Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/boundvolumes/529bv.pdf
Page Number: 522

529US2

Unit: $U48

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Cite as: 529 U. S. 446 (2000)

447

Syllabus

default doctrine and its attendant “cause and prejudice” standard are
grounded in comity and federalism concerns, Coleman v. Thompson,
501 U. S. 722, 730, and apply whether the default occurred at trial, on
appeal, or on state collateral attack, Murray v. Carrier, 477 U. S. 478,
490–492. Thus, a prisoner must demonstrate cause for his state-court
default of any federal claim, and prejudice therefrom, before the fed-
501 U. S., at 750.
eral habeas court will consider that claim’s merits.
Counsel’s ineffectiveness in failing properly to preserve a claim for
state-court review will sufﬁce as cause, but only if that ineffectiveness
itself constitutes an independent constitutional claim. Carrier, supra,
at 488–499. The comity and federalism principles underlying the doc-
trine of exhaustion of state remedies require an ineffective-assistance
claim to be presented to the state courts as an independent claim before
it may be used to establish cause for a procedural default. Carrier,
supra, at 489. The doctrine’s purposes would be frustrated if federal
review were available to a prisoner who had presented his claim in state
court, but in such a manner that the state court could not, under its
procedural rules, have entertained it. Pp. 450–454.

163 F. 3d 938, reversed and remanded.

Scalia, J., delivered the opinion of the Court, in which Rehnquist,
C. J., and O’Connor, Kennedy, Souter, Thomas, and Ginsburg, JJ.,
joined. Breyer, J., ﬁled an opinion concurring in the judgment, in which
Stevens, J., joined, post, p. 454.

Edward B. Foley, State Solicitor of Ohio, argued the cause
for petitioner. With him on the briefs were Betty D. Mont-
gomery, Attorney General, David M. Gormley, and Stephen
P. Carney.

J. Joseph Bodine, Jr., argued the cause for respondent.
With him on the brief were David H. Bodiker, Laurence E.
Komp, and Angela Wilson Miller.*

*A brief of amici curiae urging reversal was ﬁled for the State of Texas
et al. by John Cornyn, Attorney General of Texas, Andy Taylor, First
Assistant Attorney General, Shane Phelps, Deputy Attorney General for
Criminal Justice, Gregory S. Coleman, Solicitor General, Idolina G. Mc-
Cullough, Assistant Solicitor General, Michael E. McLachlan, Solicitor
General of Colorado, and John M. Bailey, Chief State’s Attorney of Con-
necticut, and by the Attorneys General for their respective States as fol-
lows: Bill Pryor of Alabama, Bruce M. Botelho of Alaska, Mark Pryor of
Arkansas, Janet Napolitano of Arizona, Bill Lockyer of California, Ken