissible, the Iowa Court of Appeals reasonably held that trial
counsel did not perform deficiently. Accordingly, the court shall deny the petition with
respect to ground VI.
22
f.
Interviewing and calling witness to testify
The petitioner further claims that his trial counsel was ineffective for failing “to
interview an eyewitness to the robbery and call her to testify at the criminal trial.” Petition
at 14. In post-conviction proceedings, the Iowa Court of Appeals summarized the
petitioner’s contention as follows:
[The petitioner] contends his attorney should have interviewed
and called a witness who worked near the site of the robbery
and who saw a man attempt to enter her store first. In his
view, this witness would have named another individual as a
suspect in the robbery. . . . The police summary included this
witness’s description of the person who committed the
robbery. The description, down to the color and style of the
man’s shirt, matched a description proffered by an employee
of the store that was robbed.
Jones II, 2012 WL 3590334, at *1-2. In response to the allegation, trial counsel testified
and specifically explained her decision to forgo this witness. See PCR appeal app’x at
138-39 (“[The witness] never identified [the petitioner] as the robber which I thought was
to our advantage, and I wanted to leave it alone.”). The Iowa Court of Appeals held that
“[t]he attorney made a ‘reasonable professional judgment’ not to further investigate this
witness or call her to testify at trial.” Jones II, 2012 WL 3590334, at *2.
The court finds that the Iowa Court of Appeals reasonably held that trial counsel did
not perform deficiently by failing to interview the witness, as this was a reasonable,
professional judgment based upon trial counsel’s reading of the police summary. See
Kenley v. Armontrout, 937 F.2d 1298, 1308 (8th Cir. 1991) (“We will not fault a
reasonable strategy not to investigate further if it is based on sound assumptions.”);
Sanders, 875 F.2d at 209-10 (holding that counsel was not ineffective for failing to
“interview a witness she had little reason to believe would be useful or helpful”).
Furthermore, the petitioner fails to establish that any prejudice resulted from the witness’s
absence from the trial. The petitioner has not attempted to show that the witness, in fact,
identified another individual as the robbery suspect. On the contrary, based upon her
23
description in the police summary, the witness’s testimony likely would have corroborated
the other witnesses’ description of the robber. Without deficient performance and the
resulting prejudice, the Iowa Court of Appeals reasonably held that trial counsel did not
provide ineffective assistance. Accordingly, the petition shall be denied with respect to
ground XI.
g.
Removal of problematic jurors
The petitioner claims ineffective assistance of trial counsel for “failure to question
three problematic jurors and request to remove [them] for cause at the criminal trial.”
Petition at 16. During post-conviction proceedings, the Iowa Court of Appeals described
the three jurors as follows:
The first juror stated she read about the case in the newspaper.
When asked whether her knowledge would make it difficult to
be fair and impartial, she responded, “I don’t believe so.”
. . . [T]he juror was later asked, “Do you believe that you
could be a fair and impartial juror despite having heard
anything about this trial or this case?” She unequivocally
responded, “Sure. Yep.” The second juror said she previously
served on a jury where she felt pressured into finding the
defendant guilty. She stated she regretted her decision and she
was not 100% sure what she would do in this situation. . . .
The third juror stated he was robbed while working at a gas
station. Despite his own victimization, he told the prosecutor
that he thought he could be a fair juror.
Jones II, 2012 WL 3590334, at *2. The Iowa Court of Appeals held that none of the
foregoing jurors satisfied the state standard for striking for cause and, therefore, trial
counsel did not breach a duty in failing to challenge them. Id. (“The standard for
determining whether there is cause to strike a juror is whether the juror holds such a fixed
opinion of the merits of the case that he or she cannot judge impartially the guilt or
innocence of the defendant.” (citations omitted) (internal quotation marks omitted)).
