T hi s di s pos i t i on i s notappr opr i a t e f orpubl i c a t i on and i s notpr e c e de nt * e xc e pta s pr ovi de d by9th C i r . R . 36- 3.

T he pa ne l una ni m ous l yc onc l ude s thi s c a s e i s s ui t abl e f orde c i s i on ** w ith o u t o r a l ar g u m e n t. See F ed. R . A pp . P . 34 (a )( 2). A H / R es ear ch NOT F OR P UB L I CAT I ON

UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS FOR T HE NI NTH CI RC UI T D A V I D RU CK ER, P e titio n e r- A p p e llan t, v. J I M HA M LE T, R es po nd ent- A pp el l ee . N o. 07- 16748 D. C . No . C V- 0 3 - 0 1 7 1 5 - L KK ME MOR AN DU M *

A pp ea l fr om the U ni t ed S t at es D i stri ctC ou rt f o rth e E a s te rn D is tr ic t o f C a lif o rn ia L a w r e nc e K . K a r l t on, D i s tr i c tJudge , P r e s i di ng S ubm i tt e d F e brua ry16, 2010 ** B efo re: F E RN A N D E Z , G O U L D , an dM . S M IT H , C i rcu i tJu d g es. C alifo rn ia state p riso n erD av idR u ck erap p ea ls fr o m th e d istrict co u rt’s d en i al o f h i s 2 8 U . S . C . § 2 2 5 4 h ab eas p et i t i o n ch al l en g i n g h i s “ T h ree-S tri k es” 

# FI LED MA R 03 2010 M OLLY C. DW Y ER, CLERK U . S. C O U R T OF APPE ALSA H / Res ea r ch 07- 16748

c onvi c t i on a nd s e nt e nc e f ordr i vi ng unde rthe i nf l ue nc e . W e ha ve j ur i s di c t i on p u r s u a n tt o 2 8 U . S. C. § 2 2 5 3 , a n dw e a f f i rm. R ucker cont ends thathi s s ent ence of tw enty- fi ve ye ar s t o l i fe const i tut es c rue l a nd unus ua l puni s hm e ntunde rthe E i ghth A m e ndm e nt . G i ve n the c ir c u m s tan c e s o f

th e o f f e n s e a n do f

R u c k e r ’s p r io rc o n v ic tio n s , th e s ta te c o u rt d id n o t u n r e a s o n ab lyap p lyc le a r lye s tab lis h e df e d e r a l law . See 2 8 U .S .C . § 2 2 5 4 ( d ) ( 1 ) ; L oc k

y e rv . A ndrade , 5 3 8 U .S . 6 3 , 7 2 - 7 3 ( 2 0 0 3 ) ; se e al so R i os v. G a r c ia , 39 0 F . 3d 10 82 , 10 86 (9th C i r. 20 04 ) ( up ho l di ng “ T hree S tri kes” se nt ence o f tw e n ty - f iv e y e a r s to lif

e f o rf e lo n yp e ttyth e f

t w h e r e p e titio n e rs tru g g le dw ith l oss pre vent i on offi ce r and pri or robb ery s tri kes i nv ol ved threa tof vi ol ence ). R u c k e ra ls o c o n te n d s th a t ap p e lla te c o u n s e l w a s in e f f e c tiv e f o rr e f u s in g to ra i se the E i gh th A m endm enti ss ue on di re ctappeal . T he re cord ref l ec t s that c o u n s e l’s p e r f

o rm a n c e w a s n o t d e f

ic ie n t, an dth a t R u c k e rc a n n o t d e m o n s tr a te p r e ju d ic e b e c au s e th e c la im la c k e dm e r it. Se e J o n es v . Sm ith , 231 F . 3d 1227, 1239 n .8 ( 9 th C ir . 2 0 0 0 ) ; W

i ldm an v . J

ohns on , 26 1 F . 3d 83 2, 84 0 (9th C i r. 20 01 ). R u c k e rla s t c o n te n d s th a t th e s ta te tr ia l c o u rt v io la te dh is du e p r o c e s s r ig h ts w hen i tgave C A L JI C 17 . 41 . 1, the j ury nul l i fi ca t i on i nstruct i on . A s Rucker co n ced es, h o w ev er, th i s cl ai m i s fo recl o sedb y B r e w e rv . H a ll , 378 F . 3d 952, 957 ( 9 th C ir . 2 0 0 4 ) ( a f

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e de r a l l a w hol di ng tha tC A L J I C 17. 41. 1 vi ol a t e s a n e xi s t i ng const i tut i on alri gh t ). AF F I RME D.