Opinion ID: 475491
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Reliable Factfinding

Text: 24 The next question is whether the state court reliably found the relevant facts. The state cannot be deemed to have conducted the full and fair hearing necessary to reliable fact finding if it did not actually reach and decide the issues of fact tendered by the defendant. Townsend, 372 U.S. at 313-14, 83 S.Ct. at 757. 25 Pilon contends the district court failed to resolve the following factual issues: (1) whether the photographs of the pretrial lineup reveal substantial dissimilarities in appearance between Pilon and the others; (2) whether the witnesses made any identifications in the first of the two lineup sessions; (3) whether the witnesses were permitted to discuss their thoughts and impressions among themselves between the two lineups and their choices afterwards; (4) whether the witnesses were present when the officer interrupted the second lineup to adjust the tape on Pilon's face; (5) whether officers told the witnesses anything about the suspects after the lineup; (6) the nature of any initial description the witnesses gave to the police; and (7) how tentative the witnesses were in their selection. 26 The district court had no obligation to hear evidence on the first and fourth issues mentioned above. As to the first issue, the photographs were not part of the record and Pilon did not demonstrate any inability to produce them. Austad, 761 F.2d at 1351-55. As to the fourth issue, that was resolved in Pilon's favor by the state trial court and state court of appeals when they accepted Pilon's contention that the tape incident had occurred in the lineup witnesses' presence. Although the state court did not expressly resolve the remaining five factual issues tendered by Pilon, those issues were implicitly resolved against him by the state court's denial of his suppression motion. As we stated in Knaubert v. Goldsmith, 791 F.2d 722 (9th Cir.1986): 27 [N]ot every finding of fact need be stated on the record in infinite detail and clarity. In certain circumstances we will recognize that a factual determination is implicit in the actions taken by a state court. When a state trial court holds a hearing on a motion to suppress evidence and rules on the motion, a federal district court may assume that the state court found the facts necessary to support the state court's decision, unless there is some indication that the state court applied an incorrect legal standard. 28 Id. at 727. 29 Pilon points to nothing that suggests the state court applied the wrong standard. Indeed, the record shows that both the state trial court and the state court of appeals expressly applied the standard mandated by Simmons, 390 U.S. at 384-85, 88 S.Ct. at 971 and determined that the eyewitnesses' identification of Pilon was reliable. 30 Courts consider the following five factors when determining reliability: (1) the opportunity of the witness to view the criminal at the time of the crime, (2) the witness's degree of attention, (3) the accuracy of the witness's prior description, (4) the level of certainty demonstrated at the confrontation, and (5) the length of time between the crime and the confrontation. Manson, 432 U.S. at 114, 97 S.Ct. at 2253; Neil v. Biggers, 409 U.S. 188, 199-200, 93 S.Ct. 375, 382, 34 L.Ed.2d 401 (1972). 31 The record reflects that the two victims, John and Judith Groen, viewed the robber for almost five minutes at close range in well-lighted conditions while he commanded their attention. John Groen testified he made a special effort to remember the robber's features. He also identified Pilon unequivocally at the lineup only one week after the robbery. Judith Groen initially was less certain in her identification of Pilon, but  ... after I got home there was no more doubt. (Transcript of state court proceedings, pages 32-33). The witness O'Hara tentatively identified Pilon at the lineup and positively identified him at trial. He had been approximately twenty feet from the robber and had seen him twice, once headed toward the pharmacy and once headed away. The pharmacy customer, Vanderpol, saw the robber briefly and while she did not identify him at the lineup, she identified him in court at the time of trial. 32 Because the record fairly supports the conclusion that the identifications were reliable, the district court correctly denied relief without a hearing even after assuming for the purpose of argument that the encounter at the suppression hearing was suggestive. See United States v. Love, 746 F.2d 477, 478 (9th Cir.1984) (per curiam) (recognizing that court may assume suggestiveness arguendo and review reliability); Ponce, 735 F.2d at 336 (assuming suggestiveness and reviewing reliability). III Motion In Limine 33 Pilon contends that by denying his motion in limine to exclude evidence of prior convictions the trial court effectively deprived him of his constitutional right to testify in his own behalf. 5 Our review of the district court's determination of this question of law is de novo. United States v. McConney, 728 F.2d 1195, 1201 (9th Cir.) (en banc), cert. denied, 469 U.S. 824, 105 S.Ct. 101, 83 L.Ed.2d 46 (1984). We agree with the district court that Pilon was procedurally barred from raising this issue in his habeas petition. 