HERRILL v. RICCI et al

Filing 3

OPINION. Signed by Judge Stanley R. Chesler on 7/26/2010. (ld, )

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT DISTRICT OF NEW JERSEY

RANSIAN J.

HERRELL, Civil Rction No. 10--3575 (CRC)

OPINION MICHELLE PICCI,

et.

al.,

Respondents.

APPEARANCES: RAHMAN J. HERRELL, Petitioner 8ro Se # 430928/838770B New Jersey State Prison P.O. Box 861 Trenton, New Jersey 08625
CHESLER,

District Judge

This matter is before the Court by application of petitioner Rahman J. U.S.C. Herrell for a writ of habeas corpus pursuant to 28 in which he challenges his New Jersey state court For reasons discussed below, it appears

§ 2254,

conviction and sentence.

from review of the petition papers provided by petitioner that

his § 2254 habeas petition may be subject to dismissal as timebarred under 28 U.S.C.

§ 2244(d).

Although the statute of limitations is an affirmative defense, Robinson v. Johnson, 313 F.3d 128, 134 (3d Cir. 2002) , cert. denied, 124 S.Ct. 48 (2003), it is apronriate for a
1

Dockets.Justia.com

Petitioner,

RaIiman J.

Herrell

("Herrell"),

filed a petition According

for habeas corrus relief or. or about July 14,
to the allegations conrainet in his petition, convicted in the Superior Cou.rt of New Jersey, or about Jecember 4, 2021, after a ury trial,

2210.

Fierrell was
Essex County, on

on one count of

purposeful and knowing murder,

unlawful possession of a handgun, He was

and possession of a handgun for an unlawful purpose.

district court to raise the issue sua sponte prior to ordering an answer. Recently, the Supreme Court held that district courts are permitted to consider sue sponte the timeliness of a state inmate's habeas petition; however, the district court must accord the parties fair notice and an opportunity to present their positions on the issue of time bar if the record shows that the petition is untimely. Day v. McDonopq, 126 S.Ct. 1675, 1684 (April 25, 2006)
Pursuant to the "prison mailbox rule," a habeas petition is deemed filed on the date the prisoner delivers it to prison officials for mailing, not on the date the petition is ultimately filed with the court. See Houston v. Lack, 487 U.S. 266, 270--71 (1988); see also Burns v. Morton, 134 F.3d 109, 112--13 (3d Cir. 1988) (applying prison mailbox rule set forth in Houston, which dealt with filing of an appeal, to a pro se prisoner's filing of a habeas petition) Although the Court is unable to determine the exact date that Herrell handed his petition to prison officials for mailing, Herrell sioned a certification of his petition on Ju.ly 14, 2.010, See 2endersor v. Frank, 155 E.3d 159, 16.3-64 (3d Cir. 1988) (using date prisoner signed petition as date he handed it to prison officials for purposes of calculating timeliness of habeas petition) Accordingly, the Court finds that July 14, 2010 was the date this petition was filed for purposes of calculating the timeliness of the petition, and not the date the petition was received by the Clerk of the Court on April 6, 2009.
. .

2

sentenced to a life term of imrisonrner±t with a 30--year parole disnualifler. )Petitior,

¶5 1--6)

Herrell filed a direct appeal from his conviction and

sentence.
Jersey,

On or about Ocoober 6,

2033,

he Superior Court of New

Anellate Division,
(Pet.,

affirmed the conviction on all

counts.

¶ 9).

Herrell does not indicate whether he filed

a netition for certification with the Supreme Court of New
Jersey, Thereafter, r el i ef ("9CR") Herrell filed a petition for post--conviction

before the state sentencing court in New Jersey. 2006. (Pet., ¶

The state 9CR petition was denied on November 6, 11)
.

Herrell does not state whether he appealed from the denial

of his state PCR petition. II. STANDARD OF REVIEW

A pro se pleading is held to less stringent standards than more formal pleadings drafted by lawyers. U.S. 97, 106 (1976); Haines v. Kerner, Estelle v. 519, Gamble, 520 429

404 U.S.

(1972)

A pro se habeas petition and any supporting submissions must be construed liberally and with a measure of tolerance. See Royce

v.

Hahn,

353 5. 3d 116, 878 F.2d 714,
414 F.2d 552,

113

(3d Dir.

1998)

;

Lewis v. Attorney
United States v. denied,

General,
Brierley, U.S.

721-22 555

(3d Cir.