The court finds that the Iowa Court of Appeals reasonably concluded that trial
counsel did not perform deficiently in failing to challenge the three jurors for cause. See
24
Allen v. Brown Clinic, P.L.L.P., 531 F.3d 568, 572 (8th Cir. 2008) (“To challenge a juror
for cause, a party must show actual partiality growing out of the nature and circumstances
of the case. . . . Essentially, to fail this standard, a juror must profess his inability to be
impartial and resist any attempt to rehabilitate his position.” (citations omitted) (quoting
Moran v. Clarke, 443 F.3d 646, 650 (8th Cir. 2006))). Because none of the jurors stated
that they would be unable to be impartial in the case and because they all indicated that
they would attempt to rehabilitate any potential biases, the petitioner’s trial counsel was
under no duty to remove them for cause and, thus, did not perform deficiently. Moreover,
any such attempt by trial counsel would have failed and, therefore, the petitioner cannot
show prejudice. Accordingly, the court shall deny the petition with respect to ground XII.
h.
Impeachment of alibi witness
Next, the petitioner claims that trial counsel provided ineffective assistance by
failing to object to “the use of prior convictions to impeach an alibi witness at the criminal
trial.” Petition at 17. The petitioner’s brother testified at trial that he remembered that
the petitioner and his wife left town a couple of days prior to the robbery and returned a
couple of days after the robbery. See direct appeal app’x at 886-87, 893. However, the
brother admitted that he had not seen the petitioner and his wife on the day of the robbery,
August 2, 2007. Id. at 885-86. On cross-examination, the prosecution impeached the
witness with prior convictions, which the petitioner alleges was improper. See id. at 88990.
The Iowa Court of Appeals held that
“[w]hile counsel arguably had legal grounds to object, we are
not convinced she breached an essential duty in failing to do
so, as this witness’s relationship to [the petitioner] already
made his testimony suspect. Additionally, his alibi testimony
was less than air-tight, as he acknowledged he was not with his
brother on the day of the robbery. . . . The jury had ample
grounds to discredit this testimony, with or without the
impeachment evidence.”
25
Jones II, 2012 WL 3590334, at *2. The court finds that the Iowa Court of Appeals was
reasonable when it held that trial counsel did not perform deficiently by failing to object
to the impeachment. Where the jury already has cause to discredit testimony, it cannot
reasonably be said that trial counsel breached an essential duty by forgoing an objection,
even if there were arguable grounds to object. Likewise, it cannot reasonably be said that
the result of the petitioner’s trial would have been different absent the impeachment,
regardless of whether it was improper. Therefore, considering the “totality of the evidence
presented at trial” there is simply no “reasonable probability that, but for counsel’s [failure
to object], the result of the proceeding would have been different.” Strickland, 466 U.S.
at 694-95. Thus, the Iowa Court of Appeals reasonably held that trial counsel did not
perform deficiently and the petitioner was not prejudiced. Accordingly, the petition is
denied with respect to ground XIII.
i.
Jury instruction on “theft”
The petitioner also claims ineffective assistance for trial counsel’s “failure to request
jury instruction[s] defining the term ‘theft.’” Petition at 18. According to the Iowa Court
of Appeals, “[t]he marshaling instruction for first-degree robbery included a reference to
‘theft,’ which was not defined. [The petitioner] contends his trial attorney should have
objected to the instruction on this ground.” Jones II, 2012 WL 3590334, at *3. However,
the petitioner acknowledges that the jury was instructed on the elements of robbery in the
first degree—the crime for which he was charged. Petitioner’s brief at 20. On postconviction review, trial counsel explained the strategic decision to forgo a jury instruction
on “theft.” See PCR appeal app’x at 141-42 (stating that trial counsel believed the alibi
defense was the strongest defense and that trial counsel wished to avoid ancillary issues so
as to avoid distracting the jury from that point).
In adopting the Iowa District Court’s reasoning from the post-conviction relief
proceedings, the Iowa Court of Appeals held that trial counsel did not breach an essential
duty by failing to challenge the instruction because:
26
No issue existed at the time of the trial herein as to whether a
robbery had occurred. The issue raised by defendant and
tactically chosen as the sole issue in the trial was whether
petitioner was the person who committed the robbery. The
court is not required to instruct the jury on matters that are not
an issue in the trial.