34 Pilon moved in limine to exclude evidence of prior convictions. A criminal motions judge declined to rule on the motion in advance of trial, noting that the issue was to be handled at trial because it ... would be more appropriately handled by the Trial Judge than the Criminal Motions Department. Pilon never renewed the motion. At trial he declined to testify in his own behalf. The state court of appeals refused to review Pilon's challenge to the denial of his motion in limine, stating that under State v. Wilson, 29 Wash.App. 895, 626 P.2d 998 (1981), by failing at trial to renew his objection to the denial of the motion, Pilon had failed to preserve the issue for appeal. 35 A prisoner who under state law has waived the right to appeal a constitutional claim may not obtain federal habeas corpus relief on that issue without demonstrating cause for, and actual prejudice from, the default. Reed v. Ross, 468 U.S. 1, 11, 104 S.Ct. 2901, 2908 82 L.Ed.2d 1 (1984); Engle v. Isaac, 456 U.S. 107, 129, 102 S.Ct. 1558, 1572, 71 L.Ed.2d 783 (1982); Wainwright v. Sykes, 433 U.S. 72, 87, 97 S.Ct. 2497, 2506, 53 L.Ed.2d 594 (1977). The cause and prejudice rule exists for reasons of comity and ... the orderly administration of criminal justice. Reed, 468 U.S. at 11, 104 S.Ct. at 2908 (quoting Francis v. Henderson, 425 U.S. 536, 539, 96 S.Ct. 1708, 1710, 48 L.Ed.2d 149 (1976)). The rule is designed to: (1) protect states' interests in the finality, efficiency, and accuracy of their judgments; (2) avoid unnecessary federal intrusions into the states' exercise of their sovereign power to punish offenders; and (3) protect, at the same time, against miscarriage of justice. Murray v. Carrier, --- U.S. ----, ---- - ----, 106 S.Ct. 2639, 2648-50, 91 L.Ed.2d 397 (1986). Id. 468 U.S. at 10-11, 104 S.Ct. at 2907-08; Engle, 456 U.S. at 126-29, 102 S.Ct. at 1571-72; Wainwright, 433 U.S. at 88-90, 97 S.Ct. at 2507-08. 36 In State v. Kelly, 102 Wash.2d 188, 192-93, 685 P.2d 564, 568 (1984) and State v. Koloske, 100 Wash.2d 889, 896, 676 P.2d 456, 459-61 (1984), the Washington Supreme Court resolved an apparent conflict in the decisions of that state's intermediate appellate courts and held that unless the trial court informs the defendant that further objections at trial are necessary, the court's denial of a motion in limine to exclude evidence of prior convictions is final and the defendant has a standing objection to the denial. This rule applies when the trial judge makes a clear, nontentative ruling. State v. Latham, 100 Wash.2d 59, 65, 667 P.2d 56, 59 (1983). When, however, the court refuses to rule on the motion before trial, the movant must raise the issue at the appropriate time during trial in order to preserve the issue for review. If, as here, the defendant decides not to testify following the denial of his motion in limine, the defendant must renew his motion at the time of trial and make an offer of proof on the record to preserve any error for appellate review. Koloske, 100 Wash.2d at 896, 676 P.2d at 461. 37 Pilon's counsel failed to renew his motion in limine at trial and failed to make an offer of proof. Pilon argues, however, that his counsel may have had cause to believe the court's pretrial decision on his motion was final and that the issue was therefore preserved. He suggests that any error on his part in failing to preserve the issue for appeal was justified by confusing and inconsistent case law on the issue in the state of Washington at the time of his trial. His trial preceded Kelly and Koloske. 38 Pilon may not rely on the claimed former inconsistency in Washington law to establish cause for his failure to preserve this issue for appeal. The inconsistency had to do with whether the denial of a motion in limine was a final ruling that could be challenged on appeal without further evidentiary objections at trial. Washington courts in some cases had suggested that all rulings on motions in limine were tentative and that defendants had to renew their objection to the denial of such motions in order to preserve the issue for review. State v. Austin, 34 Wash.App. 625, 627, 662 P.2d 872, 874 (1983), aff'd on other grounds sub nom State v. Koloske, 100 Wash.2d 889, 676 P.2d 456 (1984); State v. Wilson, 29 Wash.App. 895, 898, 626 P.2d 998, 1001 (1981). Other Washington appellate courts had held that some motions in limine could and should be finally decided before trial, and defendants did not have to renew their objections to rulings on those motions or to evidence admitted as a result of such rulings. State v. Moore, 33 Wash.App. 55, 59-60, 651 P.2d 765, 768 (1982); State v. Latham, 30 Wash.App. 776, 780, 638 P.2d 592, 595 (1981), aff'd, 100 Wash.2d 59, 667 P.2d 56 (1983). See Kelly, 102 Wash.2d at 191, 685 P.2d at 568 (recognizing conflict). 39 Here, however, Pilon can find no comfort even in the line of cases stating the more generous Moore-Latham standard, because no judge ever ruled on his motion. 6 We know of no Washington case holding that when a judge specifically declines to rule on a motion in limine and the defendant does not renew the motion at trial, the judge's inaction can be construed as a final denial and the defendant has preserved the issue for review. This rule would obviously make no sense, because there would be no ruling to review. 