Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-azd-2_08-cv-01087/USCOURTS-azd-2_08-cv-01087-1/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 530
Nature of Suit: Prisoner Petitions - Habeas Corpus
Cause of Action: 28:2254 Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus (State)

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Petitioner was convicted of kidnaping, sexual assault, attempted sexual assault and

two counts of burglary.

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA

William Ivy Pickens, Jr., 

Plaintiff, 

vs.

Dora Schriro, 

Defendant. 

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No. CV-08-1087-PHX-ROS

ORDER

Background

On March 5, 1997, Petitioner pled guilty to felony theft in Arizona superior court and,

on April 3, 1997, was sentenced to three years probation and six months incarceration (Doc.

13 Ex. B-D). On June 18, 1998, Petitioner pled guilty to five additional felonies in superior

court, and, on July 24, 1998, was sentenced to thirty-six years imprisonment and lifetime

probation (Doc. 13 Ex. K-N, T-U).1

 Petitioner’s probation was also revoked on June 18,

1998 and, on July 24, 1998, Petitioner received two additional years imprisonment (Doc. 13

Ex. O, S).

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On September 30, 1998, Petitioner filed a Notice of Post-Conviction Relief (PCR)

with the superior court, pursuant to Arizona Rule of Criminal Procedure 32 (“Rule 32”), and

requested appointment of counsel (Doc. 13 Ex. V). On May 17, 1999, appointed counsel,

after reviewing the record, filed a notice of no colorable claim (Doc. 13 Ex. X). Petitioner

was subsequently granted two extensions to file a pro se PCR petition, with deadlines on July

9, and September 10, 1999 (Doc. 13 Ex. Y-AA). Petitioner failed to submit a timely petition

and, on September 23, 1999, the proceeding was dismissed (Doc. 13 Ex. BB).

On May 28, 2002, Petitioner filed a second PCR, arguing that new facts established

Petitioner’s innocence on the attempted sexual assault charge and that the plea was not

knowingly entered (Doc. 13 Ex. CC). On August 1 and 13, 2002, the second PCR was

denied as untimely (Doc. 13 Ex. DD-EE). On September 26, 2006, Petitioner filed a third

PCR, arguing his sentence violated the Supreme Court’s recent mandate in U.S. v. Booker,

543 U.S. 320 (2005) (Doc. 13 Ex. FF). On October 19, 2006, the third PCR was denied

because Booker did not apply retroactively or to state court sentences (Doc. 13 Ex. GG). On

December 18, 2007, Petitioner filed a fourth PCR, alleging innocence and failure to

knowingly enter a plea for the four 1998 convictions (Doc. 13 Ex. HH). On January 17,

2008, the PCR was denied as untimely (Doc. 13 Ex. II). On January 15, 2008, Petitioner

filed a fifth and final PCR, alleging new evidence and claiming his right to due process was

violated during the prior criminal proceedings because: the judge improperly participated in

the plea agreement, Petitioner was not advised of his right to a mitigation hearing prior to

sentencing, no DNA evidence was collected and the sentence was otherwise illegal (Doc. 13

Ex. JJ). On January 31, 2008, the Petition was denied as untimely (Doc. 13 Ex. KK).

On June 9, 2008, Petitioner filed an Application for Writ of Habeas Corpus in this

Court, alleging ineffective assistance of counsel, illegal sentence, conspiracy by Arizona

correctional officers, retaliation by law enforcement officers in the Phoenix area and judicial

misconduct (Doc. 1 at 6-10). On November 7, 2008, the government answered (Doc. 13).

On March 17, 2009, Petitioner filed a Response to Answer, which included a request for

leave to file a motion to show cause (Doc. 15). On March 20, 2009, Magistrate Judge

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Michelle Burns issued a Report and Recommendation, recommending dismissal of the

Habeas Application for failure to exhaust state remedies and denial of the request for leave

(Doc. 17). On April 6, 2009, Petitioner filed a timely Objection (Doc. 18). On May 12,

2009, Petitioner filed a Motion for Leave to file exhibits in support of the Objection (Doc.

