Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-azd-3_14-cv-08219/USCOURTS-azd-3_14-cv-08219-1/pdf.json

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

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NOT FOR PUBLICATION 

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA 

James Lee Price, 

Petitioner, 

v. 

Charles L. Ryan, et al., 

Respondents. 

No. CV-14-08219-PCT-JJT

ORDER 

At issue is the Report and Recommendation (“R&R”) (Doc. 27) submitted by 

United States Magistrate Judge James F. Metcalf recommending that the Court dismiss 

the Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus pursuant to 28 U.S.C. Section 2254 (Doc. 1), to 

which Petitioner James Lee Price, Jr. has filed an Objection (Doc. 28) and Respondents 

Charles L. Ryan and the Attorney General of the State of Arizona have filed a Response 

thereto (Doc. 29). 

In the 56-page R&R, Judge Metcalf thoroughly and exhaustively analyzed and 

addressed the four grounds for relief raised in the Petition, and provided ample support 

for his recommendation that this Court dismiss it. Because the Court will adopt the R&R 

in its entirety, including Judge Metcalf’s underlying reasoning, it will not repeat in detail 

the reasoning for the recommendation. 

The R&R recommends that this Court dismiss with prejudice Grounds One 

(admission of other act evidence at trial) and Four (ineffective assistance of counsel in 

advising Petitioner regarding plea offers) of the Petition because both of those grounds 

are procedurally defaulted and Petitioner has failed to show cause or prejudice justifying 

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an exception to that bar. While Judge Metcalf found that Petitioner’s Ground Two 

(Brady violation) and Ground Three (ineffective assistance of trial counsel re: discovery 

of witness impeachment evidence) were exhausted at the state court level and therefore 

were not procedurally barred, he recommended that this Court deny both grounds as 

lacking in merit. 

 What Petitioner filed as an Objection to the R&R (Doc. 28) did not constitute 

objections. For the most part, he simply stated that he objected to Magistrate Judge 

Metcalf’s recommendations, without stating any reason why. See, e.g., Objection at p. 2. 

Where Petitioner did purport to offer a reason for his objections, he simply stated, “see 

Supplemental Reply (Doc. 26),” a document Petitioner filed prior to the R&R and which 

Judge Metcalf had already considered when he drafted the R&R. The Objection 

identifies no error in the R&R’s analysis and is of no help. 

 Where a Petitioner fails to object to an R&R, the Court is free to accept the R&R 

without further review. See United States v. Reyna-Tapia, 328 F.3d 1114, 1121 (9th Cir. 

2003). Judge Metcalf so warned Petitioner in the R&R. (Doc. 27 at pp. 55-56). Where, 

as here, Petitioner’s objections point to not a single flaw in the R&R’s analysis, they have 

the same effect as would a complete failure to object. Warling v. Ryan, 2013 WL 

5276367 at *2 (D. Ariz. Sept. 19, 2013). Though pursuant to the above law the Court is 

free to accept the R&R without more, it has nonetheless conducted a review of the 

Petition in this matter (Doc. 1), Respondents’ Response thereto (Doc. 9) and 

Supplemental Answer (Doc. 25), Petitioner’s Reply (Doc. 10) and Supplemental Reply 

(Doc. 26), with all exhibits, and the R&R (Doc. 27). Upon that review, the Court 

concludes that Judge Metcalf’s recommendations are well taken and correctly apply the 

law throughout. The Court adopts the reasoning in the R&R in whole. 

 The R&R was thorough, exhaustive and even-handed, demonstrating in many 

places where Respondents’ arguments were legally incorrect or their proffered evidence 

did not support the legal conclusions they urged. For example, in analyzing Ground Two 

of Petitioner’s claim for habeas relief on the merits, Judge Metcalf concluded, over 

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Respondents’ argument, that the state prosecutor suppressed information at trial that 

indeed impeached one of the investigating officers who was a witness at trial by showing 

he possessed or may possess a bias for being willing to break rules to obtain convictions. 

But Judge Metcalf also concluded that the Arizona Court of Appeals did not make an 

unreasonable determination when it found that no Brady violation had occurred because 

Petitioner could not show on the facts that suppression of the impeaching information 

caused prejudice. This conclusion was correct. The record before the Arizona Court of 

Appeals was replete, as it is before this Court on habeas review, with evidence that was 

completely independent of the potentially impeachable officer, and from which the jury 

could and did find Petitioner guilty. This included multiple items of drug trafficking 

indicia--methamphetamine, a scale, packaging material, and pay-owe ledgers including 

names and drug and dollar amounts seized as evidence, as well as Petitioner’s recorded 

admission of guilt. The remainder of the R&R was consistently thorough and 

demonstrated consideration of all relevant law and components of the record on review. 

 Because the Court will dismiss with prejudice Ground Four as procedurally barred 

without cause to excuse the default, it need not consider Judge Metcalf’s 

recommendation that Ground Four be denied on the merits, for lack of merit. However, 

were a ruling required on that issue, the Court would also conclude that Judge Metcalf’s 

analysis of Ground Four on the merits was correct, as Petitioner failed to demonstrate 

ineffective assistance of counsel regarding the plea offer. 

For the reasons set forth in the R&R, 

IT IS ORDERED: 

 1) adopting in whole the Report and Recommendation submitted by Judge 

Metcalf in this matter (Doc. 27); 

 2) dismissing with prejudice Grounds One and Four of the Petition; 

 3) denying Grounds Two and Three of the Petition for lack of merit; 

 2) denying the Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus pursuant to 28 U.S.C. 

Section 2254 (Doc. 1) and dismissing the matter; and 

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 3) denying a certificate of appealability and leave to proceed in forma 

pauperis on appeal, because the Court finds that dismissal of the Petition is justified by a 

plain procedural bar, and reasonable jurists would not find the ruling debatable. 

 Dated this 28th day of January, 2016. 

 

 Honorable John J. Tuchi 

 United States District Judge 

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