# U ni te d S ta te s Co ur t of A pp ea ls For the Eig hth Circu it

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__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ _ Mar k C hr is te so n,
ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l Peti ti on er

- App el la nt

,

v.

Don Ro pe r,
ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l Resp on de nt - App el le e.

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Am eri can Bar As so ci at io n; Ro de ric k a nd So la ng e Ma cArt hu r Ju st ic e Cen te r; Nati on al Ass oc ia te for Pu bl ic Defen se ; Nat io na l Leg al Aid an d Def en de r Ass oc ia ti on ; Nat io na l As so ci at io n o f Cri m in al Defen se Lawy ers ; Fo rm er Fe de ral
an d S ta te Ju dg es , ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l

Amici on Beha lf

of Peti ti on er

.

__ __ __ __ __ __ App eal fro m

Uni te d S ta te s Di st ric t Co ur t fo r th e Weste rn Dis tri ct of M is so ur i - Kan sa s C it y

__ __ __ __ __ __ Su bm it te d: Jan ua ry

17 , 20 17 Fi le d: Jan ua ry

18 , 20 17 [Pu bl is he d]

__ __ __ __ __ __ Befo re LOKEN, MURPHY, and COLLOTON, Cir cu it Ju dg es

.

__ __ __ __ __ __PER CURI AM.

Th i s i s an ap pe al fro m th e di st ric t co ur t’s or de r de nyin g Mar k Ch ris te so n’s

m ot io n to reo pe n a fin al jud gm en t di sm is si ng hi s ha b e a s c o r p u s ap pl ic at io n as
un ti m el y . Chr is te so n i s u nd er a se nt en ce of de at h in Mi ss ou ri, a nd hi s ex ecu ti on is

sc he du le d fo r Ja nu ary 31 , 20 17

. W e rem an d th e cas e to th e di st ric t co ur t fo r a li m it ed

ev id en ti ary he ari ng

.

Ch ris te so n was co nv ic te d of th ree co un ts of cap it al m ur de r in Mi ss ou ri an d

se nt en ced to de at h. The Mi ss ou ri Su p r e me C o u r t affi rm ed th e co nv ic ti on s an d

se nt en ces

. St at e v. Ch ri st es on , 50 S.W .3d 25 1 (Mo

. 20 01 ). Afte r Ch ris te so n so ug ht po st -co nv ic ti on rel ie f in Mi ss ou ri st at e co ur t, a st at e ci rcu it co ur t de ni ed th e m ot io n,
an d th e Mi ss ou ri Su pr em e Co ur t affi rm ed

. Ch ri st es on v. St at e , 13 1 S.W .3d 79 6 (Mo

. 20 04 ).

Th e fed eral di st ric t co ur t, on Ju ly 2, 20 04 , th en ap po in te d two at to rn ey s t o rep res en t Ch ris te so n in fed eral ha be as co rp us li ti ga ti on

. Co un se l fir st m et w i th Ch ris te so n on May 27 , 20 05 , an d fil ed a pe ti ti on on Aug us t 5, 20 05

. As it tu rn s ou t, th e ti m e fo r fil in g a ti m el y ha be as pe ti ti on ex pi red in Apr il 20 05 , bu t cou ns el as se rt th at th ey m is cal cu la te d th e de ad li ne an d be li ev ed th at th e pe ti ti on was ti m el y fil ed in Aug us t 20 05

. The di st ric t co ur t di sm is se d Ch ris te so n’s ha be as pe ti ti on as un ti m el y , an d t hi s co ur t d en ie d a n a pp li cat io n fo r a cer ti fic at e o f ap pe al ab il it y

.

Sev eral y ears la te r, two ne w a tt or ne y s who no w r ep res en t Ch r i s t e s on m ov ed fo r su bs ti tu ti on of co un se l. New co un se l so ug ht to fil e a m ot io n un de r Fed eral Ru le of Ci vi l Proc ed ur e 60 (b ) to reo pe n th e fin al jud gm en t o n t he gro un d t ha t th e st at ut e of li m it at io ns sh ou ld ha ve be en eq ui ta bl y to ll ed

. The Su pr em e Co ur t ul ti m at el y ru le d th a t s ub st it ut io n was req ui red , Ch ri st es on v. Rop er , 13 5 S. Ct

. 89 1 (2 01 5) (p er
cu ria m ), an d we rem an de d th e cas e to th e di st ric t c o ur t wit h di rect io ns to gr an t th e

m ot io n fo r su bs ti tu ti on

. In it s de ci si on , th e Su pr em e Co ur t ob se rv ed th at “ Ch ris te so n

-2

-f

a c e s a ho st of pr oc ed ur al ob st acl es to ha vi ng a fed eral co ur t co ns id er hi s ha be a s pe ti ti on ,” in cl ud in g a req ui rem en t to de m on st rat e th at “ ex tra or di na ry ci rcu m st an ces jus ti fy th e reo pe ni ng of a fin al jud g ment .” Id

. at 89 5- 96 (al te rat io ns an d qu ot at io n

m ark s o m it te d)

.

