SUSAN RUSS WALKER, Chief Magistrate Judge.
This case is before the court on a pro se petition for writ of habeas corpus under 28 U.S.C. § 2254 filed by state inmate Richard Christopher Ashe ("Ashe") on March 12, 2014.
Title 28 U.S.C. § 2244(d) states:
28 U.S.C. § 2244(d).
Exhibits submitted by the respondents reflect that in October 2005, in the Circuit Court of Crenshaw County, Alabama, a jury found Ashe guilty of first-degree sexual abuse and third-degree assault. Ex. 1-Vol 1 at 2-4. On December 20, 2005, the trial court sentenced Ashe to 10 years in prison for the sexual abuse conviction and to six months for the assault conviction. Id. Ashe appealed, and on June 16, 2006, the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed by memorandum opinion. Ex. 5. Ashe applied for rehearing, which was overruled on July 7, 2006. Exs. 6 and 7. Ashe did not petition the Alabama Supreme Court for certiorari review, and, on July 26, 2006, the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals entered a certificate of judgment in the case. Ex. 8. Thereafter, Ashe filed two petitions for post-conviction relief under Ala. R. Crim. P. 32 — the first on August 1, 2007, and the second on August 29, 2012. See Exs. 9 and 15. Relief was denied on both petitions.
Ashe's conviction became final on July 26, 2006, the date on which the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals entered its certificate of judgment, concluding direct review. See Pugh v. Smith, 465 F.3d 1295, 1299-300 (11
The statutory tolling provisions of 28 U.S.C. § 2244(d)(1) (B) — (D) do not provide safe harbor for Ashe. There is no evidence that any unconstitutional or illegal state action impeded him from filing a timely § 2254 petition. See 28 U.S.C. § 2244(d)(1)(B). He presents no claim that rests on an alleged "right [that] has been newly recognized by the Supreme Court and made retroactively applicable to cases on collateral review." See 28 U.S.C. § 2244(d)(1)(C). Finally, he submits no grounds for relief for which the factual predicate could not have been discovered at a far earlier time "through the exercise of due diligence." See 28 U.S.C. § 2244(d)(1)(D).
The limitation period "may be equitably tolled" on grounds apart from those specified in the habeas statute "when a movant untimely files because of extraordinary circumstances that are both beyond his control and unavoidable with diligence." Sandvik v. United States, 177 F.3d 1269, 1271 (11
Ashe argues the federal limitation period does not apply to his § 2254 petition because he raises a "jurisdictional" claim in his petition that the trial court "allowed him to be convicted of a charge not contemplated within the original indictment." See Doc. No. 1 at 5; Doc. No. 9 at 2. If this court were an Alabama court, that argument might have some force. See, e.g., McNeal v. State, 43 So.3d 628, 629 (Ala. Crim. App. 2008) (challenge to allegedly illegal sentence raised in a Rule 32 proceeding not barred by the statute of limitations in Ala.R.Crim.P. 32.2(c), because if the sentence is illegal, the sentence exceeds the jurisdiction of the trial court). However, there is no similar exception to the limitations period in 28 U.S.C. § 2244(d). Thus, Ashe's jurisdictional claim does not entitle him to any relief from operation of the federal statutory limitations bar.
Under the circumstances set forth above, it is apparent that the one-year limitation period in § 2244(d) expired on July 26, 2007. Because Ashe did not file his § 2254 petition until March 12, 2014, his petition is time-barred and this court may not address the merits.
Accordingly, it is the RECOMMENDATION of the Magistrate Judge that the petition for habeas corpus relief be denied and this case be dismissed with prejudice under 28 U.S.C. § 2244(d).
It is further
ORDERED that the parties shall file any objections to the said Recommendation on or before October 20, 2014. Any objections filed must specifically identify the findings in the Magistrate Judge's Recommendation to which the party objects. Frivolous, conclusive, or general objections will not be considered by the District Court. The parties are advised that this Recommendation is not a final order of the court; therefore, it is not appealable.
Failure to file written objections to the proposed findings and recommendations in the Magistrate Judge's report shall bar the party from a de novo determination by the District Court of issues covered in the report and shall bar the party from attacking on appeal factual findings in the report accepted or adopted by the District Court except upon grounds of plain error or manifest injustice. Nettles v. Wainwright, 677 F.2d 404 (5