Jones II, 2012 WL 3590334, at *3. In so holding, the Iowa Court of Appeals cited State
v. Blackford, 335 N.W.2d 173 (Iowa 1983), where the Iowa Supreme Court considered
an ineffective assistance claim and held that, “[i]n arguing over what elements should be
included in a [marshaling] instruction, defense counsel’s primary concern will necessarily
be those elements which are essential to the theory of the defense which is being advanced
in the particular case.” Id. at 178.
The court finds that it was reasonable for the Iowa Court of Appeals to conclude
that trial counsel had no duty to request an instruction on “theft,” because it was not an
issue in the case. Moreover, trial counsel testified that the failure to object to the jury
instruction was a tactical decision intended to allow the jury to focus on the petitioner’s
alibi defense. This decision was not “outside the wide range of professionally competent
assistance.” Strickland, 466 U.S. at 690. Further, the petitioner makes no showing of
prejudice resulting from the absence of the instruction. That is, there is no reasonable
probability that the jury’s verdict would have been different if trial counsel had requested
an instruction on “theft.” Therefore, the Iowa Court of Appeals reasonably concluded that
trial counsel did not render ineffective assistance, as the performance was neither deficient
nor prejudicial. Accordingly, the petition is denied with respect to ground XIV.
j.
Objections to prosecutorial misconduct
The petitioner next claims that trial counsel was ineffective for failing to “object to
[p]rosecutorial [m]isconduct and enabling the State to knowingly present perjured
testimony at the criminal trial.” Petition at 19. In his brief, the petitioner specifies four
instances of prosecutorial misconduct to which his defense counsel allegedly failed to
object:
27
First, [the] petitioner asserts that the prosecutor violated his
due process rights by attempting to rebut the testimony of one
of the State’s own witnesses . . . during closing argument.
Second, the prosecutor referred to the petitioner as “the
robber” [during] closing arguments. Third, the prosecutor
asserted his own beliefs on several occasions. And, fourth, the
prosecutor knowingly allowed a state’s witness to present false
testimony[,] . . . [which] dealt with the difference between [the
witness’s] testimony at trial that the handgun was “shiny in
color with a wooden handle” and his earlier statement that the
handgun was “silver in color with a black handle.”
The petitioner’s brief at 23-24.
“[A] two-part test determines whether prosecutorial misconduct has occurred: first,
the prosecutor’s conduct or remarks must have been improper, and second, the remarks
or conduct must have prejudicially affected the defendant’s substantial rights by depriving
the defendant of a fair trial.” United States. v. White, 241 F.3d 1015, 1023 (8th Cir.
2001). Moreover, “[e]ven if one or more of the comments was improper, reversal ‘is
appropriate only when [the court] determine[s] that the jury verdict reasonably could have
been affected by the improper comment.’” Graves v. Ault, 614 F.3d 501, 507 (8th Cir.
2010) (quoting United States v. Peyro, 786 F.2d 826, 831 (8th Cir. 1986)).
i.
Attempt to rebut witness
The petitioner contends that the prosecution attempted to introduce evidence to rebut
its own witness, the petitioner’s wife, during closing arguments. This contention appears
to refer to the prosecution’s reference to the wife’s inconsistent stories regarding the
petitioner’s alibi defense.
In her initial interviews with the police, the wife never
mentioned the fact that she and the petitioner were out of town on the day the robbery
occurred. PCR app’x at 69. However, at trial, she testified that they had been out of town
on that day. Id. In closing arguments, the prosecution highlighted these inconsistencies.
Id. The Iowa Court of Appeals concluded that this was not an introduction of prohibited
evidence because “the prosecutor pointed out inconsistencies in the witness’s testimony,
28
but the facts underlying these inconsistencies were mentioned during trial. For that reason,
[there was] no prosecutorial misconduct and no breach of an essential duty in counsel’s
failure to raise the issue.” Jones II, 2012 WL 3590334, at *6.
