Opinion ID: 1390030
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 17

Heading: State Procedural Bars Preclude Review

Text: Petitioner has not established cause and prejudice as to any claim the state court found procedurally barred. When considering claims on habeas corpus, this Court must first address the state's argument that a claim is procedurally defaulted. Lambrix v. Singletary, 520 U.S. 518, 524, 117 S.Ct. 1517, 137 L.Ed.2d 771 (1997). Procedural defaults are resolved before Teague issues. Id. This is so even if the state court has also denied the claim on the merits. Bennett v. Mueller, 322 F.3d 573, 580 (9th Cir.2003). A federal court is precluded from reviewing the merits of a claim when the state court has denied relief on the basis of an independent and adequate state procedural default. Coleman v. Thompson, 501 U.S. 722, 731-732, 111 S.Ct. 2546, 115 L.Ed.2d 640 (1991); Vansickel v. White, 166 F.3d 953, 957 (9th Cir.1999). The state procedural bar must be independent of the federal question and adequate to support the judgment. Coleman, 501 U.S. at 729, 111 S.Ct. 2546. A state procedural rule constitutes an adequate bar to federal court review if it was firmly established and regularly followed at the time it was applied by the state court. Ford v. Georgia, 498 U.S. 411, 423-424, 111 S.Ct. 850, 112 L.Ed.2d 935 (1991); Poland v. Stewart, 169 F.3d 573, 577 (9th Cir.1999). A state procedural rule constitutes an independent bar if it is not interwoven with federal law or dependent upon a federal constitutional ruling. Ake v. Oklahoma, 470 U.S. 68, 75, 105 S.Ct. 1087, 84 L.Ed.2d 53 (1985); Michigan v. Long, 463 U.S. 1032, 1040-41, 103 S.Ct. 3469, 77 L.Ed.2d 1201 (1983); La Crosse v. Kernan, 244 F.3d 702, 704 (9th Cir.2001). Under the Ninth Circuit's decision in Bennett, 322 F.3d 573, once the state raises the existence of an independent and adequate state procedural ground as a defense, the petitioner must then raise specific factual allegations that demonstrate the inadequacy of the state procedure, including citation to authority demonstrating inconsistent application of the rule. Bennett, 322 F.3d at 584, 586(quoting Hooks v. Ward, 184 F.3d 1206, 1217 (10th Cir.1999)). Otherwise, Petitioner must establish cause and actual prejudice to avoid imposition of the bar. Rich v. Calderon, 187 F.3d 1064, 1066 (9th Cir.1999).