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 UNI TED S TATESCOU RT OFAPPEALS

FORTHEFIFTH CIRCU IT

N o. 07- 70011

DA NI EL L E S I M P S ON P eti ti on er - A p p ell a n t v. NAT HANI ELQUA RT ER M AN, DI RE CT OR , T EXAS DE P AR T M ENT OF CR I M I NALJ US T I CE , C OR RE CT I ONA L I NS T I T UT I ONS DIVI S I ON R espon den t- A pp el l ee

A pp eal s f

rom t h e U n i t ed S t ates D i st ri ctC ou rt f or th e E aster n D i st ri ctof T exas U SD C N o. 1: 04- C V

- 485

B e fo r e J O L LY , D E N N IS , a n dC L E M E N T , C ir c u it J u d g e s . P E R C U R IA M: * D a n i ell e S i m p son w a s co n v ic te d b y a T ex a s j u ryan dsen ten ced to de a th for the c ap i t alm ur de ro f G e r al di ne D av i ds o n i n 2 00 0. H i s c o nvi c t i o n a nd sentence w ere af

f i rm ed on di rectapp eal , an d the S u prem e C ou rtde n i ed
c e r tio r a r i. S imp so n v . S ta te , 1 1 9 S .W .3 d2 6 2 (T e x . C r im . A p p . 2 0 0 3 ), ce rt. d enie d , 542 U
. S
. 905 ( 200 4)
. A f t er exha u st i n g h i s s t ate hab eas rem edi es, S i m pson sou gh tfederalh abea s rel i ef

. T h e d i st ri ctcou rtgran t ed a cert i f i cat e of United States Court of App eals

Fifth Circuit 

### F I L E D April10, 2009 Cha rl es R. F ulb ru g e II I ClerkN o. 07- 70011

2 appeal abi l i t y f

orSi m pso n’ s c l ai m t hatt he di st r i c tc our ter r ed bydenyi ng hi m an e v id e n tia r yh e a r in go n h is cla im t h a t h e is m e n ta lly r e ta r d e da n dth u s in e lig ib le f or executi on un der A tk in s v . V irg in ia , 5 36 U
. S
. 3 04 ( 200 2)
. S i m pson requested f rom t h i s c ou rtan expa n si on of t h e C O Af

or th ree add i t i on alcl ai m s. O n A ugust29, 2008, w e r em anded th e ca se t o the di st r i c tc our tf oran evi den t i ary h eari n g on S im p son’ s At ki nsc l ai m , a nd h e l d i n a be ya nc e o ur c o ns i de r at i o n o f

Si m ps o n’ s r e que s tf

o ra n e xp ans i o n o f t he CO A. On r e m and , t he di st ri ctcourtcondu ct ed an evi den t i ary h eari n g an d f ou n d that S i m pson i s not
m ent al l y r et ar ded. Th e c as e w as r e- subm i t t ed t o thi s c our ton Febr uary 3, 2009. O n M a r c h 9 , 2 0 0 9 , S im p s o n file dam o tio n to re m a n dfo rah e a r in g , in
ac c o r da nc e w i t h Mata v. Joh n son , 2 10 F
. 3d3 24 ( 5th C i r. 200 0) , on h i s r equ est t o w a iv e h a b e a s r e v ie w a n dp r o c e e dw it h e x e c u t io n . I n th e m o t io n , S im p s o n ’s court- ap poi n t ed coun selst ated t h at w h i l e Sim pson ’ s i n t el l ect u alcapab i l i t i es are l i m i t e d, he und e r s t and s tha tif he w aive s hi s a ppe alhe w i l ls o o n b e e xe c ut e d. C ou n sel ex p ress ed a b eli ef th a t S i m p son i s com p eten t, a l th ou gh m e n ta lly ret arded
. C o u n se l sta te dth a t, g ive n th a t S im p so n h a s s p e n t eig h t y e a rs conf i n ed i n a sm al l cel l , h i s requ est t o be executed i s not u n reasona bl e. I n a ha n dw rit t en statem en t attach edto t h e m oti on , S i m p son e xp l a i n edh i s rea son s for w a n ti n g to d r o p h is a p p e a l:

I’ m tir e d o f b ein g ina ins titu ti on tha t’ s u nj u st, de gr ad i ng, a nd c o r r upt e d – w he r e as on t he othe rha nd, I ’m ti r e do f s t r u g g li n gto s u rv iv e i n a s y s t e m th a t ’s h i gh l y i nj u st i ces. “ I’ m ready to di e” ! ! I f Ican’ tbe f

ree

–“K ill M e ”.!! T h e S ta te d o e s n o t o p p o s e S im p s o n ’ s m o tio n . The e vi de nc e b e f

o r e t he di s t r i c tc o ur ti s s uf f i c i e ntto rai s e ab o na f i de is s u e a s to S im p s o n ’ s co m p e te n c e to w a iv e fe d e r a l h a b e a s re v ie w . S eeMa ta , 210 F. 3da t3 31
. Ac c o r di ngly, w e RE M AN D t he c as e t o t he di s t r i c tcourtf o rt he l i m i t e d p ur po s e o f

co nduc t i ng an e vi de nt i ar y he ar i ng i n a c c o r da nc e w i t h Ma ta ,N o. 07- 70011

3 t o de t e r m i ne w he t he rSi m ps o n i s co m pe t e ntt o w aivef e de r alha be as r e vi e w a nd
w h et h er hi s deci si on t o do so i s kn ow i n g an d vol u n t ary. Si m pson ’ s r equ estf or an expa n ded C O Ato a pp ealt h e den i alof ha beas rel i ef

rem ai n s on t h e docket of t h i s c ou rtan d w i l lbe held i n abe y an ce pend i n g a rul i n g by the dis t ri ctcourt f ol l ow i n g t h e Ma tahea r i ng. I f t he di s t r i c tc o ur tf

i nds t hatSi m ps o n i s c o m pe t e nt t o w aivehi s r i ghtt o ha be as r e vi e w , and t hat hi s de c i s i o n t o do s o i s kno w i ng and
vo l u n tary , w e w i l lth en e n tertaina m oti on f rom h i m to dism i ss h i s C O Areq u est. Th i s c as e i s R E M A N D E D t o the di st r i c t c our t f or t hi s l i m i t ed pur pos e a s s ta te da b o v e .