The court finds that the Iowa Court of Appeals reasonably held that trial counsel
was under no duty to object to these statements. Since the prosecution’s references to the
wife’s testimony mentioned no facts that were absent from trial and the inconsistencies
were easily drawn from these facts, the Iowa Court of Appeals reasonably found that the
prosecution committed no misconduct. See White, 241 F.3d at 1023 (“[T]he prosecutor
must limit the closing argument to ‘the evidence and the reasonable inferences that may
be drawn from it.’” (quoting United States v. Robinson, 110 F.3d 1320, 1327 (8th Cir.
1997))). Accordingly, the court denies the petition with respect to ground XV in so far
as it alleges ineffective assistance for failing to object to the prosecution’s remarks during
closing arguments.
ii.
Referring to the petitioner as “the robber”
The petitioner also asserts that the prosecution committed misconduct by referring
to him as “the robber” during closing arguments. The Iowa Court of Appeals found that
“[e]ven if these references could be considered disparaging, they were isolated references
that did not compromise the fairness of the trial.” Jones II, 2012 WL 3590334, at *6.
The court finds that the Iowa Court of Appeals reasonably held that these references could
not have compromised the petitioner’s right to a fair trial. During the vast majority of
closing arguments, the prosecution addressed the petitioner as “the defendant” in almost
every instance besides rarely referring to him as “the robber” in conjunction with evidence
of his guilt. PCR appeal app’x at 68-72. See also White, 241 F.3d at 1023 (“[T]he
prosecutor may use ‘colorful pejoratives’ and argue a personal interpretation of the
evidence.”). Trial counsel was not deficient for failing to object to these sparse, nonprejudicial comments during closing arguments. The petitioner cannot show prejudice
because these remarks do not establish “a reasonable probability” that, in their absence,
29
the “result of the proceeding would have been different.” Strickland, 466 U.S. at 694.
Accordingly, the petition shall be denied with respect to ground XV in so far as it alleges
ineffective assistance for failing to object to the prosecution’s use of the term “the robber.”
iii.
Personal beliefs
Next, the petitioner claims that the prosecutor “asserted his own beliefs on several
occasions.” Petitioner’s brief at 23. The petitioner does not expound upon this allegation
and cites to no specific portion of the record reflecting the prosecutor’s own beliefs.
However, in view of the above grounds, the court assumes that the petitioner is again
referring to the prosecution’s closing arguments. Upon review of the record, the court
finds no instances in which the prosecution asserted beliefs or opinions that were not in
conjunction with interpreting the evidence in the case. See United States v. Lee, 743 F.2d
1240, 1253 (8th Cir. 1984) (prohibiting appeals to the jury that are calculated to persuade
based upon facts other than those presented at trial). Therefore, the court finds that trial
counsel’s performance was not deficient as there was no basis to object. Moreover, the
petitioner cannot show prejudice as none of the remarks can reasonably be said to have
affected the jury’s verdict. Accordingly, the petition shall be denied with respect to
ground XV in so far as it alleges ineffective assistance for failing to object to the
prosecutor asserting his own beliefs.
iv.
Using false testimony
The petitioner contends that the prosecution committed misconduct by knowingly
allowing its gun identification witness to present false testimony. The court finds that this
ground fails for the same reasons as grounds IV and V. Trial counsel made the strategic
decision to conduct a thorough cross-examination that highlighted the witness’s inconsistent
testimony regarding the identification of the gun. Thus, the Iowa Court of Appeals
reasonably held that trial counsel “did not breach an essential duty in failing to also rais[e]
a claim of prosecutorial misconduct based on the inconsistencies” in the gun testimony.
Jones II, 2012 WL 3590334, at *6. Accordingly, the petition shall be denied with respect
30
to ground XV in so far as it alleges ineffective assistance for failing to object to the
prosecution’s use of false testimony.
k.