19). On May 28, 2009, Petitioner filed a motion for miscellaneous relief (Doc. 22). For the

following reasons, the Motions will be denied, Magistrate Burns’ Report and

Recommendation will be adopted and Petitioner’s Application will be dismissed with

prejudice.

Discussion

1. Standard

A “district judge may refer dispositive pretrial motions and petitions for writ of habeas

corpus to a magistrate, who shall conduct appropriate proceedings and recommend

dispositions.” Thomas v. Arn, 474 U.S. 140, 141 (1985); see 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1)(B);

Estate of Conners v. O’Connor, 6 F.3d 656, 658 (9th Cir. 1993). Any party “may serve and

file written objections” to the magistrate’s report and recommendation. 28 U.S.C. §

636(b)(1). “A judge of the court shall make a de novo determination of those portions of the

report or specified findings or recommendations to which objection is made.” Id. (emphasis

added). A district judge “may accept, reject, or modify, in whole or in part, the findings or

recommendations made by the magistrate.” Id. District courts are not required to conduct

“any review at all . . . of any issue that is not the subject of an objection.” Thomas, 474 U.S.

at 149; see also U.S. v. Reyna-Tapia, 328 F.3d 1114, 1121 (9th Cir. 2003) (en banc) (It is

“clear that the district judge must review the magistrate judge’s findings and

recommendations de novo if objection is made, but not otherwise.”); Schmidt v. Johnstone,

263 F. Supp. 2d 1219, 1126 (D. Ariz. 2003) (same).

2. Petitioner’s Objection 

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While Petitioner’s Objection is lengthy, the question of exhaustion is not addressed

and the Magistrate’s Report and Recommendation will be adopted in full. 

A habeas corpus petitioner is ineligible for relief if state court remedies available to

vindicate the habeas claims have not been exhausted. See 28 U.S.C. § 2254(b)(1) (“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 unless it appears that – the applicant has

exhausted the remedies available in the courts of the State; or there is an absence of available

State corrective process; or circumstances exist that render such process ineffective to protect

the rights of the applicant.”); see also Insyxiengmay v. Morgan, 403 F.3d 657, 658 (9th Cir.

2005) (“A petitioner fairly and fully presents a claim to the state court for purposes of

satisfying the exhaustion requirement if he presents the claim: (1) to the proper forum, (2)

through the proper vehicle, and (3) by providing the proper factual and legal basis for the

claim.”) (internal citation omitted). If a petitioner’s failure to properly present habeas claims

to the state courts has foreclosed the possibility of state court review, as mandated by the

exhaustion requirement, the petitioner has procedurally defaulted and is precluded from

seeking federal court review of such claims. See Beaty v. Stewart, 303 F.3d 975, 987 (9th

Cir. 2002) (“If a state court determines that a claim is procedurally barred, we are precluded

from reviewing the merits of the claim if the procedural bar is adequate and independent.”).

A petitioner may overcome procedural default by showing “cause and prejudice” for the

default “or, alternatively, a fundamental miscarriage of justice.” Id.

The Magistrate found, and the Court agrees, Petitioner’s habeas claims are barred

from state court review on independent and adequate state law grounds and thus are

procedurally defaulted. To comply with federal habeas exhaustion requirements, Arizona

inmates must have presented the merits of their claims to the Arizona Court of Appeals. See

Swoopes v. Sublett, 196 F.3d 1008, 1010 (9th Cir. 1999) (per curiam) (“Recognizing that

each state is entitled to formulate its own system of post-conviction relief . . . we must credit

Arizona’s choice. Thus, except in habeas petitions in life-sentence or capital cases, claims

of Arizona state prisoners are exhausted for purposes of federal habeas once the Arizona

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Court of Appeals has ruled on them.”). A state appeals court did not reach the merits of any

of Petitioner’s five PCRs. If Petitioner were to appeal now, review would be precluded for

untimeliness. See Ariz. R. Crim. P. 32.9(c) (petition for review of PCR determination must

be filed within thirty days after the final decision of the trial court). If Petitioner were to

raise any of the habeas claims through a sixth PCR, the PCR would be summarily dismissed

for untimeliness. See Ariz. R. Crim. P. 32.4(a) (except for narrow exceptions, a PCR must

be filed within ninety days of entry of judgment); see also Ariz. R. Crim. P. 32.1(d)-(h).

