Opinion ID: 2509476
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Equitable Doctrine of Laches

Text: Laches is an equitable doctrine that may be asserted to deny relief to a party whose unconscionable delay in enforcing his rights has prejudiced the party against whom relief is sought. People v. Bravo, 692 P.2d 325, 326 (Colo.App.1984). We have held that where extensive delay has resulted in the death of witnesses, or where their memories have dimmed, equity should bar relief. O'Byrne v. Scofield, 120 Colo. 572, 578, 212 P.2d 867, 871 (1949). However, the application of laches cannot be predicated upon delay alone. See People v. Salvador, 189 Colo. 181, 183, 539 P.2d 1273, 1275 (1975). Rather, the record must show lack of diligence in the face of actual knowledge of the conditions giving rise to the claim. See Board of County Comm'rs v. Echternacht, 194 Colo. 311, 572 P.2d 143, 146 (1977); Bravo, 692 P.2d at 326-27. Finally, the party asserting laches as an affirmative defense has the burden of demonstrating prejudice. Nolan v. Dist. Court, 195 Colo. 6, 9, 575 P.2d 9, 10 (1978). If the court invokes the doctrine sua sponte, the party against whom laches is asserted must be given an opportunity to explain the delay and rebut the claim of prejudice. See Hagerman v. Bates, 24 Colo. 71, 80, 49 P. 139, 142 (1897). Although courts have primarily applied laches in a civil context, it has also been used as a time bar against stale postconviction attacks in a number of jurisdictions. See, e.g., Oliver v. United States, 961 F.2d 1339, 1342-1343 (7th Cir.1992) (laches barred 17-year-old claim); Paxton v. State, 903 P.2d 325, 326 (Okla.Crim.App.1995) (laches applicable to postconviction attack after enactment of Okla. Stat. 22, § 1080 which provided no statutory limit); State v. Atkins, 303 S.C. 214, 399 S.E.2d 760, 762 n. 1 (1990) (motion for postconviction relief dismissed on grounds of laches); State v. Evans, 273 Wis.2d 192, 682 N.W.2d 784, 796 (2004) (claim of ineffective assistance of counsel is subject to defense of laches); see also Donald E. Wilkes, State Postconviction Remedies and Relief § 3.2, App. A (2001 ed.). Prior to the enactment of section 16-5-402, this court applied laches as a time bar against defendants who delayed in asserting their claims. See, e.g., People v. Arnold, 190 Colo. 193, 194, 544 P.2d 968, 969 (1976) (holding that stale claims are not favored, and relief will not be granted to correct ancient procedural error, court denied Crim. P. 35 relief from robbery conviction); Mahany v. People, 31 Colo. 365, 367, 73 P. 26 (1903) (defendant who failed to correct insufficient verdict at the time it was rendered cannot afterward take advantage of his own laches). Even where the court did not explicitly mention the defense of laches, we have denied postconviction relief to defendants who failed to bring their claim in a timely manner. See People v. Bucci, 184 Colo. 367, 372, 520 P.2d 580, 582 (1974) (1972 challenge to 1950 forgery conviction dismissed on grounds defendant's delay disqualified him from relief). It is clear that before the enactment of section 16-5-402, Colorado courts had the power to apply laches as a bar to postconviction relief. In interpreting statutes, the court presumes the legislation was passed with deliberate and full knowledge of all existing law dealing with the same subject. In re Questions Submitted by U.S. Dist. Court, 179 Colo. 270, 275, 499 P.2d 1169, 1171 (1972). We therefore presume the general assembly was aware that laches worked as a time bar against criminal postconviction challenges to any conviction. Thus, we must consider whether the legislature abrogated that doctrine by imposing no time limit on challenges to first degree murder convictions.