Destruction of exculpatory evidence
In his final allegation of ineffective assistance against trial counsel, the petitioner
claims that trial counsel provided ineffective assistance by failing to “move to dismiss the
prosecution due to the State’s destruction of exculpatory evidence at the criminal trial or
prior there to.” Petition at 20. While the petitioner failed to brief this argument, the court
assumes that it mimics a claim asserted in his state post-conviction relief proceedings. See
PCR appellant’s brief (docket no. 21-14) at 52. There, the petitioner asserted that the
police destroyed exculpatory evidence by failing to preserve identifying information of a
person momentarily detained after the robbery. See id. at 54-56. The police originally
stopped this individual during their search for the robber based upon eyewitness reports
and video surveillance footage. See id. at 54. Shortly thereafter, the individual was
released because the officers ascertained that he was not the robber based upon his
differing facial structure and clothing. See id. at 55. The petitioner claims that these
events effectively amount to the State’s destruction of potentially exculpatory evidence.
Id. at 56.
It appears that the petitioner failed to renew this claim in his application for further
review to the Iowa Supreme Court and, as such, the claim is unexhausted in the Iowa
courts. See O’Sullivan, 526 U.S. at 845 (holding that a “state prisoner[] must give the
state courts one full opportunity to resolve any constitutional issues by invoking one
complete round of the State’s established appellate review process”). Despite the fact that
the petitioner fails to overcome the principles of procedural default, the court will address
this claim on its merits. See 28 U.S.C. § 2254(b)(2) (“An application for a writ of habeas
corpus may be denied on the merits, notwithstanding the failure of the applicant to exhaust
the remedies available in the courts of the State.”).
31
To show destruction of potentially exculpatory evidence, the petitioner must show
that the investigating officers acted in bad faith. See Arizona v. Youngblood, 488 U.S. 51,
58 (1988); State v. Craig, 490 N.W.2d 795, 796 (Iowa 1992). In post-conviction relief
proceedings, the Iowa Court of Appeals could not “discern bad faith.” Jones II, 2012 WL
3590334, at *4. Moreover, the Iowa Court of Appeals concluded that the petitioner’s
“attorney had no duty to assert a claim based on destruction of exculpatory evidence”
because of the testimony indicating that “the detained person’s facial structure and clothing
differed from the facial structure and clothing of the person in the video” surveillance
footage. Id.
The court finds that it was reasonable for the Iowa Court of Appeals to conclude
that trial counsel was not ineffective for failing to move to dismiss based on the destruction
of potentially exculpatory evidence. The record contains no evidence of bad faith on the
part of the police during the robbery investigation, as the testimony indicates that the
individual detained by police did not match the description of the robber. With no
indication of bad faith on the part of the police, the Iowa Court of Appeals reasonably
found that trial counsel had no duty to move to dismiss based upon destruction of evidence.
Therefore, trial counsel’s performance was not deficient. Furthermore, any such motion
would have been denied as there was no evidence of bad faith and, therefore, the petitioner
cannot show prejudice. Accordingly, the court denies the petition with respect to ground
XVI.
3.
Appellate counsel
The petitioner next asserts three claims of ineffective assistance on the part of his
appellate counsel on direct appeal.
a.
Two dismissed jurors
The petitioner claims that appellate counsel was ineffective for failing to argue that
the Iowa District Court improperly dismissed the only two African-American jurors from
the venire, which he argues was a violation of the fair cross-section requirement of the
32
Sixth Amendment. Petition at 21. The Iowa Court of Appeals rejected this claim because
the petitioner presented no evidence that the “under-representation of African-Americans
on the panel was due to the systematic exclusion of this group from the jury selection
process.” Jones II, 2012 WL 3590334, at *4.
The court finds that the Iowa Court of Appeals reasonably concluded that appellate
counsel was not ineffective for failing to pursue an ineffective assistance of trial counsel
claim regarding the dismissed African-American jurors.
