Opinion ID: 577213
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Habeas Procedure

Text: 13 Ordinarily, a petitioner must raise all of his claims for habeas relief in his first petition unless he can show cause and prejudice. McCleskey v. Zant, --- U.S. ----, 111 S.Ct. 1454, 1470, 113 L.Ed.2d 517 (1991); United States v. Shaid, 937 F.2d 228, 232 (5th Cir.1991) (en banc), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 112 S.Ct. 978, 117 L.Ed.2d 141 (U.S.1992). There is an exception to the cause and prejudice requirement, however, when a petitioner can show actual innocence; in the words of the Supreme Court, where a constitutional violation has probably resulted in the conviction of one who is actually innocent, a federal habeas court may grant the writ even in the absence of a showing of cause for the procedural default. Murray v. Carrier, 477 U.S. 478, 496, 106 S.Ct. 2639, 2649, 91 L.Ed.2d 397 (1986). 14 Petitioner has not shown cause and prejudice for his failure to raise issues 7, 8, and 9 in his first federal habeas petition. His ninth claim, based on Caldwell v. Mississippi, 472 U.S. 320, 105 S.Ct. 2633, 86 L.Ed.2d 231 (1985), was available well before his first federal habeas petition. As a matter of law, his Penry claims (numbers 7 and 8) were also available at the time of his first habeas petition. Cuevas v. Collins, 932 F.2d 1078, 1082 (5th Cir.1991). 15 We read the above quoted language from Murray to require that when a petitioner cannot show cause and prejudice, he must show that a constitutional violation prevented him from showing his actual innocence. The evidence that allegedly demonstrates his actual innocence was not kept from Ellis by a constitutional violation, so he cannot succeed under Murray v. Carrier. We cannot entertain claims 2 thru 9 of this successive petition because Ellis has abused the writ. 16 Alternatively, if Murray v. Carrier does not require a petitioner to show that the constitutional violation prevented him from showing his actual innocence, it certainly requires him to show a constitutional violation has probably resulted in the conviction. Id. Claims 7, 8, and 9 relate only the imposition of the sentence, and not the conviction itself. The district court was correct to deny those claims for abuse of the writ. 17 Giving Murray the interpretation most favorable to Ellis would at most require us to consider the merits of his habeas claims related to his finding of guilt. Ellis's guilt-related claims consist of Brady, Gigilio and ineffective assistance of counsel claims. We have considered these claims carefully. Based upon the findings of the state habeas court, which are entitled to a presumption of correctness, none of Petitioner's guilt-related claims have merit.