ALLISON CLAIRE, Magistrate Judge.
Petitioner, a state prisoner proceeding pro se, has filed a petition for a writ of habeas corpus pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2254. Currently before the court is respondent's fully briefed motion to dismiss.
On November 19, 2008, a jury convicted petitioner of multiple counts of kidnapping and sexual assault arising from the sexual assaults of three women. ECF No. 1 at 1; Lod. Doc. 1. He was sentenced on January 23, 2009, to a determinate prison term of forty-five years plus a consecutive indeterminate term of seventy-five years to life.
Petitioner, with assistance of counsel, appealed his conviction to the California Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District. Lod. Doc. No. 2. On May 18, 2010, the judgment was modified to require petitioner to register as a sex offender and affirmed in all other respects.
On February 20, 2014,
On May 3, 2014, petitioner filed another pro se petition for writ of habeas corpus in the Sacramento County Superior Court. Lod. Doc. No. 5. The petition was denied on May 22, 2014, as successive and untimely. Lod. Doc. No. 6.
On May 3, 2014, petitioner filed a writ of habeas corpus in the California Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District. Lod. Doc. No. 7. The court of appeal denied the petition without comment on May 22, 2014. Lod. Doc. No. 8.
On July 23, 2014, petitioner filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus in the California Supreme Court. Lod. Doc. No. 9. The petition was denied on October 15, 2014. Lod. Doc. No. 10.
On May 28, 2015, petitioner filed a pro se petition for writ of habeas corpus. ECF No. 1. The petition alleges four grounds for relief. Grounds One, Two, and Four allege that new evidence became available after the trial that would have changed the outcome of the case. ECF No. 1 at 5, 7, 10. Specifically, petitioner alleges in Ground One that after the trial the DNA report was revised; in Ground Two that a new witness statement became available; and in Ground Four that Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) records became available that would have impeached the testimony of one of the victims. In Ground Three, petitioner alleges that the prosecutor withheld an exculpatory video.
Respondent argues that the petition should be dismissed because it was filed outside the one-year statute of limitations. ECF No. 11. He asserts that petitioner's state collateral actions do not entitle petitioner to statutory tolling because they were filed after the statute of limitations had expired, and further argues that they could not toll the statute of limitations in any event because they were not properly filed.
Petitioner opposes the motion on the ground that he is entitled to an alternate trigger date based on the discovery of new evidence, and that in relation to the alternate trigger date he is entitled to statutory tolling, making his petition timely. ECF No. 22.
In response, respondent argues that the petition is untimely even if petitioner is entitled to a later trigger date and some statutory tolling, and that he is not entitled to equitable tolling. ECF No. 27 at 3-11.
Section 2244(d)(1) of Title 28 of the United States Code contains a one-year statute of limitations for filing a habeas petition in federal court. The one-year clock commences from one of several alternative triggering dates. 28 U.S.C. § 2244(d)(1). In this case, the potentially applicable dates are (1) that "on which the judgment became final by the conclusion of direct review or the expiration of the time for seeking such review" and (2) that "on which the factual predicate of the claim or claims presented could have been discovered through the exercise of due diligence." § 2244(d)(1)(A), (D).
The statute of limitations is tolled during the time that a properly filed application for state post-conviction or other collateral review is pending in state court. 28 U.S.C. § 2244(d)(2). "An application is `properly filed' when its delivery and acceptance are in compliance with the applicable laws and rules governing filings[,]"
On May 18, 2010, the California Court of Appeal modified the judgment on direct review to require petitioner to register as a sex offender, and affirmed the judgment in all other respects. Lod. Doc. 2. Since petitioner did not seek review from the California Supreme Court, the judgment became final on June 27, 2010, after his time to seek review expired. Cal. R. Ct. 8.366(b)(1) (Court of Appeal decision in a criminal appeal is final in that court thirty days after filing); Cal. R. Ct. 8.500(e)(1) (petition for review must be filed within ten day of Court of Appeal decision becoming final in that court). Unless an alternative trigger date applies, the statute of limitations accordingly began running the next day, on June 28, 2010.
Petitioner contends that the limitations period did not begin to run until March 1, 2013, when he discovered the factual basis of his claims. ECF No. 22 at 1, 5. Specifically, Petitioner alleges that March 1, 2013, is the day he was notified of the amended DNA report that revised the test results with respect to at least one of the victims.
"The statute of limitations begins to run under § 2244(d)(1)(D) when the factual predicate of a claim `could have been discovered through the exercise of due diligence,' not when it actually was discovered."
Ground One is based on the 2012 DNA report that was disclosed on March 1, 2013, and is therefore entitled to the alternate trigger date advanced by petitioner.