1989);

(3d Cir.

1969),

cert.

399

912

(1970).

III.

STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS ANALYSIS

Ide limitaLion period for a § 2254 habeas petition is set forth in 28 U,S.I. § 2244(d), which provides in pertinent part:

(1) A I-year period of li.mitations shall apply to an application for a writ of habeas corpus by a person in custody pursuant to the j udgrnent of a State court. The Limitation period shall run from the latest of-- (A) the date on which the judgment became final by the conclusion of direct review or the expiration of the time for seeking such review; (2) The time during which a properly filed application for State post-conviction or other collateral review with respect to the pertinent judgment or claim is pending shall not be counted toward any period of limitation under this section. Section 2244(d) became effective on April 24, 1996 when the ("AEDPA") ill (3d

Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 was signed into law. Cir. 1998); Duarte v. Burns v. Herschberqer, Morton, 947 F.

134 F.3d 109, Supp. 146, 147

(D.N.J.

1996). Thus, pursuant to § 2244(d), evaluation of the timeliness of first, when the

a § 2254 petition requires a determination of, pertinent judgment became "final," and, second,

the period of

time bunco which an application for state post--conviction relief was "tzrocenly filed" and "nendicon"

A state-court criminal judgment becomes "final" within the
meaning of § 2244(d) (1)

by the conclusion of direct review or by

4

he exciracion of dma

for soaking such review,

incLuding the

90-

day ceriod for filing a petition for writ of certiorari in the United States Sucreme Court. 410 Cir. (3d Cir. 1999); 2000); U.S. Morris v, Ct. B. See Swartz v. Horn, 13. Meyers, 204 S.3d 417, 3d

187 F.3d 333,

337 n.1

Sup.

The limitations period is tolled,

however,

during the time a

properly filed application for state post-conviction relief is pending. 28 U.S.C.

§ 2244(d) (2).

An application for state post--

conviction relief is considered "pending" within the meaning of

§ 2244(d) (2),

and the limitations period is statutorily tolled,

from the time it is "properly filed," during the period between a lower state court's decision and the filing of a notice of appeal to a higher court, Carey v. Saffold, 536 U.S. 214 (2002), even if

and through the time in which an appeal could be filed, the appeal is never filed, Swartz v. Meyers,

204 F.3d at 420--24.

An 3 application is "properly filed" when its delivery and acceptance are in compliance with the applicable laws and rules governing filings. These usually prescribe, for example, the form of the document, the time limits upon its delivery, the court and office in which it must be iodqed, and the renuisite filing fee. in some jurisdictions he filing requirements also include, for example, preconditions imposed on particular abusive filers, or on all filers generally. But in common usage, the question whether an application has been "properly filed" is quite separate from the question whether the claims contained in the application are meritorious and free of procedural bar. Artuz v. Bennett, 531 U.S. 4, 8--9 (2000) (footnotes and citations omitted)

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appropriat.e when "principles of equity would make the rigid application of a limitation neriod unfair, such as when a state

nrisoner faces extraordinary circumstances that prevent him from filing a timely habeas petition and the prisoner has exercised reasonable diii ence in attempting to investigate and bring his claims." Latava v.

EvIct,

398 F.3d 271,

275--76
Id.;

(3d Cir.

2005) 145 F.3d

Mere excusable neglect is not sufficient. at 618--19; Jones, 195 E.30 at 159.

Miller,

Extraordinary circumstances permitting equitable tolling have been found where: misled; (2) (1) the petitioner has been actively

the petitioner has been prevented from asserting his

rights in some extraordinary way;

(3)

the petitioner timely see Jones, 195 F.3d at

asserted his rights in the wrong forum, 159, or

(4)

the court has misled a party regarding the steps that see Brinson v. 126 S.Ct. 473

the party needs to take to preserve a claim, Vaughn, (2005)
.

398 F.3d 225,

230

(3d Cir.),

cert.

denied,

Even where extraordinary circumstances exist,

however,

"[i]f the person seeking equitable tolling has not exercised reasonable diligence in attempting to file after the

The Third Circuit has expressly held that, in non-capital cases, attorney error, miscalculation, inadequate research, or other mistakes are not the extraordinary circumstances necessary to establish equitable tolling. Johnson v. Hendricks, 314 F.3d 159, 163 (3d Cir. 2002), cert. denied 538 rg· 1022 (2003); Fahy, 240 F. 3d at 244.

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