Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_08-cv-02221/USCOURTS-caed-2_08-cv-02221-4/pdf.json

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

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United States District Court

Eastern District of California

ABBAS EGHTESADI,

Petitioner,

v.

M. Martel, et al.,

Respondents.

08-CV-02221 TJH

Order

On July 30, 2002, Petitioner was convicted of seven counts of foreign object

penetration in concert, two counts of forcible rape in concert, three counts of forcible oral

copulation in concert, assault with intent to commit sodomy, attempted murder, two

counts of forcible rape, two counts of forcible oral copulation, and forcible sodomy. The

jury found that Petitioner personally used a deadly and dangerous weapon and personally

inflicted great bodily injury in the commission of count fourteen, and found that he used

a deadly weapon in the commission of counts fifteen through nineteen. The jury found

that the offenses were committed against more than one victim. Petitioner was sentenced

to a determinate state prison term of 72 years and eight months, plus a consecutive

indeterminate term of 65 years to life. The California Court of Appeal affirmed the

judgment, and the California Supreme Court denied review. 

Order – Page 1 of 4

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Petitioner’s habeas petitions were denied by the trial court, state appellate court,

and state supreme court. Petitioner filed his petition for habeas relief before this Court. 

Respondent’s motion to dismiss the petition on statute of limitations grounds was denied.

Petitioner asserts that he is entitled to habeas relief on three grounds: First, Juror

11's failure to disclose during voire dire that his Aunt was a district attorney in another

state, and the trial court’s refusal to grant a full evidentiary hearing on the question of

juror bias when this was discovered, violates the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments;

Second, Juror 11's introduction of extrinsic evidence during jury deliberations, and the

trial court’s refusal to grant a full evidentiary hearing on the question of extrinsic

evidence, violates the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments; and Third, the prosecution

knowingly permitted the use of false testimony when it did not correct a witness’s false

response to defense counsel’s question, violating Petitioner’s due process rights.

The petition is governed by the Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act

(“AEDPA”), 28 U.S.C. § 2254. Lindh v. Murphy, 521 U.S. 320, 326, 117 S. Ct. 2059,

2063, 138 L. Ed. 2d 481, 488 (1997). Under the AEDPA, a federal court may not grant

a writ of habeas corpus unless the state court’s adjudication was either: 1) Contrary to,

or involved an unreasonable application of, clearly established federal law, as determined

by the Supreme Court of the United States; or 2) Based on an unreasonable determination

of the facts in light of the evidence presented at the State Court proceeding. 28 U.S.C.

§ 2254(d)(1-2). Petitioner has not demonstrated that he is entitled to relief under this

standard.

First, Petitioner fails to show that the trial court’s handling of the voire dire

questionnaire omission and the request for an evidentiary hearing on bias was contrary

to, or an unreasonable application of, clearly established federal law. A defendant is not

entitled to an evidentiary hearing or a new trial whenever any evidence of potential jury

bias arises. Tracey v. Palmateer, 341 F.3d 1037, 1040-45 (9th Cir. 2003) cert. denied,

543 U.S. 864, 125 S. Ct. 196, 160 L. Ed. 2d 107 (2004). Investigation into alleged juror

misconduct is at the discretion of the trial court, and due process is satisfied if the trial

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court chooses to hold a hearing on the subject. Smith v. Phillips, 455 U.S. 209, 218, 102

S. Ct. 940, 946, 71 L. Ed. 2d 78, 87 (1982). Here, the trial court determined that the

omission was not intentional or material, and, thus, was no basis to believe Juror 11 was

biased. In fact, Juror 11 truthfully listed his relation to a sheriff and told the trial court

he could be impartial during deliberations. After inquiring into the nature of the

omission, the trial court found that no evidentiary hearing was necessary. Petitioner’s

first claim fails.

Second, Petitioner fails to show that Juror 11's introduction of extrinsic evidence

during jury deliberations, and the trial court’s refusal to grant a full evidentiary hearing

on the question of extrinsic evidence, was contrary to, or an unreasonable application of,

clearly established federal law. Investigation into alleged juror misconduct is at the

discretion of the trial court, and due process is satisfied if the trial court chooses to hold

a hearing on the subject. Smith, 455 U.S. 209. Here, the trial court held a hearing to

determine whether any members of the jury were biased when Juror 11 repeated his

Aunt’s statement on a common criminal charging practice. The statement falls short of

suggesting Petitioner was guilty of any crime, and instead only provides a possible

explanation of why the prosecution would charge fewer counts than the amount of

criminal acts the jury believes may exist. The trial court found that the evidence of

conversation between Juror 11 and Juror 11's Aunt did not raise a strong possibility of

a prohibited conversation during trial. Further, the trial court determined that only two

jurors received and understood Juror 11's comment, and subsequently gave curative

instructions to each member of the jury to disregard the comment and to remain impartial. 

Each juror agreed to do so. The trial court ensured that the extrinsic statement would not

prejudice the Petitioner. The trial court reasonably complied with established federal law. 

Petitioner’s second claim fails.

Third, Petitioner fails to show that the prosecution’s failure to correct a witness’s

false response on defense counsel’s cross-examination violates Petitioner’s due process

rights. Generally, a prosecutor has an independent duty to correct testimony he or she

Order – Page 3 of 4

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knows to be false. Belmontes v. Brown, 414 F.3d 1094, 1115 (9th Cir. 2005) rev'd on

other grounds sub nom. Ayers v. Belmontes, 549 U.S. 7, 127 S. Ct. 469, 166 L. Ed. 2d 334

(2006). When there is a reasonable likelihood that the false testimony could have affected

the judgment of the jury, a conviction must be set aside. Belmontes, 414 F.3d at 1115. 

The trial court correctly applied this standard when determining if the witness’s testimony

that she had only been arrested once, when in fact she had been arrested more than once,

was reasonably likely to affect the judgment of the jury. The trial court found that it

would not. The witness was forthright in disclosing her past transgressions, which 

included, inter alia, involvement in prostitution and drug use, lying to the police, and

previously changing her story. Also, the defense skillfully cross-examined the witness. 

Correcting the witness’s false statement would not reasonably have affected the jury’s

judgment in light of all the other evidence given to the jury. Thus, the trial court’s

decision was not contrary to, nor an unreasonably application of, clearly established

federal law. Petitioner’s third claim fails.

It is Ordered that the petition be, and hereby is, Denied.

Date: October 12, 2012

__________________________________

Terry J. Hatter, Jr.

Senior United States District Judge

Order – Page 4 of 4

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