Ground Two is based on a "new witness statement" from the person who drove petitioner and one of the victims around on the night of the sexual assault. ECF No. 1 at 7, 119-120. Although petitioner alleges that the undated supporting witness statement "became available in May/June of 2013,"
Ground Three alleges that the prosecutor improperly withheld an exculpatory surveillance video. ECF No. 1 at 8. Petitioner does not say when he became aware of the video recording. The existence of the surveillance tape was known prior to trial, however — it is identified in the police report about the incident.
Ground Four alleges that petitioner's family did not purchase the car identified by victim L.S. until a year after the assault.
For the reasons explained above, the undersigned concludes that the statute of limitations began to run as to Grounds Two, Three and Four upon finality of the judgment, and as to Ground One on March 1, 2013.
Assuming that March 1, 2013, was the date petitioner became aware of the factual basis for his claim, the statute of limitations began running the following day and expired on March 1, 2014.
Petitioner's first state habeas petition was filed on February 20, 2014, after 355 days of the one-year period had elapsed. Lod. Doc. 3. Respondent argues that petitioner is not entitled to tolling for any of his state habeas petitions because they were denied as untimely and therefore were not properly filed. Respondent contends in the alternative that if petitioner is entitled to tolling, it is only for the forty-three days that his first state petition was pending. ECF No. 27 at 3-4.
A review of the first state habeas petition shows that while the superior court did find that the petition was untimely, it also found that petitioner's claims based upon the revised DNA report did not appear to be untimely. The DNA claims were nonetheless denied as meritless. Lod. Doc. 4 at 1-3. Accordingly, the undersigned assumes without deciding that the first state habeas petition was timely as to the claims based on the revised DNA report, and that it therefore was properly filed and tolls the statute of limitations.
Respondent argues next that the second superior court habeas petition was denied as untimely and was therefore not properly filed. ECF No. 27 at 4. He further argues that the silent denials by the California Court of Appeal and California Supreme Court are presumed to have upheld that determination. There are two problems with this argument. First, it does not appear that either party has provided the court with a copy of the California Supreme Court's order denying the petition. Instead, petitioner provided a copy of the California Supreme Court's case summary showing the case was closed, and respondent provided a copy of the docket showing that the petition was denied. ECF No. 1 at 18; Lod. Doc. 10. Neither of these is sufficient for this court to make a determination as to the contents of the denial. While the undersigned is aware from experience that California Supreme Court docket sheets generally do reflect the content of orders denying habeas relief, a docket report is not an order and does not conclusively establish the contents of the orders it references. However, because it is ultimately immaterial to the disposition of this case, respondent will not be required to provide a copy of the California Supreme Court's order.
The second problem with respondent's argument is that it is not clear that the superior court order denying the second superior court petition is the order considered by the California Court of Appeal and Supreme Court in denying the petitions before them. Although it appears that the Court of Appeal was aware of the second state habeas petition, it was also aware of the first state habeas petition. Lod. Doc. 7 at 1. Moreover, the second superior court petition and the court of appeal petition were both denied on May 22, 2014, and there is nothing to indicate that the superior court order was the first filed of the two and therefore the last reasoned decision by a state court at the time the court of appeal issued its order. Lod. Doc. 6; Lod. Doc. 8. Although the fact that both petitions were denied on the same day is likely more than coincidence, and suggests that the appellate court decision came second in time, there is nothing to conclusively establish this fact and the undersigned cannot rule out the possibility that the Court of Appeal decision was based on the order denying the first state habeas petition.
However, even if the court were to assume that the statute of limitations was tolled from the filing of the first state habeas petition through the denial by the California Supreme Court, the federal petition would still be untimely. The California Supreme Court denied the petition on October 15, 2014 (Lod. Doc. 10), and petitioner did not file his federal petition until May 28, 2015 (ECF No. 1), 225 days later. This far exceeds the ten days petitioner had left to file a timely habeas petition in federal court. Accordingly, Ground One must be dismissed as untimely unless petitioner is entitled to equitable tolling.
A habeas petitioner is entitled to equitable tolling of AEDPA's one-year statute of limitations only if he shows: "`(1) that he has been pursuing his rights diligently, and (2) that some extraordinary circumstance stood in his way' and prevented timely filing."
Although petitioner does not explicitly argue that he is entitled to equitable relief, respondent has construed his arguments related to the timeliness of his state petitions as potential claims for such relief. ECF No. 27 at 8 n.3. In his opposition to the motion to dismiss, petitioner argues that his state court petitions were not untimely because they were filed within a reasonable time given the complicated issues; his limited ability to speak and write in English, which is not his native language; and the fact that he had to rely on the assistance of other inmates. ECF No. 22 at 7, 9. However, none of these general limitations rises to the level of an extraordinary circumstance.
"[A] pro se petitioner's lack of legal sophistication is not, by itself, an extraordinary circumstance warranting equitable tolling."
Moreover, the circumstances petitioner presents do not explain the 225 day gap between the denial of petitioner's California Supreme Court petition and the filing of the instant petition. Petitioner could have simply filed his state habeas petition in this court, and his failure to do so is inconsistent with reasonable diligence.
