Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca6-08-03177/USCOURTS-ca6-08-03177-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 530
Nature of Suit: Prisoner Petitions - Habeas Corpus
Cause of Action: 

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RECOMMENDED FOR FULL-TEXT PUBLICATION

Pursuant to Sixth Circuit Rule 206

File Name: 10a0048p.06

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE SIXTH CIRCUIT _________________

KEVIN A. TOLLIVER,

Petitioner-Appellant,

v.

MICHAEL SHEETS, Warden,

Respondent-Appellee.

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No. 08-3177

Appeal from the United States District Court

for the Southern District of Ohio at Columbus.

No. 05-01161—George C. Smith, District Judge.

Argued: January 20, 2010

Decided and Filed: February 22, 2010 

Before: SUHRHEINRICH, McKEAGUE, and KETHLEDGE, Circuit Judges.

_________________

COUNSEL

ARGUED: Karen E. Swanson Haan, BAKER & HOSTETLER LLP, Cleveland, Ohio, for

Appellant. M. Scott Criss, OFFICE OF THE OHIO ATTORNEY GENERAL, Columbus,

Ohio, for Appellee. ON BRIEF: Karen E. Swanson Haan, Daniel R. Warren, BAKER &

HOSTETLER LLP, Cleveland, Ohio, for Appellant. M. Scott Criss, OFFICE OF THE

OHIO ATTORNEY GENERAL, Columbus, Ohio, for Appellee. 

_________________

OPINION

_________________

McKEAGUE, Circuit Judge. Kevin Tolliver was convicted in Ohio state court

in 2002 of murdering his live-in girlfriend, Claire Schneider, in the early morning hours

of December 29, 2001. On January 18, 2008, the district court dismissed Tolliver’s

petition for a writ of habeas corpus, but certified two issues for appeal: (1) whether

Tolliver’s statements to police on the night of Schneider’s death were unconstitutionally

obtained and thus were improperly admitted at trial; and (2) whether Tolliver established

1

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cause and prejudice for procedural default of an ineffective assistance of appellate

counsel claim. We conclude that, while portions of Tolliver’s interview with the police

were obtained unconstitutionally, the trial court’s error in admitting the

unconstitutionally-obtained statements was harmless. We also conclude that Tolliver

has not demonstrated good cause for procedural default of his ineffective assistance

claim. Accordingly, we AFFIRM the district court’s denial of the petition for a writ of

habeas corpus.

I.

Shortly after 1:00 AM on December 29, 2001, Claire Schneider was shot in the

mouth and bled to death on the floor of her apartment in Columbus, Ohio, where she

lived with her boyfriend, Kevin Tolliver. Although Tolliver was present in the

apartment, he did not call 911, but instead repeatedly called his ex-wife, as well as his

voicemail, Schneider’s voicemail, and a friend. Police eventually responded to a 911

call from Tolliver’s ex-wife, and found Tolliver in the apartment with Schneider, almost

entirely covered in blood – except for his hands, which he had washed. Following a

three-week trial, a jury convicted Tolliver of murder. In its decision in State v. Tolliver,

2004 WL 625683, at *2 (Ohio Ct. App. Mar. 30, 2004), the Ohio Court of Appeals

recounted much of the factual background to the case:

Claire Schneider began dating [Tolliver] in the fall of 1999. [Tolliver]

was divorced from his ex-wife, Natasha Tolliver, with whom he shared

custody of their young daughter. Claire, a student at The Ohio State

University (“OSU”) and a part-time nail technician, moved into

Apartment 120 in the Olentangy Village Apartment complex located at

100 North Street, Columbus, Ohio, in January 2001. [Tolliver] began

living with Claire in September 2001. Claire and [Tolliver] planned to

move out of the apartment and into a house, once [Tolliver’s] extensive

remodeling of the house was completed in January 2002. Claire obtained

a loan to purchase the house.

Claire had been accepted into OSU’s Program in International

Development and was scheduled to study in the Dominican Republic

from January 5, 2002 to February 16, 2002. [Tolliver] was scheduled to

meet Claire in the Dominican Republic at the conclusion of the program

and spend a week vacationing with her. Claire told both her father,

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Walter Schneider, and her friend and co-worker, Gail Isenberg Hayes,

that she was excited about the upcoming trip. She never mentioned to

either of them that she had any plans to marry [Tolliver].

In August 2001, Schneider had gone to Dr. Stanley McCloy complaining of

sleeping difficulty, nightmares, panic attacks, and an inability to concentrate. Id. Dr.

McCloy diagnosed moderate depression and prescribed Paxil. Id. Schneider’s 30-pill

prescription had last been filled on November 24, 2001 – meaning that at the time of her

death, Schneider was no longer on Paxil. Id. Early in November, Schneider saw Dr.

Wendy L. Summerhill, and “mentioned a history of depression and that she had been on

Paxil, but that her depression was well controlled.” (JA 1304.) 

Timothy Flemming, a jeweler who had provided the wedding ring for Tolliver’s

first marriage, testified that early in December of 2001 he and Tolliver had discussed

Tolliver’s purchasing a specific type of diamond and platinum engagement ring.

Tolliver, Flemming added, was planning to give the ring to Schneider when he went to

visit her on her semester abroad. Flemming did not remember giving Tolliver a specific

quote or discussing price.

December 28-29, 2001

On December 28, 2001, Schneider attended the closing on her new house.

Apparently, there were problems with some of the documentation, and it is not clear

whether the transaction was completed. Tolliver, 2004 WL 625683, at *2. Hayes,

Schneider’s co-worker and good friend, testified that, on the 28th, Schneider had no

bruises or abrasions on her hands, face, or neck. Schneider, Hayes added, was “very

stressed” about “the house situation that her and Kevin were involved with,” had been

“a little emotional” during the previous five days, and “was upset earlier in the day [of

the 28th].” (JA 1103-04.)

That evening, around midnight, Scheider and Tolliver had drinks at a restaurant

with a friend and later went to the Krome nightclub. Tolliver, 2004 WL 625683, at *2.

Abby Warner, one of Schneider’s co-workers, testified that at Krome she had seen

Schneider and Tolliver dancing with each other, “hanging onto each other, looking into

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each other’s eyes, look[ing] like they were having fun.” (JA 1406.) Later in the

evening, however, Warner saw Schneider dancing, without Tolliver, in a large group of

people, and Tolliver looking down at her from a higher level, “watching her with his

arms across his chest” and looking “kind of angry.” (JA 1407.) Collin Bumgarner, a

worker at Krome, testified that on the night of Schneider’s death he saw Tolliver and

Schneider as they were exiting the club, and that in the parking lot they were speaking

particularly loudly. While the discussion drew his attention, Bumgarner added, it was

not alarming – either to him or to the police officers with whom he was standing.

[Tolliver] and Claire returned to the apartment at approximately 12:36

a.m. . . . . At 1:15 a.m., Janet Parady, who resided in Apartment 220, was

awakened to a man screaming “No, No. Don’t, don’t. Oh, please.

Please.” (Vol.I, Tr. 76.) She called 911 and reported that she thought the

screaming came from Apartment 320, the apartment directly above her.

She further reported that the people who lived in apartment 320 had been

fighting for approximately one-half hour, and that it sounded like

someone had fallen down.

Tolliver, 2004 WL 625683, at *2 -*3. In fact, Tolliver and Schneider lived in the

apartment (120) below Parady. A police officer responded to Parady’s call, but found

nothing wrong at apartment 320. He did not check apartment 120.

At approximately 1:45 a.m., Natasha Tolliver received a telephone call

from [Tolliver]. [Tolliver] was sobbing and told Natasha that if she ever

loved him, she would come to his apartment immediately. Natasha put

her daughter in her car and drove to the apartment complex at

approximately 1:55 a.m. When she arrived at [Tolliver’s] apartment, she

saw blood smeared on the front door. [Tolliver] was dressed in a

blood-stained bathrobe and had blood on his hands and legs. She also

noticed blood on the living room wall and kitchen floor. Natasha told

[Tolliver] she was going to take their daughter back to the car. [Tolliver]

followed her outside. When she asked [Tolliver] what had happened, he

told her that he was “really in trouble.” (Vol.XII, Tr. 1727.) Natasha

told [Tolliver] to call the police. [Tolliver] was crying so hysterically

that Natasha thought he was having a breakdown. [Tolliver] said he was

going to kill himself and that he wanted to see his daughter. Natasha

called 911 and reported what had happened. She then drove to the other

side of the parking lot because she was afraid [Tolliver] might kill

himself in front of their daughter.

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Peter Kovarik, the resident of Apartment 215, returned to the apartment

complex at approximately 2:00 a.m. As he walked inside the building,

he noticed [Tolliver], dressed in a bathrobe, standing in the hallway

outside Apartment 117. [Tolliver] seemed startled to see Kovarik and

ducked into the alcove outside Apartment 117. Seconds later, [Tolliver]

stepped out from the alcove and asked Kovarik “how’s it going?” (Vol.I,

Tr. 107.) In response, Kovarik asked [Tolliver] “how is it going with

you?” [Tolliver] responded “good.” (Vol.I, Tr. 108.) According to

Kovarik, [Tolliver] did not act as if he were upset about anything and did

not ask him for assistance.

Officers [David] Shots and Paul Coulter responded to Natasha's 911 call

between 2:00 and 2:05 a.m. . . . [and] the officers proceeded to

[Tolliver’s] apartment. [Tolliver] emerged from the apartment, dressed

only in a bathrobe. The bathrobe had blood on it, as did [Tolliver’s] feet

and legs. [Tolliver] was talking on a cell phone (later determined to be

Claire’s) and holding a bloody dishtowel. [Tolliver] told the officers,

“[s]he shot herself.” (Vol.I, Tr. 149.) According to both Shots and

Coulter, the door to Apartment 117 had smeared blood on it, as if

someone had tried to wipe blood off the door. There was also blood

spatter on the door jamb of Apartment 117. [Tolliver] was immediately

handcuffed and placed in Shots’ cruiser.

Id.

Officer Shots testified that, while Tolliver was sitting in the cruiser, Tolliver,

unprompted, said “I can’t believe she did this. She has only held a gun - - she has never

even held a gun.” (JA 0314.) Tolliver then “said they were at the mall earlier,

something about they closed on a house or looking to buy a house,” (JA 0314), and also

said “something about that the phone didn’t work in his apartment . . . or it didn’t have

a phone in his apartment,” (JA 0315).