The di st ric t cou rt on rem an d den ie d Chr is te so n’s m ot io n u nd er Rul e 60 (b ) to

reo pe n th e fin al jud gm en t. In c o nc lu di ng th at Ch ris te so n fai le d to sh ow

“ ex tra or di na ry ci rcu m st an ces ,” th e di st ric t co ur t reject ed Ch ris te so n’s co nte nti on th at

or ig in al co un se l ha d ab an do ne d hi m

. The co ur t rel ie d o n a c t i o n s ta ke n by o rig in al

co un se l afte r th e ex pi rat io n o f th e fil in g dea dl in e in Apr il 20 05 —i .e., be twee n May 27 , 20 05 , whe n th ey fir st m et wit h Ch ris te so n, an d Ju ne 8, 20 07 , a da te sh or tl y aft er th is co ur t de ni ed a cer t i f

i c a t e o f ap pe al ab il it y on th e di st ric t co ur t’s ru li ng th at th e pe ti ti on was u nt im el y

.

W e gr an te d a cert ifi cat e of ap pe al ab il it y to rev ie w th e di st ric t co ur t’s de ni al of rel ie f un de r Ru le 60 (b ). Ch ris te so n arg ue s on ap pe al th at th e di st ric t co ur t erre d in it s ru li ng on ab an do nm en t by r e lying en ti rel y on act io ns ta ke n by or ig in al co un se l af te r th e de ad li ne fo r fil in g a ti m el y ha be as pe ti ti on , whi le m ak in g no in qu iry in to

co un se l’s p erfo rm an ce b efo re t he de ad li ne ex pi red . Chr is te so n als o com pl ai ns th at th e co ur t acce pt ed ex pl an at io ns gi ve n by or ig in al co un se l fo r th e ta rd y fil in g wit ho ut pr ov id in g an op po rtu ni ty to te st th ei r cred ib il it y

. Th e S t a t e res po nd s th at or ig in al

co u n s e l ’s u n ti m el y fil in g was th e res ul t of a m is cal cu la ti on ba se d on co lo rab le arg um en ts un de r t h e n -ex is ti ng la w, an d th at co un se l’s m is ta ke or ne gl ig en ce was si m pl y no t ab an do nm en t.

W it ho ut ex pr es si ng a vi ew at th is ti m e on t h e di st ric t co ur t’s co nc lu si on , we th in k it pr ud en t un de r th e ci rcu m st an ces fo r th e di st ric t co u r t t o de ve lo p th e reco rd

on th e act io ns of or ig in al co un se l so th at a de ci si on on Ch ris te so n’s al le ga ti on of ab an do nm en t is ba se d on a m or e co m pl et e un de rs ta nd in g of th e fact s. The Su pr em e Co ur t, aft er no ti ng th at or ig in al co un se l di d no t m eet wit h Ch ris te so n un ti l m or e th an

-3

-si x week s aft er hi s pe ti ti on was du e, ci te d a “ le ga l et hi cs ex pe rt” who op in ed th at “ if

th is was no t ab an do nm en t, I am no t su re w h a t w o u l d b e

. ” 13 5 S. Ct

. at 89 2. The

reco rd el se whe re, ho wev er, in cl ud es a fil in g fro m or ig in al co un se l st at in g t h a t two to th ree m on th s aft er th ei r ap po in tm en t i n J ul y 20 04 , co un se l rece iv ed vo lu m in ou s
reco rd m at eri al s co nc ern in g Ch ris te so n’s cas e. Orig in al co un se l wro te th a t th ey

“ th or ou gh ly rev ie wed th es e do cu m en ts , co nt act ed ap pe ll at e co un se l reg ard in g is su es rai se d at th e tr i a l le ve l an d in ve st ig at ed po te nt ia l cl ai m s” be fo re m eet in g wit h Ch ris te so n in May 20 05

. R. D o c

. 73 , at 8. The di st ric t co ur t on rem an d m ad e no fin di ng s of fact co nc ern in g th e pr e-d e a d l in e act iv it y of or ig in al co un se l or th e cred ib il it y of th ei r ex pl an at io ns fo r m is si n g t he fil in g de ad li ne in 20 05

. A li m it ed

ev id en ti ary he ari ng an d su pp le m en ta l fi nd in gs of f act wou ld faci li ta te res ol ut io n of Ch ris te so n’s ap pe al

. Cf

. Cod y v. Hil la rd , 13 9 F .3d 11 97 , 12 00 (8t h C ir. 1 99 8)

.

Acco r d i n g l y, we rem an d th e cas e to th e di st ric t co ur t wit h di rect io ns to

co nv en e pr om

pt ly a li m it ed ev id en ti ary he ari ng on th e qu es ti on of ab an do nm en t an d to cert ify to th is co ur t it s fin di ng s of fact an d an y ad di ti on al co nc lu si on s of la w. W e ret ai n juri sd ic ti on ov er th e ap pe al du rin g th is li m it ed rem an d. Se e, e.g

. , Uni te d St at es v. Agu il ar , 7 43 F.3 d 11 44 , 1 15 1 (8 th Ci r. 20 14 ). Ch ris te so n ne ed no t fil e th e rep ly br ie f du e on Ja nu ary 20 , an d th e m ot io n fo r le av e to fil e an ov erl en gt h rep ly br ie f is de ni ed as m oo t.

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