Accordingly, petitioner is not entitled to equitable tolling.
A showing of actual innocence can also satisfy the requirements for equitable tolling.
When petitioner was directed to respond to the instant motion to dismiss, he was specifically advised that if he was trying to claim actual innocence, he "`must produce proof of his innocence that is sufficient to convince a federal court that a failure to entertain his claim would constitute a fundamental miscarriage of justice' in order to invoke the actual innocence exception to the statute of limitations." ECF No. 20 at 3 (quoting
ECF No. 20 at 4.
With respect to the DNA reports at issue on Ground One, petitioner was specifically warned that speculation about the possibility of new evidence was not sufficient. The court noted that because "the DNA reports have not been analyzed and interpreted, their exculpatory value is unknown and they are insufficient to establish a `colorable claim of factual innocence.'"
Petitioner filed his DNA-related claim in this court more than one year after discovery of its factual predicate. Even if the court assumes that the running of the limitations period was statutorily tolled from February 20, 2014 through October 15, 2014, it nonetheless expired before the federal petition was filed. Petitioner has not established a basis for equitable tolling or made a showing of actual innocence. Accordingly, Ground One must be dismissed as untimely.
For the reasons previously explained, the limitations period applicable to petitioner's additional claims began running on June 28, 2010, the day after his conviction became final. Petitioner thus had until June 27, 2011 to file a federal petition containing Grounds Two, Three and Four. Because the federal petition was filed on May 28, 2015, it is untimely absent continuous tolling between June 27, 2011 and May 28, 2015.
Because petitioner's applications for state collateral relief were all filed after June 27, 2011, when the federal limitations period expired, they have no tolling effect. A limitations period that has lapsed is not revived after the fact by the filing of a state petition.
For the reasons previously explained in regard to Ground One, the circumstances on which petitioner relies do not constitute "extraordinary circumstances" for purposes of equitable tolling. Moreover, petitioner has made no showing of diligence in the development of these claims. He is therefore not entitled to equitable tolling.
The court has already found that the revised DNA report does not establish factual innocence. That discussion is incorporated here. Petitioner has presented evidence that he characterizes as "new evidence" in support of his other claims, but none of it constitutes new evidence in light of which no reasonable juror would have convicted him.
In Ground Two, petitioner asserts that he obtained a new witness statement in May or June of 2013. ECF No. 1 at 7. From his state habeas petitions it appears that the witness was petitioner's younger brother, who was a minor at the time of the trial and was allegedly "prevented" from testifying by his parents and the court.
In support of Ground Three, petitioner alleges that the prosecutor withheld an exculpatory surveillance video from the 7-11 where they stopped to get condoms, but fails to produce the video or explain in any detail what the video would have shown.
Finally, petitioner alleges in Ground Four that a DMV sales record shows that the vehicle identified by victim L.S. in 2005 was not purchased by his family until 2006.
Petitioner has proffered no other "new evidence" to establish his innocence.
For all these reasons, petitioner has failed to put forth any new evidence from which the court can conclude "`that it is more likely than not that no reasonable juror would have convicted him in the light of the new evidence.'"
Petitioner filed his federal habeas petition almost five years after his conviction became final, which is almost four years too late. Because neither statutory nor equitable tolling apply to Grounds Two through Four, and petitioner has not demonstrated actual innocence, these claims are untimely and must be dismissed.
Petitioner had a year to file his federal habeas petition after his conviction became final. The statute of limitations did not re-start on March 1, 2013, for petitioner's claims about the new witness statement, surveillance video, and DMV sales record, because petitioner could have discovered these claims at the time of trial. Because petitioner did not file any state habeas petitions or demonstrate that he was prevented from filing a timely federal habeas petition within the year after his conviction became final, he is not entitled to any tolling and these claims are untimely.
Petitioner's claim about the revised DNA reports is also untimely even if the statute of limitations began running when he received the report. Even if petitioner gets tolling for the whole time he was pursuing state habeas petitions, he does not get tolling for the time between receiving the reports and filing his first petition (355 days), or for the time between the California Supreme Court's denial of his petition and filing this federal petition (225 days). He has not shown any extraordinary circumstances to support equitable tolling.
Petitioner does not get tolling based on actual innocence because he has not shown the court that no reasonable juror would be able to convict him after seeing the new evidence.
For the reasons set forth above, the petition was filed outside the one-year statute of limitations and must be dismissed.
Accordingly, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that M. Eliot Spearman, High Desert State Prison Warden, is substituted as respondent.
IT IS FURTHER RECOMMENDED that:
1. Respondent's motion to dismiss, ECF No. 11, be GRANTED and judgment be entered for respondent.
2. This court decline to issue the certificate of appealability referenced in 28 U.S.C. § 2253.
These findings and recommendations are submitted to the United States District Judge assigned to the case, pursuant to the provisions of 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1). Within