Because Petitioner is prevented from exhausting his habeas claims by an independent and

adequate state law ground, exhaustion is impossible and the claims are procedurally

defaulted. See Smith v. Stewart, 241 F.3d 1191, 1995 n.2 (9th Cir. 2001) (Rule 32

procedural bar is “regularly followed” and thus adequate), rev’d on other grounds by Stewart

v. Smith, 536 U.S. 856 (2002). Petitioner’s Objection provides no argument to the contrary.

While a petitioner may overcome procedural default by showing “cause and prejudice

or, alternatively, a fundamental miscarriage of justice,” Petitioner’s Objection makes no such

showing. Beaty, 303 F.3d at 987. 

Although Petitioner provides a lengthy account of the events leading up to imposition

of sentence and incarceration, there is no basis for a finding of fundamental miscarriage of

justice. See Murray v. Carrier, 477 U.S. 478, 496 (1986) (“[W]here a constitutional violation

has probably resulted in the conviction of one who is actually innocent, a federal habeas

court may grant the writ even in the absence of a showing of cause for the procedural

default.”).

Petitioner also offers various explanations concerning his failure to properly pursue

state court remedies, which will be construed as arguments for cause and prejudice, including

Petitioner’s mental incapacity and lack of legal knowledge, the harshness of prison

conditions, and an alleged retaliatory conspiracy by various actors in the state criminal justice

apparatus. Neither Petitioner’s pro se status nor his alleged mental incapacity is an adequate

legal basis to excuse the procedural default. See Hughes v. Idaho State Bd. of Corr., 800

F.2d 905, 909 (9thCir. 1986) (illiterate habeas petitioner’s pro se status was insufficient

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cause to excuse procedural default); Tacho v. Martinez, 862 F.2d 1376, 1381 (9th Cir. 1988)

(literate petitioner’s mental condition, claiming to be “borderline mental defective,” was

insufficient cause to excuse procedural default). Nor does the general harshness of prison

conditions complained of by Petitioner establish sufficient cause and prejudice to excuse

procedural default, given Petitioner’s lack of specific explanation concerning how the alleged

conditions prevented Petitioner from complying with the Rule 32 deadlines See Nigro v.

Sullivan, 40 F.3d 990, 997 (9th Cir. 1994) (conclusory allegations blaming procedural default

on general obstacles inherent in prison life, without more specific explanation, do not

establish cause and prejudice). Although bona fide allegations of a correctional or law

enforcement officer conspiracy to keep Petitioner wrongfully incarcerated could establish

sufficient cause and prejudice, the Objection expresses no coherent theory of retaliation or

conspiracy linking allegedly improper government conduct with Petitioner’s failure to

comply with the Rule 32 deadlines. See High v. Ignacio, 408 F.3d 585, 590 (9th Cir. 2005)

(improper government interference may be a sufficient ground for excusing procedural

default). 

Petitioner has failed to adequately challenge the Magistrate’s Report recommending

dismissal of the Habeas Application for procedural default. Given the arguments raised in

the Application and Objection, further briefing or evidence is not likely to improve

Petitioner’s prospects for success on the merits and thus Petitioner’s request to submit one-totwo-hundred pages of additional briefing and exhibits will be denied. Petitioner’s motion for

miscellaneous relief has no bearing on the legal issues raised in the Report and

Recommendation and thus will be denied as moot.

Accordingly,

IT IS ORDERED Petitioner’s Motion requesting ninety days to file a motion to

show cause (Doc. 15) IS DENIED.

FURTHER ORDERED Petitioner’s Motion for Leave to file exhibits in support

of the Objection (Doc. 19) IS DENIED.

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FURTHER ORDERED Petitioner’s Motion for miscellaneous relief (Doc. 22) IS

DENIED AS MOOT.

FURTHER ORDERED the Magistrate Judge’s Report and Recommendation

(Doc. 17) IS ADOPTED.

FURTHER ORDERED Petitioner’s application for Writ of Habeas Corpus (Doc.

1) IS DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE. The Clerk of Court shall close this case. 

DATED this 3rd day of September, 2009.

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