Opinion ID: 3045600
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Statute of Limitations for Habeas Petitions

Text: The Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 (“AEDPA”) imposes a statute of limitations for all prisoners “in custody pursuant to the judgment of a State court” filing a federal habeas petition. 28 U.S.C. § 2244(d)(1). According to the statute, a one-year period of limitations runs “from the latest of”: (A) the date on which the judgment became final by the conclusion of direct review or the expiration of the time for seeking such review; (B) the date on which the impediment to filing an application created by State action in violation of the Constitution or laws of the United States is removed, if the applicant was prevented from filing by such State action; (C) the date on which the constitutional right asserted was initially recognized by the Supreme Court, if the right has been newly recognized by the Supreme Court and made retroactively applicable to cases on collateral review; or (D) the date on which the factual predicate of the claim or claims presented could have been discovered through the exercise of due diligence. 12 Case: 14-10532 Date Filed: 03/30/2015 Page: 13 of 25 Id. § 2244(d)(1)(A)-(D). The Supreme Court has explained that, for purposes of § 2244(d)(1)(A), the final judgment means the sentence. Burton v. Stewart, 549 U.S. 147, 156, 127 S. Ct. 793, 798 (2007). Thus, a state prisoner’s AEDPA limitations period does not begin to run until both his conviction and sentence become final by the conclusion of direct review or the expiration of the time for seeking such review. Id. at 15657, 127 S. Ct. at 799. To understand the application of § 2244(d)(1) to Thompson’s current § 2254 petition, it is necessary to discuss our precedents in Walker v. Crosby, 341 F.3d 1240 (11th Cir. 2003), overruled by Zack v. Tucker, 704 F.3d 917 (11th Cir. 2013) (en banc), and Ferreira v. Secretary, Department of Corrections, 494 F.3d 1286 (11th Cir. 2007), and how they were affected by our en banc decision in Zack v. Tucker. We also review the relevant precedents in Magwood v. Patterson, 561 U.S. 320, 130 S. Ct. 2788 (2010), and Insignares v. Secretary, Florida Department of Corrections, 755 F.3d 1273 (11th Cir. 2014).