Opinion ID: 78188
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Equitable Tolling Based on Attorney Misconduct

Text: Even if Melson's petition cannot be statutorily tolled, he argues that it should be equitably tolled based on the misconduct and abandonment of his state post-conviction attorneys. Specifically, Melson alleges that his post-conviction attorneys did not tell him that his initial Rule 32 petition was dismissed, his attorneys missed deadlines, and they did not adequately communicate with him about the status of his case. Melson also faults his attorneys for their failure to file a timely notice of appeal from his Rule 32 petition filed on 25 March 2002 and complains that one of his post-conviction attorneys only met with him once. The Supreme Court has yet to decide whether the AEDPA's statute of limitations permits equitable tolling but has assumed that it does where the parties agree it is available. See Lawrence v. Florida, 549 U.S. 327, 127 S.Ct. 1079, 1085, 166 L.Ed.2d 924 (2007). In order for equitable tolling to apply, a petitioner has the burden of proving: (1) that he ha[d] been pursuing his rights diligently, and (2) that some extraordinary circumstance stood in his way and prevented timely filing. Id. at 1085 (quotation marks and citation omitted). We have emphasized that [e]quitable tolling is an extraordinary remedy that must be applied sparingly for [a] truly extreme case. Holland v. Florida, 539 F.3d 1334, 1338 (11th Cir.2008) (per curiam). Attorney negligence, even gross negligence, does not warrant equitable tolling. Id. at 1339; see also Lawrence, 127 S.Ct. at 1085 (attorney error does not warrant equitable tolling, particularly in the post-conviction context where prisoners have no constitutional right to counsel). There must be an allegation and proof of bad faith, dishonesty, divided loyalty, mental impairment or so forth on the lawyer's part in order for a court to find there was such egregious attorney misconduct that a petitioner is entitled to equitable tolling. Holland, 539 F.3d at 1339. None of Melson's assertions of attorney misconduct, even if true, rise to the level of egregious attorney misconduct warranting equitable tolling. Melson does not allege that his post-conviction attorneys acted in bad faith, were dishonest, had a divided loyalty, or were mentally impaired. The fact that his attorneys missed deadlines is insufficient to equitably toll the limitations period. See Lawrence, 127 S.Ct. at 1085 (attorney miscalculation of the limitations period does not warrant equitable tolling because this would essentially equitably toll the limitations periods for every person whose attorney missed a deadline). Even when combined with his attorneys' alleged failure to communicate about the status of his case, no egregious misconduct has been shown. See Holland, 539 F.3d at 1339 (no equitable tolling where post-conviction attorney failed to file a federal habeas petition timely and inform petitioner of the status of his case despite repeated requests). Accordingly, the district court correctly concluded that any attorney error by Melson's post-conviction attorneys did not warrant equitable tolling of the AEDPA's statute of limitations.