While searching the apartment, Officer Coulter found blood on the walls

and floor, as well as on several items in the apartment. An overturned

floor lamp and potted plant lay on the living room floor. Coulter

discovered Claire’s dead body lying face-up on the bathroom floor on top

of a black nylon jacket. Her arms were partially inside the sleeves of the

jacket, which was saturated with blood. A blood-covered 9mm Ruger

semiautomatic pistol, an envelope containing $3, and a handwritten note

were found on the vanity in the bathroom. The note said “she did not

know gun was loaded. I loved her. Could not find the phone.” (Vol. II,

Tr. 308, State’s Exhibits D120, D121, E12.) Inside the sink lay two live

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1

On May 2, 2002, the trial court denied Tolliver’s motion to suppress the statement, concluding

that, while Tolliver was in custody, he was not being interrogated within the meaning of Miranda v.

Arizona, 384 U.S. 436 (1966). The court explained: 

It is the Court’s interpretation . . . that the Defendant wanted to assert or argue that the victim had

committed suicide and wanted to assert or argue that if the Detective would only look at the evidence,

they would see how ridiculous it would be for anyone to assume that he committed the homicide.

Each time the detective attempted to advise the Defendant of his rights, he would interrupt

making such statements as “the minute you start to advise me of my rights I’m going to stop talking”

or words to that effect. The court does not feel that the statements made by Detective Viduya raised

themselves to the level of an interrogation.

It is this Court’s definite impression that the Defendant Tolliver did not want to be questioned

by the detective and therefore did not want to specifically waive his rights, however, he did want to

assert his position and argue his perception of evidence to the detective, without being questioned. . . .

[T]he video and/or statements of the Defendant should probably end at the time he names the three

attorneys and the detective leaves the room to call one of them.

(JA 2151-53.)

shells and the gun’s magazine clip containing 12 live shells. The gun did

not contain a live round in the chamber. The bathroom door contained

a single bullet hole that had several strands of hair attached to it. A spent

9mm shell casing was found in the hallway just outside the bathroom.

A spent 9mm bullet was found behind the door in the bathroom. Two

pens and a semiautomatic weapon magazine clip containing live rounds

of ammunition were found underneath Claire’s body.

Columbus Police Detective Robert Viduya . . . instructed the transport

officers not to allow [Tolliver] to go to the bathroom at the police station,

so that blood evidence on [Tolliver’s] body could be collected.

Photographs taken of [Tolliver] at the police station show blood on

[Tolliver’s] face, legs and feet; however, no blood appears on [Tolliver’s]

hands.

Tolliver, 2004 WL 625683, at *3-*4.

The Videotaped Interview

After Tolliver was taken to the police station, the police conducted a videotaped

interview during which Tolliver – while never incriminating himself – made a number

of statements that the prosecution later used at trial to cast doubt on his credibility.1

Tolliver repeatedly stated that Schneider had killed or shot herself, and that he and

Schneider: had just bought a house together; were not having any problems or fights; and

were getting engaged and were planning their wedding. Additionally, Tolliver made the

following statements:

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2

When the video of the interview was shown to the jury, the prosecution removed (or muted):

shots of Tolliver naked; references to whether Tolliver had ever been issued the Miranda warning;

Tolliver’s declarations that he would remain silent once issued a Miranda warning and that he was not of

sound mind; Tolliver’s response that he would help police on the investigation; Tolliver’s demand that he

be placed alone until he could talk to his attorney; and Tolliver’s statement that he did not want to talk to

police, but wanted them “to clearly understand what happened.”

“I just bought a $7500 diamond engagement ring.”

“We were naked, and we were about to make love . . . .”

“That’s why I couldn’t call anybody faster, I spent 20 minutes running through

the house looking for my phone. I couldn’t find it. I finally found hers.”

“I was trying to see my daughter, so I did wash [off some of the blood].”

“I wanted to see my daughter, because I wanted to kill myself.”

“She had not taken her medication [Paxil]. She was upset about her family and

their dislike for me and that she might be pregnant.”

“I was in the bathroom by myself when she came in. I was getting the other gun

out, and I was taking them out of the house.”

“She was in the middle of a sentence when she accidently shot herself. . . . She

said, ‘What do you want me to - -’ pow.”

“I could feel her jaw, felt like it was broken but I couldn’t find the entryway.”

“I went across the hall, banged on the door . . . . there was nobody home.”

“We were going to the Dominican Republic for two months . . . .”

“If you can find any residue or gun powder on my hands . . . then you can come

and you can ask me questions beyond that you want to [sic]. Forensics will show

you that I did not pull any triggers.”;

Tolliver also asserted several times that he was “not of sound mind,” and so was not in

a position to waive any of his rights. While Tolliver himself did not testify at the trial,

the prosecution showed the jury an edited version of the statement.2

Additional Trial Testimony

Keith Norton, a forensic pathologist and deputy coroner at the Franklin County

Coroner’s office, performed an autopsy on Schneider. Norton found numerous bruises

and abrasions on Schneider’s body, including two on the front of her right leg, three on

the inside of her right leg, one close to her right ankle, and three on the outside of the left

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upper leg. There was a bruise on the base of Schneider’s right thumb, on the back of the

hand, that Norton testified was consistent with (but not necessarily) a defensive wound.

There was also swelling and bruising of the left side of the face close to the eye. In

addition, there were two narrow “scratch-like” scrapes on the right side of the chest, and

there was an abrasion with the bruise on the left side of her neck. While the bruises were

of different colors, Norton testified that he was not able to say when they had been

caused, as determining the age of bruises is “not science,” but is rather “like reading

tarot cards.” (JA 0855.) Most tellingly, Norton testified that he had found that

Schneider’s lips on the right side of her mouth were burned, and that there was a small

circular area on the upper lip in the middle of this burned area that “was relatively

spared, more nearly normal in color.” (JA 0807.) Norton also testified that Schneider’s

front teeth were intact – meaning that the bullet entered her open mouth.

Norton stated that the fact that the gun was outside of Schneider’s mouth when

it was discharged suggested to him that it was not suicide. Ultimately, however, Norton

was not able to conclusively determine the manner of Schneider’s death (as homicide or

suicide), and instead recommended that the coroner rule the manner of death

“undetermined.” As Norton explained, “[t]he major consideration of whether this was

a suicide and unable to determine that decision, I went ahead with an undetermined

ruling. That is what I recommended to Dr. Lewis, the Coroner, and Dr. Lewis went

along with that.” (JA 0946.) Norton also testified that his autopsy findings were not

inconsistent with CPR having been performed. Tolliver, 2004 WL 625683, at *5.

[Columbus Police Detective and bloodstain expert Robert] Young also

noted 18 impact spatterings on the right forearm of [a]white shirt found

in the clothes hamper. According to Young, the entrance wound in

Claire’s mouth produced high velocity back spatter, which landed on the

right sleeve of the shirt, demonstrating that the shirt was in close

proximity to Claire’s face at the instant she was shot. Impact droplets in

the button line on the front of the shirt indicated that the shirt was worn

unbuttoned at the time of the spattering. Young candidly admitted that he

did not think the shooting was a homicide until he saw photographs of

the shirt. Young conceded that expirated blood from Claire’s mouth or

nose expelled during CPR might appear as high velocity spatter, but he

did not believe that the bloodstains on the shirt were expirated. Young

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concurred in Norton’s opinion that the fact that only Claire’s back teeth

sustained damage indicated that her mouth was open at the time she was

shot. Young agreed that the blood spatterings found on the shirt are

consistent with the theory that someone fired the gun with the left hand

while holding Claire by the throat with the right hand. Young conceded,

however, that the blood spatter evidence did not provide a direct

indication of who fired the gun.

Id. at *6.

Mark J. Hardy, a criminalist with the Columbus police and an expert in firearms

evaluation, testified that Schneider’s lips had probably been burned by the gasses that

emerged from the gun when it was fired, and that the unburned area on her lips probably

indicated that part of the muzzle of the gun was pressed against her mouth, and so

protected her lips from the heat. This would mean that the gun was not inserted into

Schneider’s mouth, but rather fired from just outside of her mouth. Hardy concluded

that the gun had been positioned on its side with the butt of the gun facing to Schneider’s

“left as you are looking at her.” On cross, Hardy agreed that “the exact features” he had

described “could have been produced by Claire holding the gun close to her face and

pulling the trigger.” (JA 1578; 1585.)

Defense bloodstain expert Stuart James determined that Claire was

standing no more than 6 to 12 inches from the bathroom door when she

was shot. With regard to the bloodstain spatters on the white shirt, James

concluded that it was impossible to state with scientific certainty whether

the spatters were produced by gunshot back spatter.

Claire’s cell phone records demonstrate that between 1:29 and 2:15 a.m.

on December 29, 2001, seven calls were made to Natasha Tolliver’s cell

phone, one call was made to Claire’s cell phone, one call was made to

defendant’s cell phone, and one call was made to a friend of defendant.

Tolliver, 2004 WL 625683, at *7.

One of the prosecution’s key witnesses was Joseph Adams, an inmate who had

been incarcerated with Tolliver, who testified that Tolliver confessed to killing

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3

Adams admitted that when he first met Tolliver he had threatened to assault Tolliver with three

bars of soap wrapped in a sock – an admittedly deadly weapon – because Tolliver had received a desirable

cell. It was only later, Adams explained, that he won Tolliver’s trust and friendship. 

Schneider.3 Adams was in prison for eight counts of bank robbery, one count of

possession of cocaine, and one count of kidnapping. Previously, he had been convicted

of manslaughter and theft of a credit card. After Adams discovered that Tolliver had

been charged with murder, he decided to try to coerce Tolliver into revealing details

about the murder so that he could then provide that information to the state in exchange

for a reduction in his sentence. Tolliver, 2004 WL 625683, at *7. Adams was serving

a 16-year sentence, and in exchange for his testimony against Tolliver his sentence was

cut in half.

According to Adams, Tolliver had said that he felt as though he would be losing

Schneider if she went on her study abroad. Tolliver “just couldn’t take” Schneider

traveling to the Dominican Republic, Adams added. (JA 1425.) After Tolliver shot

Schneider, moreover, Adams testified, Tolliver “had to get rid of some evidence.” (JA

1425.)

