Pursuant to 5 T H C IR . R. 47.5, the court has determined that thi s opinion should not * be publishe d and is not precedent except under the limited circu mstance s set forth in 5 T H C IR . R. 47.5 .4. 

### INTHE UNITED S TATESCOU RT OFAPPEALS

FORTHEFIFTH CIRCU IT

N o. 08- 70008
KE I T H S T EV EN T HURMOND P eti ti on er - A p p ell a n t v. N AT H AN I EL Q U AR TE RM AN , D I RE CT O R, TEXAS DEPA RT M ENT OFCRI M I NAL J UST I CE, CORRE CT I ONAL I NS T I T UT I ONS DIVI S I ON R espon den t- A pp el l ee

A p p ea lf

rom the U n i tedS tates D i stri ct C ou rt f or th e Sou t h ern D i st ri ctof T exas U SD C N o. H 06- 2833
B e fo r e S T E W A R T , O W E N , a n dS O U T H W IC K , C ir c u it J u d g e s . P E R C U R IA M: * P et i t i on er K e it h Steven T h u rm on d, convi ct ed i n T exas st ate c ou rtof ca p ital m u rd er a n dsen ten cedto de a th , see k s a ce rtifica te of a p p e a la b i l i ty ( “ C O A” ) t o app ealt h e di st ri ctcourt ’ s or der di sm i ssi n g h i s pet i t i o n fo r w ritof h a b e a s c orpu s. Th e di st ri ctcourthel d that Th u rm on d’ s pet i t i on w as t i m ebarred. Th u rm on d d oes not di spu t e t h at, i n order t o be t i m el y, he h adone yea r, United States Court of App eals

Fifth Circuit 

### F I L E D Ma rch 9, 2009 Cha rl es R. F ulb ru g e II I ClerkN o. 08- 70008

2 orunt i lA ugust 3 1 , 2 0 0 6, t o f i l e f orpos t
- c onvi c t i on r eli ef, and hi s pet i t i on w as no tf i l e d un t i lSe pt e m be r1 , 2 00 6. Thur m o nd a r gues , ho w e ve r , t hatt he eq u i tab l e tolli n g d o c trin e sh ou l dap p l y e i th er b eca u se (1) t h ere w a s alm ost a t w o- m on th d e lay bef ore he w as app oi n t ed coun selor ( 2) T h u rm on d’ s c ou n sel at t em pt ed t o f

i l e the pet i t i on o n A ugust31, 2006 i n t he af t erhour s f

i l i ng box , butt h e mac h i n e wa s n o two r k i n g . Be c a u s e j u r i s t s o f r e a s o n wo u l dn o tf

i nd deb atabl ethedi st ri ctcourt ’ s procedural rul i n g, w e den y T h u rm on d’ s app l i cat i on f o raCOA. I
. BA CK GR OUND Th urm ond w as c onvi c t ed and sen ten c ed t o de at h f ort he 2001 c api t al m u rders of

Sh aron A n n e T h u rm on d, h i s w i fe, an d G u y S ean F erna n dez. Sh aron Thur m o nd s e pa r at e d f r o m he rhus ba nd afe w m o nt hs b e f o r e the m ur de r . She t ook thei r c h i l d an d m ovedacros s t h e st reett o l ive w i t h G u y S ean F erna n dez. The da y o f

t he m ur de r s , dep ut i e s se rve d Thur m o nd w i t h a pr o t e c t iveo r de ra nd pl ac e d hi s s i x- ye ar - o l d s o n i n t he c us t o dyo f hi s w i fe . Thur m o nd was unha ppy t h at h i s w i fe w as l ivi n g across t h e st reetw i t h an ot h er m an . A f t er th e dep u t i es l eft w i th th e chil d , T h u rm on d b eca m e veryu p set. H e th en sh ot an dk i l l edbo th vi ct i m s. T h e T e x a s C o u r t o f C r im in a l A p p e a ls a ffir m e dT h u r m o n d ’ s co n v ic tio n in N ov em b er 2 0 0 4 . W h i l e h i s d i rect a p p ea lw a s p en d i n g, T h u rm on df i l eda sta te habeas appl i c at i on i n t he s t at e cou rt in O ct obe r2004. I n June 2005, t he t r i al c our tent er ed f

i ndi ngs of

fac tand c onc l usi ons of l a w re com m endi ng t hat Th urm ond’ s appl i c at i on be deni ed. O n A ugust31, 2005, the C our tof C r i m i nal A p p e a ls a d o p te dth e fin d in g s a n dco n c lu s io n s a n dd e n ie dth e a p p lic a tio n . O n Sep t em ber 9, 200 5, T h u rm on d f i l ed a m ot i on forth e app oi n t m en tof c ounse li n fede r alc our t , and t he c our tappoi nt ed c ounse lon N ove m ber11, 2005. T h u rm on d’ s c ou n self i l ed an a pp l i cat i on forw ritof ha beas corpu s i n t h e U n i t edN o. 08- 70008