To succeed on a Sixth
Amendment cross-section claim, the petitioner must establish that the under-representation
of African-Americans on the jury was “due to systematic exclusion of the group in the
jury-selection process.” United States v. Jefferson, 725 F.3d 829, 835 (8th Cir. 2013)
(quoting United States v. Sanchez, 156 F.3d 875, 879 (8th Cir. 1998)). “The Constitution
does not guarantee a defendant a proportionate number of his racial group on the jury
panel or the jury which tries him; it merely prohibits deliberate exclusion of an identifiable
racial group from the juror selection process.” Id. (quoting United States v. Jones, 687
F.2d 1265, 1269 (8th Cir. 1982)) (internal quotation marks omitted). This requires the
petitioner to carry the initial burden of establishing purposeful discrimination on the part
of the prosecution during jury selection. See United States v. Matha, 915 F.2d 1220, 1222
(8th Cir. 1990) (citing Batson v. Kentucky, 476 U.S. 79, 94 (1986)). To do this, the
petitioner must “come forward with facts, not just number[s] alone.” Id.
The petitioner has failed to present any evidence of purposeful discrimination in
dismissing the two African-American jurors. In fact, the two jurors were removed for
cause. See PCR appeal app’x at 18-19 (establishing that one juror was removed because
he stated that he would “automatically not believe anything a police officer says” and
would be unfair to the State, while the other juror was removed for having a felony
conviction). The fact that these were the only two African-American jurors on the panel
is not sufficient to establish a Sixth Amendment cross-section claim, and appellate counsel
was not ineffective for failing to argue otherwise. Therefore, it was reasonable for the
33
Iowa Court of Appeals to hold that appellate counsel had no duty to raise the issue.
Moreover, the petitioner cannot show prejudice because any such argument by appellate
counsel would have failed as these jurors were dismissed for cause. Accordingly, the
court shall deny the petition with respect to ground XVII.
b.
Lesser-included offenses
The petitioner also claims that appellate counsel was ineffective on direct appeal for
failing to argue that trial counsel was ineffective for failing to submit lesser-included
offenses to the jury on the charge of robbery in the first degree. Petition at 22. The
petitioner failed to renew this claim in his application for further review to the Iowa
Supreme Court. Notwithstanding the fact that this claim is procedurally defaulted, the
court will address it on the merits. See 28 U.S.C. § 2254(b)(2).
In post-conviction relief proceedings, the Iowa Court of Appeals concluded that the
petitioner’s “attorney made a ‘deliberate’ decision not to seek lesser-included offense
instructions which was ‘well within the range of acceptable professional competence.’”
Jones II, 2012 WL 3590334, at *4 (quoting Sallis v. Rhodes, 325 N.W.2d 121, 123 (Iowa
1982)). Moreover, the Iowa Court of Appeals found that the prosecution and defense both
agreed, on the record, that no lesser-included offenses would be submitted and that the
petitioner was present and made no objection at that time. Id. The Iowa Court of Appeals
further held that this amounted to the petitioner’s waiver of lesser-included submissions.
Id. at 5 (stating that “counsel’s professional statement to the trial court that the defendant
waives such instruction is enough . . . [for the court to] properly assume . . . that counsel
has informed the defendant of the defendant’s right to such instructions, what the
consequences might be if they are waived, and that the defendant elected to waive them”
(quoting State v. Wallace, 475 N.W.2d 197, 201 (Iowa 1991)) (internal quotation marks
omitted)).
The court finds that it was reasonable for the Iowa Court of Appeals to conclude
that appellate counsel was not ineffective for failing to raise the lesser-included offense
34
issue. Trial counsel made a strategic decision to proceed with the alibi defense instead of
seeking lesser-included instructions that would be inconsistent with that defense. See PCR
appeal app’x at 141-42 (trial counsel’s testimony explaining that the alibi defense was the
“strongest strategy”); see also Neal v. Acevedo, 114 F.3d 803, 806 (8th Cir. 1997)
(concluding “that trial counsel’s decision not to request the lesser-included offense
instructions was reasonable trial strategy because the instructions would have been
inconsistent with [the petitioner’s] alibi defense”). Given the reasonableness of trial
counsel’s decision, appellate counsel’s performance was not deficient for failing to raise
this issue on direct appeal. Accordingly, the petition shall be denied with respect to
ground XVIII.
c.
