Opinion ID: 874884
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Meaningful opportunity to develop post-conviction claims

Text: Payne argues the district court imposed unreasonable time constraints on his petition for post-conviction relief effectively [forcing him] to raise claims even if they were not fully developed. Pursuant to I.C. § 19-2719, which requires the filing of post-conviction petitions within forty-two days of the imposition of a death sentence, Payne filed his initial petition for post-conviction relief on July 10, 2002. The State then filed a motion to dismiss the petition on August 12, 2002. On May 29, 2003, the district court held a status conference. At this time, a transcript had still not been prepared. Then, on November 18, 2003, the district court set a deadline of January 4, 2004, for filing an amended petition based on the transcript being completed by November 24, 2003. On November 26, 2003, Payne filed a motion for an extension of time, which the court denied. Payne filed an amended petition for post-conviction relief on January 13, 2004, and then moved for an extension of time to file another amended petition. The court granted this motion, and Payne filed his second amended petition for post-conviction relief on the deadline, March 26, 2004. The decision to grant or deny a motion for continuance is within the discretion of the judge. State v. Wood, 132 Idaho 88, 106, 967 P.2d 702, 720 (1998). When reviewing a discretionary decision, this Court determines (1) whether the lower court rightly perceived the issue as one of discretion; (2) whether the court acted within the outer boundaries of such discretion and consistently with any legal standards applicable to specific choices; and (3) whether the court reached its decision by an exercise of reason. State v. Hedger, 115 Idaho 598, 600, 768 P.2d 1331, 1333 (1989). Additionally, the denial of a motion for continuance is an abuse of discretion only if the defendant can show his substantial rights have been prejudiced. Wood, 132 Idaho at 106, 967 P.2d at 720. Here, the district court did not abuse its discretion. It recognized that the decision to grant an extension of time was within its discretion, it acted within the bounds of applicable legal standards, and it reached its decision through an exercise of reason. Payne had nearly twenty-two months from the date of his sentencing to the date he filed his second amended petition. This Court has found that nearly a year was adequate time to prepare a petition for post-conviction relief when there was no indication that the defense was deprived of adequate time or funds to properly prepare. Wood, 132 Idaho at 107, 967 P.2d at 721. Also, in a case similar to the case at bar, this Court found no abuse of discretion when the defendant had nearly two years to prepare her petition for post-conviction relief and had received several extensions of time. State v. Row, 131 Idaho 303, 311, 955 P.2d 1082, 1090 (1998). Likewise, in this instance Payne had adequate time to prepare his petition and had already received extensions on the court's deadlines. Therefore, the district court's denial of the additional continuance was not an abuse of discretion.