3 St at es D i st r i c tC our tf ort he Sout her n D i st r i c tof T exas on Sept em ber1, 2006. I n J une 2 00 7, t he Res po nde ntf i l e d a m o t i o n f

o r s um m ar y j udg m e nt , w hi c h t he di st ri ctcourtgr anted an d d en i ed T h u rm on d’ s hab eas petit i on . Th e di st ri ctcourt he l d thatThur m o nd’ s pe t i t i o n was t i m e - ba r r e d, a nd a l t e rnat ive l y, Thur m o nd w a s n o t e n tit le dto re lie f o n h is cla im s . T h u r m o n dtim e lyfile dan o tic e o f a p p e a l. I I
. S TA NDARD OF RE VI EW T h e A n titerror i sm an dE ff ective D e a th P en a l ty A ct of 19 9 6 (“A E D P A”) r equi r es Th urm ond t o o bt ai n a C O Abe f or e he c an appealt o thi s c our t . 18 U .S .C
. § 2 2 5 3 (c ); Morris v. D ret ke, 3 7 9 F .3 d1 9 9 , 2 0 3 ( 5 th C ir . 2 0 0 4 ). T o o b ta in aC O A , T h u rm o n dm u st m a k e “asu b sta n tia l sh o w in gof th e d e n ia l of a constit u t i on alri gh t . ” § 225 3(c) ( 2)
. W h ere, as here, t h e di st ri ctcou rt d en i es a h abea s pet i t i on on p rocedural groun ds, “ a C O A shou l d i ssue w h en t h e pri soner s ho w s , at l e as t , t hat j ur i s t s o f r e as o n w o ul d f i nd i t de ba t ab l e w he t her t he p eti ti on states a va l i dcl a i m of th e d e n ia lof acon sti tu ti on a lri gh t andt hat j u ri st s of reason w ou l d f i n d it deb atabl e w h et h er th e di st ri ctcourtw as cor rect i n i ts pro ced u ra lru l i n g.” S la ck v. McD a n iel, 5 2 9 U .S . 4 7 3 , 4 8 4 (2 0 0 0 ) (e m p h a s is a d d e d); see als o Morris, 3 7 9 F
. 3 da t 2 0 4 . A E D P Aesta b l i sh es a on e-ye a r statu te of l i m i t ati on s f

or s eeking federalha beas corpu s r el i ef fr o m a st ate- court ju d g m e n t. 2 8 U .S .C . § 2 2 4 4 (d)(1 ). I I I
. DI S CUS S I ON T h u rm o n dd o e s n o t a d d re ss th e m e rits of th e a ll e g e dd e n ia l of a c ons t i t ut i onalr i ght ; hi s pet i t i on f oc use s on t he di st r i c tc our t ’ s pro c edur alr ul i ng. Th urm ond c ont ends t hat hi s c ounse lc om pl et ed hi s pet i t i on o n A ugust31, 2006, t hen at t em p t e dt o f

i l e i ti n t he a f

t e rh o ur s f

i l i ngb o x , whi c h was n o two r ki ng. H is co u n s e l th e n m a ile dth e h a b e a s p e tit io n o n t h e s a m e d a y , re s u ltin ginit b e in g file m a r k e d o n S e p te m b e r 1 , 2 0 0 6
. T h u r m o n dth e r e fo r e co n te n d s th a t h isN o. 08- 70008

