Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/boundvolumes/529bv.pdf
Page Number: 506

529US2

Unit: $U47

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Cite as: 529 U. S. 420 (2000)

431

Opinion of the Court

B

We start, as always, with the language of the statute. See
United States v. Ron Pair Enterprises, Inc., 489 U. S. 235,
241 (1989). Section 2254(e)(2) begins with a conditional
clause, “[i]f the applicant has failed to develop the factual
basis of a claim in State court proceedings,” which directs
attention to the prisoner’s efforts in state court. We ask
ﬁrst whether the factual basis was indeed developed in state
court, a question susceptible, in the normal course, of a sim-
ple yes or no answer. Here the answer is no.

The Commonwealth would have the analysis begin and
end there. Under its no-fault reading of the statute, if there
is no factual development in the state court, the federal ha-
beas court may not inquire into the reasons for the default
when determining whether the opening clause of § 2254(e)(2)
applies. We do not agree with the Commonwealth’s inter-
pretation of the word “failed.”

We do not deny “fail” is sometimes used in a neutral way,
not importing fault or want of diligence. So the phrase “We
fail to understand his argument” can mean simply “We can-
not understand his argument.” This is not the sense in
which the word “failed” is used here, however.

We give the words of a statute their “ ‘ordinary, contempo-
rary, common meaning,’ ” absent an indication Congress in-
tended them to bear some different import. Walters v. Met-
ropolitan Ed. Enterprises, Inc., 519 U. S. 202, 207 (1997)
(quoting Pioneer Investment Services Co. v. Brunswick As-
sociates Ltd. Partnership, 507 U. S. 380 (1993)). See also
Bailey v. United States, 516 U. S. 137, 141 (1995).
In its cus-
tomary and preferred sense, “fail” connotes some omission,
fault, or negligence on the part of the person who has failed
to do something. See, e. g., Webster’s New International
Dictionary 910 (2d ed. 1939) (deﬁning “fail” as “to be want-
ing; to fall short; to be or become deﬁcient in any measure
or degree,” and “failure” as “a falling short,” “a deﬁciency or