Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_99-cv-02868/USCOURTS-cand-3_99-cv-02868-4/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

For the Northern District of California

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United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

MARCUS D. WILSON,

Petitioner,

 v.

JOSEPH MCGRATH,

Respondent. /

No. C 99-02868 CRB

ORDER

Now before the Court is Petitioner’s notice of appeal of this Court’s order denying his

petition for writ of habeas corpus. Upon the denial of a habeas petition filed pursuant to 28

U.S.C. § 2254, a prisoner must file a request for issuance of a certificate of appealability

(“COA”). Here, this Court construes Petitioner’s notice of appeal as a request for a COA. 

See United States v. Asrar, 116 F.3d 1268, 1270 (9th Cir. 1997).

A judge shall grant a COA “only if the applicant has made a substantial showing of

the denial of a constitutional right.” 28 U.S.C. § 2253(c)(2). The certificate must indicate

which issues satisfy this standard, see id. § 2253(c)(3), and the court of appeals is limited to

considering only those claims. See Hiivala v. Wood, 195 F.3d 1098, 1103 (9th Cir. 1999);

Fuller v. Roe, 182 F.3d 699, 702-03 (9th Cir. 1999). 

“Where a district court has rejected constitutional claims on the merits, the showing

required to satisfy § 2253(c) is straightforward: the petitioner must demonstrate that

Case 3:99-cv-02868-CRB Document 72 Filed 02/05/07 Page 1 of 2
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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G:\CRBALL\1999\2868\order 5.wpd 2

reasonable jurists would find the district court’s assessment of the constitutional claims

debatable or wrong.” Slack v. McDaniel, 120 S. Ct. 1595, 1604 (2000).

Section 2253(c)(2) codified the standard announced by the United States Supreme

Court in Barefoot v. Estelle, 463 U.S. 880, 892-93 (1983). In Barefoot, the Court explained

that “a substantial showing of the denial of [a] federal right” means that a petitioner “must

demonstrate that the issues are debatable among jurists of reason; that a court could resolve

the issues [in a different manner], or that the questions are adequate to deserve

encouragement to proceed further.” Id. at 893 n.4 (citations and internal quotations omitted;

emphasis in original).

Here, the Court concludes that Petitioner has made a “substantial showing” of denial

of a constitutional right with respect to the following claims of ineffective assitance of

counsel: (1) that his attorney failed to interview alibi witnesses; (2) that his attorney failed to

file a motion to suppress evidence obtained during the probationary search of his apartment;

(3) that his attorney failed to file a motion to suppress statements that he made to

interrogators after he had allegedly requested an attorney’s assistance; (4) that his attorney

failed to advise him of the rights he waived as a result of pleading guilty and coerced him

into pleading guilty. As to any other claims that may have been raised by his habeas petition,

the Court concludes that Petitioner has not made a “substantial showing,” for any other

aspects of his attorney’s purported ineffective assistance (or any other alleged constitutional

violations) were not described with sufficient detail to establish either deficient performance

or prejudice. See James v. Borg, 24 F.3d 20, 26 (9th Cir. 1994) (“Conclusory allegations

which are not supported by a statement of specific facts do not warrant habeas relief.”).

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: February 5, 2007 

CHARLES R. BREYER

UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

Case 3:99-cv-02868-CRB Document 72 Filed 02/05/07 Page 2 of 2