Conference regarding jury instructions
The petitioner claims that appellate counsel was ineffective on direct appeal by
failing to assert that trial counsel was ineffective for not securing the petitioner’s presence
“at an essential conference between the court and attorneys regarding the jury
instructions.” Petition at 23. The petitioner “contends that he was not present during an
informal discussion regarding jury instructions, and appellate counsel breached an essential
duty in failing to challenge his absence.” Petitioner’s brief at 28-29; Jones II, 2012 WL
3590334, at *5. The Iowa Court of Appeals held that the petitioner could not show
prejudice from his absence at an informal conference discussing jury instructions because
he was “present during the formal jury instruction conference.” Jones II, 2012 WL
3590334, at *5 (The Iowa District Court’s “recitation of the informal discussions on the
record in defendant’s presence removes any hint of prejudice from such informal
discussions.” (internal quotation marks omitted)).
The court finds that it was reasonable for the Iowa Court of Appeals to conclude
that appellate counsel was not ineffective for failing to argue that trial counsel was
ineffective because the petitioner was not prejudiced by any alleged deficient performance.
Trial counsel’s failure to secure the petitioner’s presence at the informal meeting could not
35
constitute ineffective assistance because his presence at the subsequent, on-the-record
discussion “cured any harm flowing from his earlier absence.” Jones II, 2012 WL
3590334, at *5. The court need not decide whether trial counsel had a duty to allow the
petitioner to be present at the informal discussion because the petitioner was not prejudiced
by his absence at that meeting. His presence at the formal meeting allowed him the
opportunity to lodge any concerns and cured any prejudice that might have resulted from
his prior absence. Therefore, appellate counsel had no duty to raise an ineffective
assistance claim for such absence. Accordingly, the petition shall be denied with respect
to ground XIX.
4.
Post-conviction relief counsel
The petitioner claims that his post-conviction relief counsel “was constitutionally
ineffective in failing to preserve error and federalize for possible [habeas corpus review].”
Petition at 24. In state post-conviction proceedings, the Iowa Court of Appeals found that
the petitioner “raise[d] no independent grounds under this [ground]” and treated it as a
catch-all argument. Jones II, 2012 WL 3590334, at *5.
The court finds that it is unnecessary to reach the merits of this ground. “[The
petitioner] is not constitutionally entitled to counsel in state postconviction [relief]
proceedings. There can be no denial of effective assistance of postconviction counsel when
there is no constitutional right to postconviction counsel in the first instance.” Miller, 108
F.3d at 871 (citing Coleman, 501 U.S. at 752 and Cassell v. Norris, 103 F.3d 61, 62 (8th
Cir. 1996)); Henderson v. Sargent, 926 F.2d 706, 710 n.7 (8th Cir. 1991) (recognizing
that ineffectiveness of post-conviction counsel “cannot constitute grounds for relief from
[a] conviction because [the petitioner] has no Sixth Amendment right to counsel in a state
collateral proceeding”); see also Dunbar v. State, 515 N.W.2d 12, 13 (Iowa 1994)
(confirming that ineffective assistance of postconviction counsel has a statutory basis in
Iowa, but no “federal constitutional grounds” (quoting Furhrmann v. State, 433 N.W.2d
720, 722 (Iowa 1988)) (internal quotation marks omitted)). As the petitioner’s ground for
36
ineffective assistance of post-conviction counsel has no federal constitutional basis, ground
XX is barred from federal habeas corpus review. The court notes that, to the extent the
petitioner’s other ineffective assistance grounds target his post-conviction relief counsel,
those grounds are likewise barred.