4 pe t i t i o n s ho ul d b e c o ns i de r e d t i m e l y f i l e d d ue t o t he m e c hanicalfai l u re o f t he la te filin gm a c h in e . Eve n a c c e pt i ng as t r ue t he c l ai m t hatt he l at e f i l i ng m ac hi ne w as b r o ke n, such m echa n i calfail u re di d n otrender the cl erk’ s of f i ce i n access ibl e f

or purp oses of com pu t i n g t i m e. T h e a d m in ist rat ive procedu res of t h e Sou t h ern D i st ri ctof T e x a s req u i re al latt orneys ad m i t t ed to t h e bar of t h at c ou rt , as w el las t h ose ad m i t t e d pro ha c vi ce , t o regi st er as F i l i n g U sers . A dm i n i st rat ive P rocedures f or El e c t r o ni cFi l i ng i n C i vi l& C r i m i nalCas e s 2
. A. ( S. D
. Te x. J an. 2 00 7)
. The p r o c e d u r e s s ta te th a t “ aF i lin gU s e ris re q u ir e dto file e le c tr o n ic a llya ll c o m pl ai nt s , i ni t i alpa pe r s , pe t i t i o ns , m o t i o ns , m e m o r and a o f l aw, b ri efs , a nd o t he rpl e ad i ngs a nd d o c um e nt s f i l e d wi t h t he co ur t” i n co nne c t i o n wi t h c ivila nd c r i m i nalc as e s . Adm i ni s t r at ivePr o c e dur e s 1 . B( 1)

- ( 2)
. Thu r m o nd d o e s no ta r gue t hat t he e l e c t r o ni cf

i l i ng s ys t e m w as una va i l ab l e f o rpur po s e s o f

t i m e l y f i l i ng t he p e tit io n . F u rth er, eq u i tab l e tolli n g sh ou l dn ot ap p l y i n th i s ca se. “T o be en titl edto e q u ita b le to llin g , t h e p e t i tio n e r‘ m u s t s h o w (1 ) th a t h e h a s b e e n p u r s u in gh is r ig h ts d ilig e n tly , a n d(2 ) th a t s o m e e x t r a o r d in a r ycir c u m s ta n c e s s to o dinh is w a y.’” Jo hns o n v . Q u art e r m an , 4 83 F. 3d2 78 , 2 85 ( 5t h Ci r . 2 00 7) ( quo t i ng Law r e nc ev . Flo r i da , 127 S. C t . 107 9, 108 5 ( 200 7) )
. Th u rm on d m eet s nei t h er of t he r equi r em ent s f

oreq ui t abl e t oll i ng. Thu r m ond w ai t ed unt i lt he ve r y l as tday, a fter n orm albu si n ess h ou rs t o att em pt t o f i l e hi s pet i t i on . Th e di st ri ctcourt not ed thatTh urm ond’ s c ounse lw as aw ar e thatt he l at e f i l i ng m ac hine w as b r o k e n fr o m ap r io rca s e , a n dT h u r m o n dd o e s n o t d is p u te th a t h e w a s p r e v io u s ly o n no t i c e t hatt he m ac hi ne w as b roke n, a lbe i ts e ve r alm o nt hs b e f o r e t he att em pted l ate f

i l i n g on A u gu st31, 200 6. I n l i gh tof coun sel ’ s previ ou s probl em s w i t h t he l at e f

i l i ng m ac hi ne , m o r e t han e i ght m o nt hs t o pr e pa r e t he pe t i t i o n, a nd t he avail abil i t y o f

el ec t r oni cf

i l i ng, t h i s c our tc annotf i nd t hatTh urm ond w as di l i gen t l y pu rsui n g h i s ri gh t s by w ai t i n g u n t i l t h e l ast da y, af t er busi n ess h ou rs,N o. 08- 70008

5 to a tt e m p t to tim e ly file h is p e tit io n in th e a fte r h o u r s filin gm a c h in e . Id
. at288 (re fu sin g t o app l y equ i t able t ol l i n g an d f i n di n g t h at c i rcum st an ces w ere not

“ r ar e a nd extra or di nary”w her e c ounse l“w as aw ar e o f t he dea dl i ne, and had m on th s i n w h i ch to com p l ete th e p eti ti on , bu t w a i tedu n tilthe ve ryl a st m i n u te o n t h e d u e d a t e t o c o mp l e t e w o r k o n i t w h e n t h e c o mp u t e rfa i l e d” )
. F o rt h e s a me r eas ons , no e xt r aor di nary c i r c um st ance s st oo d i n hi s w ay. B eca u se o u r ru l i n g o n the pr oce d u ra li ss u e e n d s this case , w e d ecli n e to a d d r e s s th e co n s tit u tio n a l is s u e . S ee S lack , 5 2 9 U .S . a t 4 8 5 ; Joh n son , 483 F. 3d a t 2 8 8
. IV. CO NCL US I ON Juri st s of

r eas on w oul d notf

i nd i tdebat abl e w het hert he di st r i c tc our tw as corr ecti n it s procedural rul i n g. W e t h eref ore D E N YT h u rm on d’ s ap pl i cat i on f or aCOA.