He shot her with a sock over his wrist, a shirt, like a towel over the rest

of his arm when he shot her, to keep the gun blast from going back. He

had to get rid of that evidence. He had to move her around to make it

look like she killed herself. He wanted to get blood on him from her to

make it look like he was holding her, and that was the state of shock he

was in, and eventually he called the authorities.

(JA 1425.) Tolliver’s defense strategy, Adams explained, would be to tell the jury that

Schneider had killed herself, “and when they saw him on the stand and saw him cry and

really look remorseful, then they would know that he didn’t kill her himself, his exact

words.” (JA 1427.)

An inmate incarcerated with [Tolliver] and Adams, David Dye, testified

on behalf of [Tolliver]. According to Dye, Adams approached him prior

to [Tolliver’s] trial and asked him if he wanted to testify against

[Tolliver] in order to “help myself (Dye) out.” (Vol.XII, Tr. 1670.) Dye

told Adams that he could not testify against [Tolliver] because he did not

know anything about [Tolliver’s] case. He further stated that although

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Adams never told him he had made up the story about [Tolliver], Dye got

the impression that Adams had done so.

Tolliver, 2004 WL 625683, at *1 -*7.

Use of Tolliver’s Statement During Opening and Closing Arguments

Having showed the jury the video of Tolliver’s statements to the police, the

prosecution spent a good deal of time discussing the import of Tolliver’s words. Before

showing the video, the prosecution first informed the members of the jury that they were

going to hear Tolliver claim that he could not find a phone, despite the fact that a cell

phone was right there in the apartment. The prosecutor focused at greater length on the

statement in her closing statement:

You have heard all of the evidence. Nothing in the evidence, other than

the word of the defendant, supports the fact that Claire Schneider killed

herself. Nothing. The evidence does support the fact that the defendant

murdered Claire Schneider. Not only was Claire Schneider murdered by

the defendant, he then compounded it by telling the police that she killed

herself, compounded the horror and made it worse.

* * *

Everyone who saw Claire that day, every single person said she acted

normal, appeared to be in a good mood, she was fine. You heard the tape

of the defendant. The defendant lied. The defendant told you several lies

in that video. I’m certain you caught many of them, and they all make

sense now. He told you he spent 20 minutes running through the house

looking for his phone.

First of all, you heard his phone was right outside at his [car], a few feet

from the door. . . . His keys are laying right there. They are in the

pictures. If he was looking for Claire’s phone - - Gail told you she kept

it in her purse. The purse was laying right in open sight. He was waiting

for Claire to die. Gee whiz. If I call the police before she was dead, I

can’t say she did herself, because what if she makes it? What if she can

talk? He said, “We have just closed on a house today together. The

mortgage was all in Claire’s name.” Control? Who had the obligation

for that mortgage?

“I just bought a $7500 diamond engagement ring.” His own witness told

you not only had he not bought a ring, they hadn’t even talked prices of

rings. They had had a conversation, one conversation about rings. He

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4

Tolliver argues, as part of the claim that state courts found to be procedurally defaulted, that his

attorney was ineffective in that she did not insist that he be present for a hearing into whether Schneider’s

diary would be admitted at trial. The defense had asked for access to the diary, but the judge – as he later

affirmed – never ruled on the request. (The judge added that he did “not recall whether he gave defense

trial counsel an opportunity to review the diary.” (JA 2184-85.)) The diary, which was in the

prosecution’s possession, seems to contradict directly the prosecution’s assertion that Tolliver and

Schneider had no plans to marry. One entry in the diary, for example, dated 10-1-01 (almost three months

before Schneider’s death) reads: “Going to the chapel and we’re going to get Married! Mrs. Claire

Tolliver. Mrs. Claire Tolliver. Mrs. Claire Tolliver. I am sooo in LOVE with my man it’s unbelievable.

We decided that we’re just gonna say “FUCK IT”!!! and go get married @ the courthouse.” (Pet. Mot.

for Expansion of COA, 6/26/08, Ex. C.)

said we were not having any problems. You heard how loudly they were

arguing across the street from Krome; you heard how he was glaring at

Claire at Krome. No problems.

You heard him over and over and over say “Check me for gunpowder.

Check me for gunshot residue. The forensics will clear me. Check me.”

Check me,” the man with clean hands when the police showed up.

“Check her for gunshot residue.” Of course, she had it on her hands.

She should have had it on her hands. You would expect her to have it on

her hands because she was in the room. You heard that. We were

planning our wedding tonight.

That’s funny, because Gail told you that Claire - - if she were engaged

in their wedding plans - - her wedding or even talking about it, she would

have called Gail immediately and told her. She shared everything. Gail

had never heard anything about that. Neither had her father.4

“I should have just killed myself right there. I just had to see my

daughter first.” You saw it on video. He saw his daughter. If that were

a true statement, look how much time he had. Child came out of the

building at two o’clock. The police went into the building at 2:14. He

had 14 minutes. Put the clip in and pull the trigger if you really were

going to kill yourself. You had gotten to see your daughter. He didn’t

have any intention of killing himself. He was going to leave. Read the

note.

“Claire and I rented the apartment.” Not only was his name not on the

lease, he had his attorney call them up and say he didn’t live there.

Talks more about trying to find a phone. Can’t find a phone.

* * *

He talks about her being in the middle of a sentence. “What do you want

me to - -” Does that make sense? Any sense whatsoever? I was in the

bathroom by myself when she came in. I was getting the other gun out,

the other gun that is stowed away safely in the bathroom closet. The

door wasn’t open to the closet. The gun was still there tucked away on

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5

The parties discussed the importance of the videotape during a sidebar following the

prosecution’s case. The defense had moved for a judgment of acquittal, arguing that the evidence (apart

from the testimony of Adams) was at the very best equivocal. The prosecution stated: “obviously we think

. . . there is evidence. We will agree that is largely - - perhaps completely a circumstantial case, however,

the fact that the defendant made a statement to - - the jury has heard and they have heard that there were

several untruths or inconsistencies in that tape is also evidence; and, therefore, it should be submitted to

the jury.” (JA 1649.) In other words, the prosecution believed that its case deserved to go the jury because

of Adams’s evidence and Tolliver’s statement. The judge agreed that there was enough to go to the jury

without Adams, and that with Adams there was even more justification.

a shelf. He wasn’t getting it out. He was getting them there. He wasn’t

getting them out of the house.

He told you her jaw felt like it was broken, but Dr. Norton said, Huh-huh.

It didn’t feel like that. Bullet went through soft tissue.

He tried to tell you he banged on the door across the hall, the door across

the hall that Joe Swick knew was not occupied at the time. He knew that,

because there was junk mail. The people were out of town.

* * *

He said we were going to the Dominican Republic, starting for two

months in January. You know that’s not true. Claire had a ticket. Claire

was leaving. Claire was getting away from him, and he didn’t like it. He

was not going. He was going to visit her at the very end of her trip. He

said, “I put the clip in.” The second shot would have been fired. The

clip was not in the gun.

And then he said he wanted to spend some time with the daughter before

the police showed up. He didn’t realize we knew he had already spent

time with his daughter. We had it on video.

(JA 1933-1957.) The transcript of the prosecution’s closing argument runs for 24 pages;

of that, approximately 4-5 pages (or between 16% and 20% of the total) includes

commentary about Tolliver’s statements. 

Following the defense closing argument, the prosecution on rebuttal once again

focused on Tolliver’s statements, and began by focusing on one statement in particular:5

One simple way for you to know whether Kevin Tolliver lied, simple,

twice in the tape and has been repeated by Mr. Reinhart [Tolliver’s

attorney] himself, he said that Claire Schneider said, “What do you want

me to - -” twice, in the tape, “What do you want me to - -” and I want all

of you to say, “What do you want met to - -” Where are your teeth when

you finish? “What do you want me to - -” Now, I want you to scream,

“No.” I want you to scream “No,” like somebody is trying to kill you.

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“No, no. Please don’t.” How far away are your teeth? This bullet went

between her teeth. It’s not possible. “What do you me to - -” bullet

wouldn’t fit. Absolutely, would not fit. He lied.

He lied about other things. He said they were naked. They weren’t

naked. Claire was wearing a coat. . . . And all she had on under it was

one skimpy pair of underwear. How much of a hurry do you have to be

in to only put on a coat and those underwear if you are leaving? Pretty

big hurry.

* * *

He [Tolliver’s attorney] said that Kevin Tolliver never used the word

“suicide.” He is right, but what did he say? You couldn’t have been this

upset. So she was supposed to be taking Paxil. She hadn’t taken her

medication. She was upset about her family. What if she didn’t mean it?

He didn’t suggest suicide. Absolutely. He couldn’t get his story straight.

He said suicide, accident, suicide, accident. He couldn’t keep his story

straight.

* * *

Was he afraid he would get accused of something he didn’t do? Or was

he afraid of the fact that a lot of his story didn’t make sense? Does a

distraught person say, “I’m not psychologically sound of mind”? That

is not possible. Are those the statements of an innocent man?

(JA 1999-2000, 2005-06, 2010.)

The jury found Tolliver guilty on June 4, 2002, and the judge sentenced Tolliver

to serve 15 years to life, with an additional three years added on through a firearm

specification. 

Procedural History

After Tolliver appealed the conviction, the Ohio Court of Appeals in the Tenth

Appellate District affirmed the judgment on March 30, 2004, addressing at length

Tolliver’s arguments about the admissibility of his statements to police. After dissecting

Tolliver’s statement, the court concluded that Tolliver had not been subjected to

“interrogation” at the time he made his statement, and so the statement was not made in

violation of Miranda. The court also concluded that most of the police questions were

merely permissible follow-ups to Tolliver’s volunteered statements, and that Tolliver

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had repeatedly interrupted police attempts to give the Miranda warning. Tolliver, 2004

WL 625683, at *16. While conceding that one police comment, regarding the location

of Schneider’s wound, did constitute “express questioning in violation of Miranda,” the

court held that admission of Tolliver’s response was harmless. Id. The court also

concluded that Tolliver’s demand during the statement that the detective “stop talking”

and “find me someplace where I can be by myself . . . until I can see my attorney” was,

moreover, so equivocal a request for an attorney as not to trigger the Fifth Amendment

right to counsel. Even if it were an invocation of the right to counsel, the court added,

“admission of the statements following the request was harmless, given that defendant

had already made similar statements, or other admissible evidence confirmed those

statements.” Id. at *17. The Ohio Supreme Court declined jurisdiction and dismissed

the appeal on August 4, 2004. The Ohio Supreme Court then denied Tolliver’s motion

for reconsideration on September 29, 2004. 

