Opinion ID: 800059
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: BACKGROUND Procedural Background

Text: In June 2003, a jury found Rodgers guilty of several state charges. The jury also found two sentencing enhancements, and Rodgers was sentenced to sixteen years in prison. Rodgers appealed the judgment to the California appellate court which affirmed his convictions and sentence in August 2005. Rodgers filed a petition for review with the California Supreme Court, but his petition was dismissed in July 2007. While Rodgers' petition for review was pending, he filed habeas petitions with the California appellate court and the California Supreme Court challenging the search of his vehicle. Although Rodgers was represented by appellate counsel, he also filed numerous pro per motions, post-conviction pleadings, and writ applications in the California appellate court and the California Supreme Court, including several motions for substitution of appellate counsel. The appellate courts rejected all those petitions and claims. In July 2008, Rodgers filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus in federal court raising twenty-one claims for relief, including denial of right to counsel at the post-trial stages for new trial motions and sentencing. The California Attorney General answered the Petition in April 2009, arguing the state court rejected Rodgers' claim on the merits, and the court's decision was neither contrary to, nor an unreasonable application of, controlling United States Supreme Court precedent. The petition was referred to the magistrate judge in March 2010, who recommended dismissal. Rodgers filed objections and, in May 2010, the district judge approved the magistrate's recommendation and also granted a certificate of appealability as to only one claimwhether the trial court violated Rodgers' Sixth Amendment by denying his request for the appointment of counsel to file a new trial motion. For all other claims, the district court found Rodgers could not make a colorable claim that jurists of reason would find debatable or wrong. Rodgers filed this timely appeal.