Opinion ID: 812350
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Ground One

Text: Mr. Kinkead first argues that his criminal prosecution was barred by the statute of limitations. Aplt. Br. 8. He claims that his Judgment and Sentence provides that the crime charged was committed on or about June 9, 1995, but the Information was not filed until February 7, 2003, which is beyond the five-year statute of limitations period for the offense. The OCCA rejected this claim, finding that the Information charged criminal conduct between June 9, 1995 and July 2, 1998, and therefore, was timely filed on February 7, 2003. On appeal, Mr. Kinkead argues that the OCCA decision is not on the merits, and thus not entitled to AEDPA deference, because the OCCA did not consider the Judgment and Sentence in reaching its decision. Id. at 12. We disagree. As an initial matter, Mr. Kinkead raises a question of state law. As a federal habeas court, we do not review violations of state law. We are limited to determining whether a conviction violated the Constitution, laws, or treatises of the United States. 28 U.S.C. § 2254(a). We also find that the OCCA adjudicated this claim on the merits, even without the Judgment and Sentence, because it relied on the Information in finding that the charge was timely filed. R. 34. Moreover, Mr. Kinkead has not established that the OCCA’s decision was -6- unreasonable “in light of the evidence presented in the State court proceeding.” 28 U.S.C. § 2254(d)(2). We find that reasonable jurists could not fairly debate this conclusion.