On December 28, 2004, acting pro se, Tolliver asked the Ohio Court of Appeals

to reopen his direct appeal so that he could argue that his counsel was ineffective for

failing to identify Adams as a state agent and failing to ensure that Tolliver was present

at the trial court hearing concerning admission of Schneider’s diary. Tolliver filed this

motion 90 days after the Ohio Supreme Court made its final ruling on his direct appeal,

and more than nine months after journalization of the Court of Appeals opinion. On

May 6, 2005, the Ohio Court of Appeals denied Tolliver’s motion, concluding that

Tolliver had procedurally defaulted his claim by failing to file his application within 90

days after journalization of the appellate judgment and failing to show good cause for

the untimely filing. On May 17, 2005, more then ten days after this judgment, Tolliver

moved for reconsideration. The Ohio Court of Appeals denied on June 23, 2005,

concluding that Tolliver had failed to meet the requirement that applications for

reconsideration be filed within ten days. Nonetheless, the court reached the merits, and

affirmed its previous ruling, concluding that the fact that Tolliver’s post-conviction

petition was still pending before the Ohio Supreme Court was not adequate “good cause”

justifying missing the deadline. The Ohio Supreme Court declined jurisdiction on

August 10, 2005.

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Even while pursuing his direct appeal, Tolliver initiated post-conviction appeals,

petitioning the trial court to vacate or set aside his conviction and sentence, arguing a

combination of actual innocence and ineffectiveness of counsel. On May 7, 2004, the

court declined to do so. The Ohio Court of Appeals then affirmed on March 8, 2005.

The Ohio Supreme Court declined jurisdiction on August 10, 2005. Following the

failure of these state appeals, Tolliver on December 23, 2005, petitioned for a writ of

habeas corpus in federal court, alleging numerous grounds for relief. On November 20,

2007, the magistrate judge recommended that Tolliver’s petition be dismissed. The

district judge adopted the magistrate judge’s recommendation in full, but construed

Tolliver’s notice of appeal as a request for a certificate of appealability, and certified two

issues for appeal:

1. Were petitioner’s statements to police unconstitutionally obtained and thus

improperly admitted at trial?

2. Did petitioner establish cause and prejudice for his procedural default of his

ineffective assistance of appellate counsel claim?

II.

We first address whether Tolliver’s statements to police were unconstitutionally

obtained and thus improperly admitted at trial – and, if so, whether the trial court’s error

in admitting these statements was harmless. Tolliver argues that the trial court admitted

statements that were obtained in violation of Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 444-45

(1966) through: (1) express questioning prior to the issuance of a Miranda warning;

(2) questioning following Tolliver’s declaration that he wished to remain silent; and

(3) questioning following Tolliver’s demand that police stop talking until he could see

his attorney. We find that while many of Tolliver’s statements were voluntary, the

police eventually began interrogating Tolliver within the meaning of Miranda, and

continued the interview and interrogation even after Tolliver invoked his right to

counsel. The prosecution then used Tolliver’s unconstitutionally-obtained statements

at trial to cast doubt upon Tolliver’s credibility. As the prosecution’s references to these

unconstitutionally-obtained statements were merely cumulative, however, we also find

that the trial court’s error in admitting these statements was harmless.

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6

We may look to decisions by other circuits not as binding precedent on whether a legal principle

has been clearly established by the Supreme Court, but rather to inform the analysis of Supreme Court

holdings to determine whether a legal principle had been clearly established. Hill v. Hofbauer, 337 F.3d

706, 716 (6th Cir. 2003). We are bound by prior Sixth Circuit determinations that a rule has been clearly

established. Smith v. Stegall, 385 F.3d 993, 998 (6th Cir. 2004).

In reviewing a district court’s denial of a petition for a writ of habeas corpus

under 28 U.S.C. § 2254, we review all legal conclusions de novo. Armstrong v. Morgan,

372 F.3d 778, 781 (6th Cir. 2004). Under the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty

Act (“AEDPA”), a federal court shall not grant a writ of habeas corpus with respect to

any claim that was adjudicated on the merits in state court proceedings unless the

adjudication of the claim either: 

(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 

(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). Under the first, “contrary to,” clause, a federal habeas court may

grant the writ “if the state court arrives at a conclusion opposite to that reached by [the

Supreme Court] on a question of law or if the state court decides a case differently than

[the Supreme Court] has on a set of materially indistinguishable facts.” Williams v.

Taylor, 529 U.S. 362, 412-13 (2000). Under the second, “unreasonable application,”

clause, a federal habeas court may grant the writ “if the state court identifies the correct

governing legal principle from [the Supreme Court’s] decisions but unreasonably applies

that principle to the facts of the prisoner’s case.” Id. In order for a writ to issue, we

must determine both that the state court incorrectly applied the relevant Supreme Court

precedent and that this misapplication was objectively unreasonable. Id. at 411.6

A. Unconstitutionality

Under the Fifth Amendment, a suspect is guaranteed the right to remain silent

and the right to assistance of counsel during a custodial interrogation. Miranda, 384

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U.S. at 444-45. Early in the Miranda opinion, the Supreme Court summarized its

holding:

[T]he prosecution may not use statements, whether exculpatory or

inculpatory, stemming from custodial interrogation of the defendant

unless it demonstrates the use of procedural safeguards effective to

secure the privilege against self-incrimination. By custodial

interrogation, we mean questioning initiated by law enforcement officers

after a person has been taken into custody or otherwise deprived of his

freedom of action in any significant way. As for the procedural

safeguards to be employed, unless other fully effective means are devised

to inform accused persons of their right of silence and to assure a

continuous opportunity to exercise it, the following measures are

required. Prior to any questioning, the person must be warned that he has

a right to remain silent, that any statement he does make may be used as

evidence against him, and that he has a right to the presence of an

attorney, either retained or appointed. The defendant may waive

effectuation of these rights, provided the waiver is made voluntarily,

knowingly and intelligently. If, however, he indicates in any manner and

at any stage of the process that he wishes to consult with an attorney

before speaking there can be no questioning. Likewise, if the individual

is alone and indicates in any manner that he does not wish to be

interrogated, the police may not question him. The mere fact that he may

have answered some questions or volunteered some statements on his

own does not deprive him of the right to refrain from answering any

further inquiries until he has consulted with an attorney and thereafter

consents to be questioned.

Id. In 2000, the Court reaffirmed the rule that the prosecution may not use statements

obtained through custodial interrogation in the absence of the specific rendering of the

Miranda warning. Dickerson v. U.S., 530 U.S. 428, 432 (2000); see also Oregon v.

Elstad, 470 U.S. 298, 317 (1985). “Interrogation” includes “express questioning or its

functional equivalent.” Rhode Island v. Innis, 446 U.S. 291, 300-01 (1980). The

“functional equivalent” of express questioning includes “any words or actions on the part

of the police (other than those normally attendant to arrest and custody) that the police

should know are reasonably likely to elicit an incriminating response from the suspect.”

Pennsylvania v. Muniz, 496 U.S. 582, 600-01 (1990) (citing Innis, 446 U.S. 291). Police

must “scrupulously honor” a suspect’s “right to cut off questioning.” Michigan v.

Mosley, 423 U.S. 96, 103 (1975) (quoting Miranda, 384 U.S. at 479). In other words,

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7

At oral argument, Tolliver’s counsel argued that the entire interview was conducted

unconstitutionally because, prior to any questioning, Detective Viduya told Tolliver that he wanted to “do

an interview.” (JA 31.) By merely telling a suspect that they want to interview him or ask him some

questions, however, the police are of course not engaged in “express questioning or its functional

equivalent,” and so are not interrogating that suspect within the meaning of Miranda.

regardless of whether police are interrogating a suspect in custody or of whether the

suspect has waived his Miranda rights, police must respect that suspect’s invocation of

his Fifth Amendment rights to remain silent or to counsel.

In this case, the government concedes both that Tolliver was in custody and that

the police did not successfully administer a Miranda warning. The questions for us,

then, are whether: (1) the police interrogated Tolliver; (2) Tolliver ever invoked his right

to remain silent; or (3) Tolliver ever invoked his right to counsel. While Tolliver

interrupted police attempts to administer the Miranda warning, volunteered numerous

statements, and was unclear as to whether he was invoking his right to remain silent, we

find that at times the police crossed the line into “express questioning or its functional

equivalent” and that, prior to the end of the interview, Tolliver unambiguously invoked

his right to counsel.7 In other words, the statements police obtained from Tolliver

following the initiation of interrogation and Tolliver’s invocation of the right to counsel

were obtained in violation of Tolliver’s Fifth Amendment rights; the trial court thus

erred in admitting those statements at trial.

1. Police questions about Tolliver’s “wire” phone.

Tolliver points first to two police questions (regarding his home phone and

number), asked early in the interview, that he argues were “express” inquiries violating

Miranda. While the two questions were clearly “express” in the sense that the police

explicitly asked Tolliver what his home phone number was and whether he had a “wire

phone” in his apartment, however, the transcript and the video of the interview both

make clear that the police here were simply trying to follow up on Tolliver’s request that

the police contact Schneider’s parents to tell them about Schneider’s death. After

Tolliver made this request, the police asked whether Tolliver knew Walter Schneider’s

number. When Tolliver replied that the number was “in the cell phone that [police] took

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from me at the scene,” the police observed that they thought the cell phone was still at

Tolliver’s apartment. It was only then that they asked Tolliver what his telephone

number at home was, and whether he had a “wire phone” in the apartment. Despite the

importance to this case of whether Tolliver could find a phone in the apartment, the

police were in fact following up on Tolliver’s voluntary statement and were seeking an

easy way to call over to the apartment to have the police there check on the phone

number. See Tolliver, 2004 WL 625683, at *15. We therefore find that by asking these

questions the police were not interrogating Tolliver within the meaning of Miranda.

2. Tolliver’s statements that he did not want to talk or want to waive

his rights.

Tolliver next claims that, following the police questions about his home phone,

he three times affirmatively invoked his Fifth Amendment right to remain silent.

According to the transcript, just as Detective Viduya was preparing “to go over this

rights waiver,” Tolliver broke in:

THE DEFENDANT: Let me tell you something.

THE OFFICER: I am going read it (inaudible).

THE DEFENDANT: I am going to tell you right now, okay?

THE OFFICER: Okay.