40 Because Pilon did not renew his motion in limine at trial and has failed to show cause for his failure to do so, we need not consider whether he suffered prejudice from the alleged error. See Engle, 456 U.S. at 129, 102 S.Ct. at 1572. We conclude that Pilon's waiver under state law of the right to appeal the issue precludes federal habeas corpus review. IV Failure to Give Deadly Weapon Instruction 41 Pilon finally contends that the state trial court denied him due process by failing to give a separate jury instruction that to enhance his sentence for being armed with a deadly weapon during commission of the robbery, the jury had to find beyond a reasonable doubt that he was armed at the time of the robbery with a weapon which in fact was a deadly weapon. A. Pilon's Failure to Request Instruction 42 Although Pilon failed to request this separate instruction at trial, he is not procedurally barred from raising the issue. Under Washington law, failure to give this separate deadly weapon instruction is an error of state constitutional dimension and may be raised for the first time on appeal. State v. Hall, 95 Wash.2d 536, 627 P.2d 101, 103 (1981). We decline to apply the procedural default rule of Wainwright v. Sykes, 433 U.S. 72, 87-91, 97 S.Ct. 2497, 2506-08, 53 L.Ed.2d 594 (1977), when under state law constitutional errors can be raised for the first time on appeal. See Huffman v. Ricketts, 750 F.2d 798, 800-01 (9th Cir.1984); Quigg v. Crist, 616 F.2d 1107, 1111 n. 4 (9th Cir.), cert. denied, 449 U.S. 922, 101 S.Ct. 323, 66 L.Ed.2d 150 (1980). B. The Instructions and Verdict 43 The jury was instructed by jury instruction No. 11: 44 To convict the defendant, Gary Van Pilon, of the crime of robbery in the first degree, as alleged in Count I, each of the following elements of the crime must be proved beyond a reasonable doubt: 45 .... 46 (5) That in the commission of these acts or in immediate flight therefrom the defendant, or the accomplice was armed with a deadly weapon or displayed what appeared to be a firearm or other deadly weapon; 47 .... 48 If you find from the evidence that each of these elements have been proved beyond a reasonable doubt, then it will be your duty to return a verdict of guilty. 49 The jury was provided with a special verdict form in which the jurors were asked to determine whether, if they found Pilon guilty, he was actually armed with a deadly weapon. The jury found Pilon guilty of two counts of armed robbery and specially found that he had been armed with a deadly weapon. Pilon's sentence was enhanced under Rev. Code Wash. Sec. 9.95.040 based on the jury's special verdict that he was armed with a deadly weapon. The state court of appeals determined that the failure to give the separate beyond a reasonable doubt jury instruction as to the finding that Pilon was armed with a deadly weapon at the time of the robbery was harmless error because there was no dispute that a deadly weapon in fact had been used. The state court of appeals stated: 50 Here, both robbery victims testified that Pilon had been armed with a gun. The pharmacist testified he was familiar with firearms from his military training and recognized the gun as a .38 calibre pistol. Pilon's co-defendant testified only that she did not see a gun from her vantage point or know that a gun was going to be used. No evidence controverts the victims' testimony that the male robber was armed, nor was the fact disputed at trial. In the absence of any evidence that would create a reasonable doubt about the presence of the gun, failure to instruct the jury on the state's burden of proof was harmless error. C. No Due Process Denial 51 A state prisoner may obtain federal habeas corpus relief only if he is held in custody in violation of the Constitution, laws, or treaties of the United States. Engle v. Isaac, 456 U.S. 107, 119, 102 S.Ct. 1558, 1567, 71 L.Ed.2d 783 (1982); Gutierrez v. Griggs, 695 F.2d 1195, 1197 (9th Cir.1983); 28 U.S.C. Sec. 2254(a). Claims that merely challenge the correctness of jury instructions under state law cannot reasonably be construed to allege a deprivation of federal rights. Givens v. Housewright, 786 F.2d 1378, 1381 (9th Cir.1986); Gutierrez, 695 F.2d at 1197. To prove a due process violation based on jury instructions, a habeas petitioner must show that the instruction by itself ... infected the entire trial.... Henderson v. Kibbe, 431 U.S. 145, 154, 97 S.Ct. 1730, 1736, 52 L.Ed.2d 203 (1977) (quoting Cupp v. Naughten, 414 U.S. 141, 147, 94 S.Ct. 396, 400, 38 L.Ed.2d 368 (1973)); see Camitsch v. Risley, 705 F.2d 351, 355 (9th Cir.1983) (instruction that renders trial fundamentally unfair justifies habeas relief). Undesirable, erroneous, or even universally condemned instructions may survive due process scrutiny. Henderson, 431 U.S. at 154, 97 S.Ct. at 1736. 52 Pilon has failed to show a federal due process violation by the state trial court's failure to give the separate deadly weapon instruction. The failure to give that instruction did not infect Pilon's trial nor render it fundamentally unfair. Camitsch, 705 F.2d at 355; see Henderson, 431 U.S. at 154, 97 S.Ct. at 1736. 53 The judgment is AFFIRMED.