Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-azd-4_05-cv-00050/USCOURTS-azd-4_05-cv-00050-1/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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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA

Steven L. Sapp, 

Petitioner, 

vs.

Charles Ryan, et al., 

Respondents. 

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No. CV 05-050-TUC-FRZ

 ORDER

Before the Court for consideration is the Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus pursuant

to 28 U.S.C. § 2254 filed by Petitioner Steven L. Sapp in this action and the Report and

Recommendation of the Magistrate Judge, recommending the dismissal of the Petition.

This matter was referred to Magistrate Judge D. Thomas Ferraro pursuant to Rules

72.1 and 72.2 of the Local Rules of Civil Procedure for further proceedings and report and

recommendation.

Magistrate Judge Ferraro issued his Report and Recommendation, recommending that

the Court enter an order denying the Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus and dismissing this

action in its entirely as untimely under the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of

1996, 28 U.S.C. § 22543(d)(“AEDPA”), based on Petitioner’s failure to establish entitlement

of statutory or equitable tolling. 

The Report and Recommendation sets forth the factual and procedural history of

Petitioner’s state court proceedings and the conviction at issue. 

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Petitioner filed CV 05-050-TUC-FRZ; CV 05-051-TUC-FRZ and CV 05-052-TUCFRZ on January 27, 2005, challenging the unrelated, unconsolidated convictions in Cochise

County Superior Court in case numbers CR–98000325, CR–98000452 and

CR–97000484(B), respectively. 

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Petitioner seeks review on 12 separate grounds of his conviction in Cochise County

Superior Court of Arizona, case number CR–98000325, in which Petitioner was convicted

by jury on March 24, 1999 of (1) possession for sale of a dangerous drug

(methamphetamine), a class 2 felony; (2) possession of drug paraphernalia, a class 6 felony;

and (3) driving on a suspended license, a class 1 misdemeanor, all which occurred on July

6, 1998. 

Based on a prior conviction, Petitioner was sentenced on June 14, 1999 to a nine-yearthree-month prison term on the drug possession charge, a concurrent 1one year and nine

months on the paraphernalia possession charge. He also received a consecutive one year

probation term on the misdemeanor charge.

As set forth in detail in the Report and Recommendation, Petitioner has not

demonstrated that an extraordinary circumstance prevented him from timely filing, and

therefore, Petitioner failed to reach the high threshold to establish entitlement to statutory or

equitable tolling.

Petitioner filed his objections to the Report and Recommendation pursuant to 28

U.S.C. §636(b), arguing both that the present petition and accompanying habeas petitions1

were timely and also “that an extraordinary circumstance prevented him from timely filing

as he diligently pursued his rights,” challenging the state court rulings on both procedural and

substantive grounds, alleging innocence and miscarriage of justice. 

The Court finds, after consideration of the matters presented and an independent

review of the record herein, that the Petition should be denied and this action be dismissed

as recommended. 

Based on the foregoing,

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IT IS ORDERED that Magistrate Judge Ferraro’s Report and Recommendation [Doc.

25] is hereby ACCEPTED AND ADOPTED as the findings of fact and conclusions of law

by this Court;

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus is DENIED;

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that judgment be entered accordingly.

DATED this 14th day of September, 2011.

Case 4:05-cv-00050-FRZ Document 29 Filed 09/15/11 Page 3 of 3