THE DEFENDANT: [1] I am not of sound mind or - - I am not capable of

waiving anything right now. I will give you any verbal statement to give you

all of the information you need to investigate, but [2] I am not going to sign off

on anything that has to do with my rights. If you don’t want to hear what I

have to say, fine. But she is the only one with gun powder on her, okay. It was

my fault for bringing the gun out. But I was in the bathroom by myself when she

came in. I was getting the other gun out, and I was taking them out of the house.

She had not taken her medication. She was upset about her family and their

dislike for me and that she might be pregnant. And beyond that - - and beyond

that, we had no problems. We were out with friends. We were discussing our

wedding, and I just lost my whole world

* * *

THE OFFICER: I understand that you don’t want to give a statement, but for the

record I am going to go over it with you. Who knows, you might change your

mind. I am going to advise you of it, okay?

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8

The parties indicate that Tolliver’s ambiguous comments regarding his mental state and his

intention not to sign off on his rights might raise the question of whether the requirement in Davis v. U.S., 512 U.S. 452, 457 (1994), that a suspect “unambiguously” invoke his Fifth Amendment right to counsel

similarly applies to an invocation of the Fifth Amendment right to remain silent. We have never explicitly

reached this question, see Thompkins v. Berghuis, 547 F.3d 572, 583 n.4 (6th Cir. 2008), and need not do

so in this case because, even if Tolliver invoked his right to remain silent, he volunteered further

statements without additional police prompting.

THE DEFENDANT: You can advise me. I am telling you right now, that - - 

THE OFFICER: I am just going to do the procedure and then, you know, after

that, you can decide on what you are going to do.

THE DEFENDANT: [3] You say that I have the right to remain silent. I will

be silent. You can get any information that you need for this investigation.

Before that. The minute you say it, I have nothing more to say to you.

(JA 46-47 (emphasis added).) 

Suspects of course have the right to invoke their right to remain silent. As the

Supreme Court explained in Miranda:

If the individual indicates in any manner, at any time prior to or during

questioning, that he wishes to remain silent, the interrogation must cease.

At this point he has shown that he intends to exercise his Fifth

Amendment privilege; any statement taken after the person invokes his

privilege cannot be other than the product of compulsion, subtle or

otherwise. Without the right to cut off questioning, the setting of

in-custody interrogation operates on the individual to overcome free

choice in producing a statement after the privilege has been once

invoked.

384 U.S. at 473-74. That said, however, even if a suspect has invoked his right to

remain silent, any information he then volunteers is admissible, provided it did not result

from further interrogation. See id. at 478 (“Any statement given freely and voluntarily

without any compelling influences is, of course, admissible in evidence.”). It is hard to

construe Tolliver’s first two statements, that he was not capable of or interested in

waiving his rights, as invocations of his right to remain silent.8

 Regardless, even if he

did invoke his right to remain silent with these two statements, he immediately (and

without police prompting) volunteered additional information. He cannot have it both

ways: if he wanted to invoke his right to remain silent, he then needed to remain silent.

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Tolliver’s third statement, that he was not going to exercise his right to remain silent

until he was informed that he had that right, simply cannot stand as an invocation of the

right to remain silent. To the contrary, Tolliver was clearly stating that he had not

invoked his right to remain silent, but that he would. Tolliver apparently believed that

he could volunteer information to the police while retaining his right to remain silent,

because he had prevented Viduya from administering the Miranda warning. Tolliver

was, of course, incorrect. Moreover, we share the state trial court’s “definite

impression” that Tolliver wanted “to assert his position and argue his perception of

evidence to the detective, without being questioned.” (JA 2151-53.) Accordingly, we

find that Tolliver’s statements following Tolliver’s comments about waiving his rights

or remaining silent were not obtained unconstitutionally, but were instead volunteered.

3. Detective Viduya’s mention of “more than one gun in the place”.

Tolliver next argues that, by declaring that he needed to know whether there was

“more than one gun in the place,” Detective Viduya was attempting to elicit information

from Tolliver and so engage in the “functional equivalent” of express questioning within

the meaning of Innis, 446 U.S. 291, and Muniz, 496 U.S. at 600-01. Viduya’s statement

closely followed Tolliver’s statement that he would remain silent once he was informed

that he had that right:

THE DEFENDANT: I am not of sound mind or - - I am not capable of

waiving anything right now. . . . It was my fault for bringing the gun out.

But I was in the bathroom by myself when she came in. I was getting

the other gun out, and I was taking them out of the house. She had not

taken her medication. She was upset about her family and their dislike

for me and that she might be pregnant. And beyond that - - and beyond

that, we had no problems. We were out with friends. We were

discussing our wedding, and I just lost my whole world.

* * *

THE OFFICER: I understand that you don’t want to give a statement,

but for the record I am going to go over it with you. Who knows, you

might change your mind. I am going to advise you of it, okay?

THE DEFENDANT: You can advise me. I am telling you right now,

that - - 

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THE OFFICER: I am just going to do the procedure and then, you know,

after that, you can decide on what you are going to do.

THE DEFENDANT: You say that I have the right to remain silent. I

will be silent. You can get any information that you need for this

investigation. Before that. The minute you say it, I have nothing more

to say to you.

THE OFFICER: I can’t ask you anything pertinent to the investigation

without me advising you of your rights first (inaudible). You just

mentioned a gun. I don’t know if it’s more than one gun in the place,

stuff like that I need to ask you but - 

THE DEFENDANT: I am willing to share all this information with you

because I have nothing to hide; however, I am not of sound mind. She

was in the middle of a sentence when she accidently shot herself. I feel

it was my fault, because she didn’t know the gun was loaded. She said,

“What do you want me to - -” pow. I turned around and she was falling

at my feet. I have nothing - -

(JA 47-48 (emphasis added).)

The line between impermissible interrogation and permissible follow-up

questions to volunteered statements is a fine one. Police may listen to volunteered

statements, and need not interrupt a suspect who is volunteering information in order to

deliver a Miranda warning. See Miranda, 384 U.S. at 478. Police may even interrupt

a volunteered statement to ask clarifying or follow-up questions. See, e.g., U.S. v.

Rommy, 506 F.3d 108, 132-33 (2d Cir. 2007) (collecting cases); Andersen v. Thieret, 903

F.2d 526, 532 (7th Cir. 1990) (rejecting custodial interrogation challenge when, in

response to suspect's volunteered statement, “I stabbed her,” police asked, “Who?”).

That said, when asking a suspect about volunteered information, police may at times

cross the line from asking clarifying or follow-up questions into the “express questioning

or its functional equivalent,” Innis, 446 U.S. at 300-01, barred by Miranda. See, e.g.,

United States v. Crowder, 62 F.3d 782, 785-86 (6th Cir. 1995) (holding that police

officer interrogated suspect when, after suspect stated that shotgun was “in the wood,”

officer asked clarifying question about location). The Supreme Court, while not

explicitly clarifying the distinction between permissible follow-up questions and

impermissible interrogation, has stated in a different context that, even at meetings with

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the police initiated by a suspect, “[i]f, as frequently would occur . . . the conversation is

not wholly one-sided, it is likely that the officers will say or do something that clearly

would be ‘interrogation.’” Edwards v. Arizona, 451 U.S. 477, 486 (1981) (addressing

whether police questioning of a suspect constitutes interrogation where the suspect first

invoked his Fifth Amendment right to counsel but then arranged a meeting with

investigators and volunteered information). Again, as the Supreme Court has made clear

repeatedly, “[w]ithout obtaining a waiver of the suspect’s Miranda rights, the police may

not ask questions . . . that are designed to elicit incriminatory admissions.” Muniz, 496

U.S. at 602 n.14. The difference between permissible follow-up questions and

impermissible interrogation clearly turns on whether the police are seeking clarification

of something that the suspect has just said, or whether instead the police are seeking to

expand the interview. See, e.g., WAYNE R. LAFAVE ET AL., 2 CRIMINAL PROCEDURE

§ 6.7(a), at 567 (2d ed. 1999) (“the part of defendant’s statement given after the

follow-up questions is volunteered only if the questions are neutral efforts to clarify what

has already been said rather than apparent attempts to expand the scope of the statement

previously made.”).

In this case, Tolliver volunteered information about “getting the other gun out,”

and then entered into a discussion with Viduya regarding Tolliver’s intention to invoke

the right to remain silent. According to the Ohio Court of Appeals: 

The detective’s comment about the gun was a follow-up to defendant’s

previous spontaneous statement that it was his fault for bringing out the

gun. In addition, we note that in offering the voluntary statement,

defendant interrupted the detective’s attempt to advise defendant of his

Miranda rights. As noted in Miranda, the police need not interrupt a

suspect’s volunteered statements to give the warnings.

Tolliver, 2004 WL 625683, at *16. Viduya’s statement, which was interrogative in

nature, see Innis, 446 U.S. at 300-01, was the equivalent of asking, “is there more than

one gun in the apartment?” Tolliver, however, had just volunteered to Viduya that he

“was getting the other gun out[.]” We find that, in determining that Viduya’s statement

was a follow-up question and thus did not constitute interrogation, the Ohio Court of

Appeals did not unreasonably apply clearly established Federal law and did not

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unreasonably apply the correct governing legal principles to the facts of this case. See

Williams, 529 U.S. at 411-13. The Ohio Court of Appeals’ holding on this issue – that

Viduya’s statement about additional guns did not represent a violation of Tolliver’s Fifth

Amendment rights – therefore did not exceed the latitude afforded a state court’s

decision on habeas review.

4. Detective Viduya’s comment about the location of the wound.

Immediately following Tolliver’s response to Viduya’s comment about

additional guns, Viduya declared that he needed to know where on the body Schneider’s

wound was located:

THE DEFENDANT: I am willing to share all this information with you

because I have nothing to hide; however, I am not of sound mind. She

was in the middle of a sentence when she accidently shot herself. I feel

it was my fault, because she didn’t know the gun was loaded. She said,

“What do you want me to - -” pow. I turned around and she was falling

at my feet. I have nothing - -

THE OFFICER: I understand. You put me in a corner, because there are

questions I need to ask you. When you are saying, she shot herself, I

need to know where she shout [sic] herself (inaudible) - -

THE DEFENDANT: You wouldn’t even be talking me right now

(inaudible) - - 

THE OFFICER: I need to know where, you know, the wound is on the

body.