VI. CERTIFICATE OF APPEALABILITY
In a 28 U.S.C. § 2254 proceeding before a district judge, “the final order is subject
to review, on appeal, by the court of appeals for the circuit in which the proceeding is
held.” 28 U.S.C. § 2253(a). “Unless a circuit justice or judge issues a certificate of
appealability, an appeal may not be taken to the court of appeals . . . .” 28 U.S.C.
§ 2253(c)(1). A district court possesses the authority to issue certificates of appealability
under 28 U.S.C. § 2253(c) and Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 22(b). See Tiedeman
v. Benson, 122 F.3d 518, 522 (8th Cir. 1997). Under 28 U.S.C. § 2253(c)(2), a
certificate of appealability may issue only if “a petitioner has made a ‘substantial showing
of the denial of a constitutional right.’” Miller-El v. Cockrell, 537 U.S. 322, 336 (2003);
Garrett v. United States, 211 F.3d 1075, 1076-77 (8th Cir. 2000) (per curiam); Carter v.
Hopkins, 151 F.3d 872, 873-74 (8th Cir. 1998); Cox v. Norris, 133 F.3d 565, 569 (8th
Cir. 1997); Tiedeman, 122 F.3d at 523. To make such a showing, a petitioner must
demonstrate that the “issues are debatable among reasonable jurists, a court could resolve
the issues differently, or the issues deserve further proceedings.” Cox, 133 F.3d at 569
(citing Flieger v. Delo, 16 F.3d 878, 882–83 (8th Cir. 1994)); see also Miller-El, 537 U.S.
at 335-36 (reiterating standard).
Courts can reject constitutional claims either on the merits or on procedural
grounds. “‘[W]here a district court has rejected the constitutional claims on the merits,
the showing required to satisfy [28 U.S.C.] § 2253(c) is straightforward: [p]etitioner must
demonstrate that reasonable jurists would find the district court’s assessment of the
constitutional claims debatable or wrong.’” Miller-El, 537 U.S. at 338 (quoting Slack v.
McDaniel, 529 U.S. 473, 484 (2000)). When a federal habeas petition is dismissed on
37
procedural grounds without reaching the underlying constitutional claim, “the [petitioner
must show], at least, that jurists of reason would find it debatable whether the petition
states a valid claim of the denial of a constitutional right and that jurists of reason would
find it debatable whether the district court was correct in its procedural ruling.” Slack,
529 U.S. at 484.
Having thoroughly reviewed the record in this case, the court finds that the
petitioner failed to make the requisite “substantial showing” with respect to the grounds
that he raised in the petition. Because there is no debatable question as to the resolution
of this case, an appeal is not warranted. Accordingly, the court shall deny a certificate of
appealability under 28 U.S.C. § 2253. If the petitioner desires further review of his 28
U.S.C. § 2254 petition for a writ of habeas corpus, he may request issuance of the
certificate of appealability by a circuit judge of the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals in
accordance with Tiedeman, 122 F.3d at 520-22.
VII. CONCLUSION
The court finds that the petitioner is not entitled to relief under 28 U.S.C. § 2254.
The Iowa courts’ adjudication of the petitioner’s grounds did not result in a decision
contrary to, or involve an unreasonable application of, clearly established federal law and
did not result in a decision based on an unreasonable determination of the facts in light of
the evidence presented.
Furthermore, the petitioner did not adequately present his
prosecutorial misconduct grounds to the state courts, rendering them procedurally
defaulted on independent and adequate state law grounds.
Accordingly, the petition is DENIED. The clerk of Court is DIRECTED to enter
judgment in favor of the respondent, Mark Lund, and against the petitioner, Michael
Navarro Jones. In addition, a certificate of appealability is DENIED.
IT IS SO ORDERED.
38
DATED this 21st day of October, 2014.
39
Disclaimer: Justia Dockets & Filings provides public litigation records from the federal appellate and district courts. These filings and docket sheets should not be considered findings of fact or liability, nor do they necessarily reflect the view of Justia.
Why Is My Information Online?