N O T FO R PUB L ICAT IO N UNITED STATES C OUR T OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH C IR C U IT KHAC HIK M ARJANIAN, Pe titione r - Appe lla nt,
v. JAM ES E. TILTON, Se c re ta ry C a lifornia De pa rtm e nt of C o rre c tions a

nd R e h a bilita tion, R

e sponde nt - Appe lle e . No. 13-55865

D.C . No. 2:07-c v-01471-SVW -OP
M EM O R ANDUM *

Appe a l from

the Unite d

Stat e s Distric t C ourt for the C e ntra l Distric t of C a lifornia Ste phe n V. W ilson, Distric t Judge , Pre s iding Subm itte d Se pte m

be r 1, 2015 ** Pa sa de n a , C a l ifornia B e fore : GR

AB E R , R AW L INSON, and WA TFORD, C i rc uit Judge s. Pe titione r Kha c hik M arjania n a ppe a ls the distric t

c ourt’ s orde r de ny ing his
a pplic ation for ha

be a s re l ie f. W e hav e jurisdic tion unde r 28 U.S.C . §§ 1291 a nd 

# FIL ED SEP 10 2015 M OLLY C. DW Y ER, CLERK U
. S
. CO URT O F APPEALS

* This disposition is not a ppropria te for public ation a

nd is not pre c e de nt e xc e pt a s provide d

by 9th C ir. R . 36-3. ** The pa

ne l una nim ously c onc lude s tha

t this c a se is suita

b le for de c ision without oral a

rgum e nt. Fe d. R . App. P. 34(a)(2).2253. R e vie wing de novo, M c M urtre y v. R y an, 539 F.3d 1112, 1118 (9th C ir. 2008), we a ffirm
. 1. The distric t c ourt e rre d in holding a n e vide ntia

ry he aring. Unde r C ulle n v. Pinholster, 131 S. C t. 1388, 1398 (2011), " re vie w unde r [28 U.S.C .] § 2254(d)(1) [of theAntite rrorism and Effe c tive De ath Pe na lty Ac t of 1996] is lim ite d to the re c ord tha

t wa s be fore the sta

t e c ourt tha

t a djudic ate d the c la im

on the m e rits." In this c a se , the C a lifornia C ourt of Appe a l a djudic ate d Pe titione r’ s ine ffe c tive a ssista

nc e of c ounse l c la i m

on the m e rits. W e the re fore lim it our
re vie w to there c ord tha

t wa s be fore tha

t c ourt. C anne dy v. Ada

m s, 706 F.3d 1148, 1156 (9th C ir. 2013). 2. The sta

te c ourt’ s de t e rm ination of the fa c ts wa s not unre a sona ble
. Pe titione r’ s tria l c o unse l sta te d in his sworn de c la

ration tha t he ha d inform e d Pe titione r of the e a

rlie r ple a offe r but tha

t Pe titione r ha d

re je c te d it. Tria l c o unse l’ s sta te m e nt is c orroborat e d by Pe titione r’ s late r m otion to dism iss for vindic tive prose c ution, in which Pe titione r c la im e d tha t the State ’ s de c ision to bring se c ondde gre e m urde r c h a rge s wa s m a de in re ta lia

tion a ga inst Pe titione r for " re je c t [ing] a proffe re d ple a

ba rga in of e ight y e ars a

nd c ho[osing] to e xe rc i se his right to a jury tria l ." In light of tha

t e vide nc e , the sta

te c ourt’ s de c ision to deny Pe titione r’ s

2ine ffe c tive a ssista nc e of c ounse l c la i m , whic h wa s pre m ise d on tria l c ounse l’ s a lle ge d fa ilure to inform

Pe titione r of the ple a

offe r, wa s not unre a sona ble
. AFFIRM E D.

3Marjanian v . Tilton , No. 13-55865

WATFORD , C irc uit Judge , c onc urring in thejudgm e nt: The distric t c ourt did not err by holding a n e v ide ntia

ry he aring. An
e vide ntia ry he a ring wa s wa

rrante d he re be c a

u se the sta

te ha be a s c ourt re fuse d to hold a n e vide ntia

ry he aring of its own, de s pite the fa c t tha t it wa s pre se nte d with
c onflic ting, pla

usible e vide nc e on the ke y fa c tua l issue unde rly ing pe titione r’ s ine ffe c tive -a s sista

nc e -of-c ounse l c la im : whe the r c ounse l ha d c onve y e d the State ’ s e ight-y e ar ple a

offe r to pe t itione r. Se eEarp v . Ornosk i , 431 F.3d 1158, 1167 (9th C ir. 2005). Afte r c o nduc ting a n e vide ntia

ry he aring a nd he aring livete stim ony from the ke y pla y e rs, the m a gistra

te judge prope rly

found tha

t c ounse l ha d in fa c t c onve y e d the ple a offe r to pe titione r, and tha t c ounse l the re fore did not re nde r ine ffe c tive a ssista

nc e . I would a ffirm

the distric t c ourt’ s de nia l of ha be a s re lie f on that ba sis. 

# FIL ED SEP 10 2015 M OLLY C. DW Y ER, CLERK U
. S
. CO URT O F APPEALS