(JA 49 (emphasis added).) The Ohio Court of Appeals concluded that this statement was

designed to elicit information from Tolliver, and thus “constituted express questioning

in violation of Miranda.” Tolliver, 2004 WL 625683, at *16. We agree, and find that

Tolliver’s response was obtained unconstitutionally. 

5. Tolliver’s order that police stop speaking until he saw his attorney.

Following Detective Viduya’s comment about needing to know the location of

Schneider’s wound, Tolliver and Viduya began discussing how Tolliver could get an

attorney without any money; Tolliver maintains that at this point in the interview, he

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9

In analyzing Tolliver’s demand for police to stop talking until he could see his attorney, the

magistrate judge both mischaracterized Tolliver’s comments as an assertion of his “right to remain silent”

(rather than as an assertion of his right to counsel) and then ignored the import of Smith v. Illinois by

focusing on the fact “that immediately after making this statement, petitioner said he was willing to talk.”

(Magistrate Judge Order and Memorandum and Opinion at 50-51.)

invoked his right to counsel, and that any statements following this point were obtained

in violation of the Fifth Amendment. We agree, and find that Tolliver’s invocation

rendered the remainder of the interview unconstitutional.

As the Supreme Court noted in Miranda, “the right to have counsel present at the

interrogation is indispensable to the protection of the Fifth Amendment privilege.” 384

U.S. at 469. If at any time during an interview a suspect requests counsel, “he is not

subject to further questioning until a lawyer has been made available or the suspect

himself reinitiates conversation.” Davis, 512 U.S. at 458 (citing Edwards, 451 U.S. at

484-85). A suspect need not “speak with the discrimination of an Oxford don,” but must

be unambiguous. Id. at 459. This means that a suspect “must articulate his desire to

have counsel present sufficiently clearly that a reasonable police officer in the

circumstances would understand the statement to be a request for an attorney.” Id. In

determining whether a reasonable officer conducting the interview would have

understood that Tolliver was asking for an attorney, we may consider what came before

the request, but may not look to Tolliver’s subsequent statements to determine whether

the initial request was ambiguous. Smith v. Illinois, 469 U.S. 91, 97-98 (1984) (holding

that a suspect’s “postrequest responses to further interrogation may not be used to cast

retrospective doubt on the clarity of the initial request itself”).9

 

Tolliver clearly demanded that he wanted questioning to stop until he could

speak to his lawyer – an invocation that was made even clearer by the context of his

demand. Tolliver and Detective Viduya were discussing attorneys, and in response to

Tolliver’s concerns that he did not have any money, Viduya explained that the police

would provide Tolliver with an attorney:

THE DEFENDANT: But at this time in the morning?

THE OFFICER: We can call you an attorney. I mean, we wake them up

all the time. You won’t be the first person we do that for. You know,

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10As the Supreme Court explicitly recognized, Davis was decided in the context of a Miranda

waiver. Davis, 512 U.S. at 460-61. Davis, in other words, applies because “[a] suspect who knowingly

and voluntarily waives his right to counsel after having that right explained to him has indicated his

willingness to deal with the police unassisted.” Id. Here, the police never informed Tolliver of his

Miranda rights – and so should have been even more alert to Tolliver’s request.

you don’t have to answer any questions right now, and that’s fine. But

it’s two parts to every story. We go by what we see at the scene. Then

we just have to process evidence from the scene and take it as that. But

she can’t tell us what happened, because she is dead. You are the only

one that can tell us, and all I want to do is go over your rights, just tell

you that you do have the right to remain silent, and anything you say is

public in this room. You know - - you know, it can be used against you

in court.

THE DEFENDANT: All right. Wait. Stop talking right now. Find

me someplace where I can be by myself, so I don’t have to interact

with other people right now until I can see my attorney, and see my

daughter, because beyond seeing my daughter (inaudible) - - I just lost

my whole world.

THE OFFICER: So what you are saying is, you don’t want to talk about

this or give a statement about what happened?

(JA 51-52) (emphasis added). 

In Davis, 512 U.S. at 454, the case establishing how law enforcement officers

should respond to references to counsel that are “insufficiently clear to invoke the

Edwards prohibition on further questioning,” the suspect at one point (following waiver

of his Miranda rights)10 declared “maybe I should talk to a lawyer.” Id. at 455. Having

clarified the requirement that requests for counsel be unambiguous, the Supreme Court

in Davis determined that there was no reason to “disturb [the lower courts’] conclusion”

that “maybe I should talk to a lawyer” was not such an unambiguous request. Id. at 462.

In this case, having reviewed the interview, the Ohio Court of Appeals concluded that

“Defendant’s remark is no more an unequivocal request for counsel than Davis’, ‘maybe

I should talk to a lawyer.’” Tolliver, 2004 WL 625689 at *17. The Ohio Court of

Appeals offered no other justification for its determination. 

We conclude that, while the Ohio Court of Appeals identified the correct

governing principle from Edwards and Davis, it unreasonably applied that principle to

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the facts of Tolliver’s case. See Williams, 529 U.S. at 412-13. In fact, given the context,

any reasonable police officer would have immediately understood that Tolliver was

asking to see an attorney. Unlike the statement in Davis, which was the expression of

a thought, the statement in this case was a demand for police to “stop talking” until

Tolliver could see his lawyer. Nonetheless, the police ignored Tolliver’s demand, and

continued to ask questions. We therefore find that Tolliver’s request was an

unambiguous invocation of his Fifth Amendment right to counsel, and that continued

questioning following that invocation constituted a constitutional violation.

B. Harmlessness

As we conclude that some of Tolliver’s statements to police – all those following

Detective Viduya’s comment regarding needing to know about the location of the wound

– were unconstitutionally obtained, and so improperly admitted at trial where the

prosecution used them to cast doubt upon Tolliver’s credibility, we must next consider

whether the Ohio trial court’s error in admitting these statements was harmless. For the

purposes of habeas review, federal courts must assess the prejudicial impact of

constitutional errors under the “substantial and injurious effect” standard set forth in

Brecht v. Abrahamson, 507 U.S. 619 (1993). See Fry v. Pliler, 551 U.S. 112, 114

(2007); Ruelas v. Wolfenbarger, 580 F.3d 403, 412 (6th Cir. 2009). Under this standard,

an error is harmless unless it had a substantial and injurious effect or influence in

determining the jury’s verdict. Fry, 551 U.S. at 116. If the court is certain that the error

had no or a small effect, the error is harmless; when, in contrast, “a federal judge in a

habeas proceeding is in grave doubt about whether a trial error of federal law had

‘substantial and injurious effect or influence in determining the jury’s verdict,’ that error

is not harmless. And, the petitioner must win.” O'Neal v. McAninch, 513 U.S. 432, 436

(1995). 

The question we are facing here closely mirrors the question the Supreme Court

faced in Brecht itself. Todd Brecht had used a rifle belonging to his brother-in-law

Roger Hartman to shoot Hartman in the back, after which Brecht fled before being

apprehended. Brecht, 507 U.S. at 623-25. Once on trial, Brecht claimed that he had

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been holding the rifle without permission when he was startled by Hartman’s arrival, and

that in his rush to replace the rifle, he tripped and accidentally fired. Id. In order to cast

doubt upon Brecht’s story, the prosecution repeatedly highlighted the fact that, prior to

the trial, Brecht had remained silent (both before and after receiving a Miranda warning)

and had never told anyone that the shooting was an accident. Id. While the state and

federal courts that considered Brecht’s appeal agreed that the prosecution had violated

Brecht’s due process rights under Doyle v. Ohio, 426 U.S. 610 (1976), by discussing

Brecht’s post-Miranda silence, they disagreed on whether the prosecution’s error was

so harmful as to necessitate relief. Id. at 626. After clarifying the standard federal

courts should apply in habeas proceedings, the Supreme Court quickly concluded that

the prosecution’s error was harmless. Id. at 638-39. In particular, the Court pointed to

the facts that the government’s evidence of guilt was, “if not overwhelming, certainly

weighty,” and that the government’s “references to [Brecht’s] post-Miranda silence were

infrequent, comprising less than two pages of the 900-page trial transcript.” Id. at 639.

More importantly, the Court concluded that “in view of the State’s extensive and

permissible references to [Brecht’s] pre-Miranda silence . . . . its references to [Brecht’s]

post-Miranda silences were, in effect, cumulative.” Id.

As in Brecht, “our inquiry here is whether, in light of the record as a whole, the

State’s improper use for impeachment purposes” of Tolliver’s unconstitutionallyobtained statements “had substantial and injurious effect or influence in determining the

jury’s verdict.” Id. at 638. We begin by considering how the prosecution used

Tolliver’s unconstitutionally-obtained statements to cast doubt upon Tolliver’s

credibility. Following the point at which police began interrogating Tolliver and after

which Tolliver’s responses were obtained unconstitutionally, Tolliver for the first time

made the following statements: (1) “I could feel her jaw, felt like it was broken but I

couldn’t find the entryway,” (JA 49); (2) “I went across the hall, banged on the door, and

the guy - - there was nobody home,” (JA 49); (3) “We were going to the Dominican

Republic for two months, starting in January,” (JA 50); (4) “I wanted to see my

daughter, because I wanted to kill myself,” (JA 56); (5) “It would have been one second

shot had I got to spend time with my daughter before you showed up,” (JA 54); (6) “If

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you can find any residue or gun powder on my hands - - if you don’t find any on hers,

then you can come and you can ask me questions beyond that you want to. Forensics

will show you that I did not pull any triggers,” (JA 53-54); (7) “I put the clip in [the

gun],” (JA 54); and (8) “We were naked,” (JA 53).

During its closing, the prosecution discussed Tolliver’s improperly-obtained

statements about: gunpowder residue; his desire to kill himself after seeing his daughter;

Schneider’s jaw feeling as though it was broken; banging on the door of the across-thehall neighbor; going to the Dominican Republic for two months with Schneider; putting

the clip in the gun; and wanting to spend time with his daughter before police showed

up. On rebuttal, the prosecution also reiterated that Tolliver had lied when he said that

Schneider was naked. That said, however, the prosecution’s references to these

improperly-obtained statements comprised fewer than three pages in a 2000-page trial

transcript, (see JA 1950-54; 1999-2000) – less frequent use than the state made of

improper material in Brecht itself. While the jury also saw the video of the interrogation,

well under one hour of that video (viewed in the context of a three-week trial) included

portions of the interview conducted in violation of Tolliver’s Fifth Amendment rights.

More importantly, just as in Brecht, the prosecution here also made extensive

references to permissible evidence in order to show that Tolliver had lied to police on

the night of Schneider’s death. During the closing, for example, the prosecution pointed

to the following statements made by Tolliver before Detective Viduya began any

interrogation: (1) “She said, ‘What do you want me to - -’ pow,” (JA 49); (2) “My

girlfriend just killed herself,” (JA 32); (3) “[T]he only thing that stopped me from killing

myself was my daughter,” (JA 32); (4) “I . . . couldn’t even find a phone,” (JA 35);

(5) “That’s why I couldn't call anybody faster, I spent 20 minutes running through the

house looking for my phone. I couldn’t it [sic]. I finally found hers,” (JA 37); (6) “[W]e

just bought a house together today,” (JA 37); (7) “I just bought a $7500 diamond

engagement ring, and we were not having any problems,” (JA 37); (8) “The only

gunpowder on her – she didn't know the gun was loaded. I had already pulled the clip

out,” (JA 38); (9) “[inaudible] kill myself right there with her. I just tried to see my

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daughter first. I want to see my daughter,” (JA 39-40); (10) “We were planning our

wedding tonight,” (JA 46); (11) “She is supposed to take Paxil,” (JA 46); (12) “She

didn’t even finish her sentence,” (JA 46); (13) “I am not of sound mind,” (JA 47); and

(14) “But she is the only one with gun powder on her, okay,” (JA 46). At the beginning

of the rebuttal, the prosecution focused on Tolliver’s (admissible) statement about what

Schneider was supposedly saying when she was shot. In fact, the prosecutor instructed

the jury that “one simple way for you to know whether Kevin Tolliver lied” was to say,

along with her, “What do you want me to –,” and to see whether in fact it was possible

for a bullet to enter the mouth while saying those words. (JA 1999-2000.) The

prosecution’s discussion of the statements regarding the phone, the ring, and the

wedding clearly demonstrated to the jury that Tolliver was, at the very least, not being

completely truthful; the prosecutor’s illustration of how difficult it would have been for

a bullet to enter Schneider’s mouth if she was saying “what do you want me to” when

shot clearly suggested that there was something wrong with Tolliver’s story. In other

words, in view of the prosecution’s extensive use of properly-admitted statements to

demonstrate that Tolliver was lying to police during the interview, the prosecution’s

references to Tolliver’s improperly-admitted statements “were, in effect, cumulative.”

See Brecht, 507 U.S. at 639.

Ultimately, despite the fact that this was a heavily circumstantial case, the

prosecution’s evidence of guilt – again as in Brecht – “was, if not overwhelming,

certainly weighty.” Id. The Ohio Court of Appeals reached this exact conclusion when

– without factoring in Tolliver’s interview – it found that the conviction was not against

the manifest weight of the evidence. Tolliver 2004 WL 625683, at *18. The Ohio Court

of Appeals carefully summarized and analyzed the prosecution’s case, beginning with

a discussion of Adams’ testimony that Tolliver confessed to killing Schneider:

Adams included details about the crime, about Claire, and about

[Tolliver] that suggested [Tolliver] discussed the crime with Adams.

Further, there was no evidence that Adams obtained the information to

which he testified from a source other than [Tolliver]. With regard to

Dye’s testimony that Adams approached him and asked him to testify

against [Tolliver], Dye admitted that Adams never actually asked Dye to

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lie about [Tolliver]. Dye stated only that the “impression” that Adams

wanted him to do so, but never explained what gave him that

“impression.”

Further, other evidence supports defendant’s conviction. . . . forensic

evidence established that Claire was shot in the mouth at close range with

a 9mm weapon and that it was unlikely that Claire either committed

suicide or shot herself accidentally. From the location of a fresh bruise

on Claire’s neck and the bullet hole in the bathroom door, the jury could

have concluded that Claire had been forcibly held against the door as she

was shot. [Tolliver] repositioned Claire’s body after she had been shot,

as shown by the numerous transfer bloodstain patterns on her body,

including several digit patterns, and the fact that the pen used to write the

note was found underneath Claire’s body. [Tolliver] also washed his

hands before the police arrived. . . .

In addition, contrary to [Tolliver’s] claim that he was unable to call

police immediately because he could not find a telephone, evidence

established that Claire’s cell phone was in the apartment and [Tolliver]

had two cell phones in his vehicle. Even after locating a cell phone,

[Tolliver] did not call the police. Rather, he made several calls to his

ex-wife and tried to reach a friend. [Tolliver] did not call the police even

after urged to do so by his ex-wife. From this evidence, the jury was

entitled to conclude that [Tolliver] did not want to report the matter to the

police until he was confident Claire was dead.

Finally, the jury had ample reason to doubt [Tolliver’s] claim to be a

distraught, grieving boyfriend. When Kovarik encountered [Tolliver] in

the hallway approximately one-half hour after Claire was shot, [Tolliver]

bore no indications that anything was wrong, nor did he ask Kovarik for

assistance in calling the police or in aiding Claire.

Id. at *18-*19. In addition, Abby Warner testified that she had seen Tolliver looking

angrily at Schneider at the Krome dance club, and Collin Bumgarner testified that he

heard Tolliver and Schneider arguing on the night of Schneider’s death. Janet Parady,

who lived directly above Tolliver and Schneider, testified that for half an hour before

Schneider was killed she heard the sounds of fighting – though she thought (and told the

police) that the sounds came from above her head, rather than below. More tellingly, as

the Ohio Court of Appeals concluded, Keith Norton and Mark Hardy together testified

that the forensic evidence suggested that the gun that shot Scheider was being held

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11A habeas petitioner procedurally defaults a claim if: (1) the petitioner fails to comply with a

state procedural rule; (2) the state courts enforce the rule; (3) the state procedural rule is an adequate and

independent state ground for denying review of a federal constitutional claim; and (4) the petitioner cannot

show cause and prejudice excusing the default. Maupin v. Smith, 785 F.2d 135, 138 (6th Cir. 1986). In

addition to arguing about cause and prejudice, Tolliver also maintains that Rule 26(B) is not adequate. The

district court certified for appeal only the cause and prejudice question; while both parties also briefed

adequacy, that question is not before us, and is therefore not subject to appellate review. See 28 U.S.C.

§ 2253(c). As it is possible to read the magistrate judge’s memorandum as analyzing Tolliver’s argument

against her lips, just outside of her mouth, and that this evidence, together with the blood

spatter analysis, suggested that Schneider’s death was not a suicide.

Moreover, we note the highly incriminating nature of Tolliver’s cellphone usage

shortly after the shooting. Tolliver’s defense at trial was that he performed CPR on

Schneider and then “[c]ould not find the phone,” as his note at the scene put it. Tolliver

eventually found a phone, but did not call 911 while Schneider – his “whole world,” as

Tolliver repeatedly stated in the interview – bled to death in the bathroom. Instead he

called his ex-wife seven times, a friend of his one time, Schneider’s voicemail, and his

own voicemail. Indeed Tolliver never called 911 after Schneider’s shooting; only his

ex-wife did, after Tolliver met her while covered with Schneider’s blood. The

admissibility of these facts is uncontested here; and they seem virtually impossible to

reconcile with the proposition that Kevin had tried to save Schneider’s life, rather than

take it. 

To summarize: If all of the statements the prosecution used at trial to argue that

Tolliver had lied when speaking to the police had been improperly admitted, this would

be a closer case. In fact, however, many of the statements were properly admitted. The

prosecution’s infrequent references to Tolliver’s improperly-admitted statements thus

“were, in effect, cumulative.” See Brecht, 507 U.S. at 639. Given too the weighty

evidence also pointing to Tolliver’s guilt, we therefore find that the trial court’s error in

admitting Tolliver’s unconstitutionally-obtained statements was harmless.

III.

The second question in this appeal is whether Tolliver established cause and

prejudice for procedural default of his ineffective assistance of appellate counsel

claim.11 Following the Ohio Court of Appeals’ (and Ohio Supreme Court’s) affirmation

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about adequacy as part of Tolliver’s argument regarding cause and prejudice, however, we make the

following observations:

To be adequate, a state procedural rule must be “‘firmly established and regularly followed’ by

the time as of which it is to be applied.” Ford v. Georgia, 498 U.S. 411, 424 (1991); Parker v. Bagley, 543 F.3d 859, 861 (6th Cir. 2008) (citing Fautenberry v. Mitchell, 515 F.3d 614, 640 (6th Cir. 2008)). We

have repeatedly concluded that Rule 26(B) was both “firmly established” and “regularly followed” as

applied in non-capital cases between 1998 and “at least” July 2002. See, e.g., Parker, 543 F.3d at 862;

Scuba v. Brigano, 527 F.3d 479, 488 (6th Cir. 2007); Rideau v. Russell, 2009 WL 2586439, at *4 (6th Cir.

Aug. 24, 2009). The Ohio Court of Appeals denied Tolliver’s motion on procedural default grounds on

May 6, 2005. The question, then, is whether between 2002 and 2005 Ohio courts applied Rule 26(B) so

inconsistently in non-capital cases such that the rule was not “firmly established and regularly followed.”

Ford, 498 U.S. at 424.

Tolliver points to a total of six non-capital cases in which, he argues, the Ohio courts have applied

Rule 26(B) inconsistently. In four of these cases, however, the courts did apply Rule 26(B), but for various

reasons found that the petitioners had shown good cause for their untimely filings. State v. Hicks, 2005

WL 1389079, at *1 (Ohio Ct. App. June 10, 2005); State v. Embry, 2005 WL 280213, at *1 (Ohio Ct.

App. Feb. 1, 2005); State v. Huggins, 2004 WL 2634625, at *1 (Ohio Ct. App. Nov. 15, 2004); State v.

Rhodes, 2004 WL 1925968, at *1 (Ohio Ct. App. Aug. 25, 2004). In one of the remaining cases, the court

concluded that the application was not late, as the application was filed within ninety days of the court’s

second appellate opinion, following resentencing. State v. Hutchins, 2005 WL 315246, at *1 (Ohio Ct.

App. Feb. 8, 2005). Tolliver thus identifies only a single 2005 case in which a court arguably ignored Rule

26(B). See State v. Jordan, 2005 WL 3047527, at *1-*2 (Ohio Ct. App. Nov. 9, 2005). A petitioner

“must show more than ‘[a]n occasional act of grace by a state court in excusing or disregarding a state

procedural rule’ in order for a federal court to conclude that the state procedural rule is inadequate because

inconsistently applied.” Hutchison v. Bell, 303 F.3d 720, 737 (6th Cir. 2002) (citing Coleman v. Mitchell, 268 F.3d 417, 429 (6th Cir. 2001)). Tolliver here has failed to show more than that “occasional act of

grace.” 

of his conviction, Tolliver filed an application to reopen his direct appeal in order to

argue that his appellate counsel had been ineffective for failing to contest the admission

of Adam’s testimony and Tolliver’s non-attendance at a hearing on the admissibility of

Schneider’s diary. Under the Ohio Rules of Appellate Procedure, any application to

reopen an appeal based on a claim of ineffective assistance of appellate counsel must be

filed “within ninety days from journalization of the appellate judgment unless the

applicant shows good cause for filing at a later time.” Ohio App. R. 26(B). Tolliver

filed his Rule 26(B) application on December 28, 2004 – more than nine months after

the Ohio Court of Appeals affirmed his conviction on March 30, 2004. Tolliver bears

the burden of demonstrating both “that there was ‘cause’ for him to not follow the

procedural rule and that he was actually prejudiced by the alleged constitutional error.”

Scuba, 527 F.3d at 488 (citing Maupin, 785 F.2d at 138). As Tolliver has failed to

demonstrate that he had cause not to follow Rule 26(B), we affirm the finding that

Tolliver procedurally defaulted his ineffective assistance claim.

We review de novo a district court’s application of the “cause and prejudice”

rules. Hargrave-Thomas v. Yukins, 374 F.3d 383, 387 (6th Cir. 2004). To establish

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cause, Tolliver must present “a substantial reason that is external to himself and cannot

be fairly attributed to him.” Hartman v. Bagley, 492 F.3d 347, 358 (6th Cir. 2007).

Tolliver argues that he had cause, because: (1) he interpreted the time limitation, in good

faith, to run from the judgment of the Ohio Supreme Court, rather than from the

judgment of the Ohio Court of Appeals; (2) he received ineffective advice from counsel

regarding the time limit for filing under 26(B); and (3) filing the claim would have

damaged his ongoing relationship with counsel. None of these arguments is sufficient

to demonstrate cause within the meaning of Maupin, 785 F.2d at 138, and Hartman, 492

F.3d at 358.

Tolliver’s first argument is that he had cause for his procedural default because

he made a good faith interpretation of Rule 26(B)’s time period. Conceding that the

language of the rule requires an application to be filed within ninety days from

journalization of the “appellate judgment,” Tolliver argues that “appellate judgment”

might easily refer to the Ohio Supreme Court’s dismissal of the case rather than the

opinion of the Ohio Court of Appeals. This is an unconvincing argument. Given that

the Rules of Appellate Procedure govern the Ohio Courts of Appeals, and clearly

distinguish between the Courts of Appeals and the Ohio Supreme Court, see Ohio R.

App. P. 41, it is readily apparent that any reference to the “appellate judgment” in the

rules refers to the judgment of the Court of Appeals. Tolliver points to two cases in

which, he argues, courts seemed to measure the ninety day period from the final decision

of the Ohio Supreme Court. See Griffin v. Andrews, 2006 WL 1526114 (S.D. Ohio May

24, 2006); State v. Evans, 2005 WL 2789455, at *2 (Ohio Ct. App. Oct. 24, 2005). In

Evans, however, the court clearly applied Rule 26(B) to the period running from

journalization of the opinion of the appeals court. See Evans, 2005 WL 2789455, at *1.

(The Evans court discussed the Ohio Supreme Court decision merely to explain why,

even if it accepted the defendant’s argument that the court should run the ninety-day

period from the Ohio Supreme Court opinion, the defendant would nonetheless lose.)

Even if Tolliver is correct that the judge in Griffin incorrectly focused on the seven-year

period between the final decision of the Ohio Supreme Court and the petitioner’s

application, a single ambiguous recommendation or observation by a federal magistrate

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judge – especially where Tolliver does not claim that he even knew about the Griffin

case – cannot be sufficient to establish a good faith belief that the Ohio Rules of

Appellate Procedure do not mean exactly what they say. Regardless, even a good faith

belief is nonetheless an internal factor (rather than a “substantial reason” that cannot be

fairly attributed to Tolliver) that is therefore insufficient to establish cause for procedural

default. Hartman, 492 F.3d at 358. 

Tolliver next argues that he had cause for his procedural default because as he

received ineffective advice from his counsel, who (he claims) failed to warn him about

the ninety-day deadline or even to tell him in time about the possibility of filing a 26(B)

motion. Under Ohio law, however, a Rule 26(B) proceeding is a “separate collateral”

proceeding rather than part of the original appeal. See Morgan v. Eads, 818 N.E.2d

1157, 1158 (Ohio 2004); Scuba, 527 F.3d at 485. Tolliver therefore has no

constitutional right to counsel for the proceeding – and thus certainly had no

constitutional right to effective counsel. See Pennsylvania v. Finley, 481 U.S. 551, 555

(1987) (“Our cases establish that the right to appointed counsel extends to the first

appeal of right, and no further.”). By statute, moreover, “[t]he ineffectiveness or

incompetence of counsel during Federal or State collateral post-conviction proceedings

shall not be a ground for relief” in a habeas proceeding. 28 U.S.C. § 2254(i). As

Tolliver was not entitled to representation for his Rule 26(B) application, any poor

advice he received from an attorney cannot establish cause for his default. 

Finally, Tolliver argues that he had cause because filing the claim would have

damaged his ongoing relationship with his counsel, who was still representing him in his

appeal to the Ohio Supreme Court during the ninety days following journalization of the

decision on direct appeal of the Ohio Court of Appeals. For this proposition, Tolliver

points to the Sixth Circuit decision in Fautenberry v. Mitchell, in which the panel in

dicta observed that at one point in time the petitioner had “good cause” for a delay in

filing a 26(B) motion, as he was still represented by his appellate attorney and as it

would have been “unreasonable to expect counsel to raise an ineffective assistance claim

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12In addition to speaking in dicta, the Fautenberry court was not clear about whether it was

addressing the “cause” a petitioner must show to satisfy the Maupin factors or about the “good cause”

described by the language of Ohio R. App. P. 26(B) itself. In this case, we are discussing only cause

within the meaning of Maupin, 785 F.2d at 138. 

against himself.” Fautenberry, 515 F.3d at 640.12 Saying that it is unreasonable to

expect an attorney to raise an ineffective assistance claim against himself, however, is

not the same as saying that a petitioner has cause to ignore the requirements of Ohio

Rule 26(B) because the petitioner is still being represented by the same counsel of whose

assistance he wishes to complain. As the Ohio Supreme Court – itself addressing “good

cause” within the language of 26(B) – observed of a similar argument, “[o]ther attorneys

– or [petitioner] himself – could have pursued the application.” State v. Gumm, 814

N.E.2d 861, 863 (Ohio 2004). Regardless of whether on direct appeal he was still

represented by the attorney about whose behavior he wished to complain in collateral

proceedings, Tolliver certainly could have filed – and, in fact, ultimately did file – his

application pro se, or could have retained a different attorney. In that case, his attorney

would not have been put in the position of filing a 26(B) application against himself.

More tellingly, Tolliver’s own evidence suggests that his relationship with his attorney

was secure. On October 5, 2004, Carol Wright, the attorney about whose assistance he

is now complaining, wrote Tolliver, “again highly recommend[ing]” that he file a 26(B)

motion and asking to be kept informed. (JA 2865.)

Accordingly, we disagree with the Fautenberry dicta, and conclude that a

petitioner does not have cause for procedural default in filing a collateral motion or

application concerning ineffective assistance of counsel because he continues to be

represented on direct appeal by the counsel of whose assistance he wishes to complain.

Cf. Ortiz v. Stewart, 149 F.3d 923, 933 (9th Cir. 1998) (observing that the Ninth Circuit

has repeatedly rejected the argument that a petitioner’s procedural default on collateral

appeal of an ineffective assistance on appeal claim should be excused for cause when the

petitioner was represented by the same attorney during both direct and collateral appeal,

as the attorney is prevented from raising his own ineffectiveness due to a clear conflict

of interest); Bonin v. Calderon, 77 F.3d 1155, 1159 (9th Cir. 1996) (holding that a claim

of ineffective assistance of counsel on direct appeal was defaulted for not being raised

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No. 08-3177 Tolliver v. Sheets Page 38

13It is doubtful that Tolliver could demonstrate prejudice, as in order to do so, he would need to

demonstrate that he would prevail on the merits of his ineffective assistance claim. See, e.g., Moore v.

Carlton, 74 F.3d 689, 692 (6th Cir. 1996) (observing that the final step of considering a prejudice claim

involves examining the merits of that claim) (citing Maupin, 785 F.2d at 139-40). Tolliver argues that his

appellate counsel failed to argue that: (1) the government improperly interrogated Tolliver through Adams

in violation of Massiah v. United States, 377 U.S. 201, 206 (1964); and (2) Tolliver was entitled to attend

a pre-trial hearing on the admissibility of the diary. Tolliver’s merits arguments are weak: his first depends

upon a single ambiguous statement uttered by Adams during cross-examination, and his second is not

sufficient to overcome the presumption of effective assistance given that Tolliver’s appellate counsel did

argue that the diary should be admitted. See Monzo v. Edwards, 281 F.3d 568, 579 (6th Cir. 2002)

(“Generally, only when ignored issues are clearly stronger than those presented, will the presumption of

effective assistance of counsel be overcome.”) (quoting Gray v. Greer, 800 F.2d 644, 646 (7th Cir. 1986)).

Regardless, as we find that Tolliver cannot establish cause, we need not reach the prejudice question at

all.

in the petitioner’s first federal habeas proceeding, even though the same counsel

represented the petitioner in both proceedings). Accordingly, we find no error in the

district court’s ruling that Tolliver failed to show cause excusing procedural default.13

IV.

While some of the statements used by prosecutors to cast doubt upon Tolliver’s

credibility were obtained in violation of Tolliver’s Fifth Amendment rights, and were

consequently improperly admitted at trial, the prosecution’s references to these

statements were cumulative, and so the trial court’s error was harmless. Tolliver,

moreover, has not established cause for his procedural default. Accordingly, we

AFFIRM the district court’s denial of Tolliver’s habeas petition.

 Case: 08-3177 Document: 00619241886 Filed: 02/22/2010 Page: 38