Opinion ID: 198585
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Teague Analysis

Text: 31 A defendant alleging constitutional error in a federal habeas proceeding may not generally take advantage of new rules of criminal procedure announced after his conviction has become final. 7 See Teague v. Lane, 489 U.S. 288, 310 (1989) (plurality opinion). However, a case does not announce a new rule of criminal procedure if the rule was dictated by precedent existing when the defendant's conviction became final. See Caspari v. Bohlen, 510 U.S. 383, 390 (1994). A rule is dictated by precedent whenever we can say that a state court has acted objectively unreasonably, under existing precedent, in denying the relief the defendant now seeks in federal court. See O'Dell v. Netherland, 521 U.S. 151, 156 (1997). At bottom, . . . the Teague doctrine validates reasonable, good-faith interpretations of existing precedents made by state courts even though they are shown to be contrary to later decisions. Id. (internal quotation marks omitted). 32 This court first held that use of the prisoner's dock in the absence of security concerns violated due process in 1983, see Young, 700 F.2d at 37, well after Moore's conviction became final in 1979. The district court concluded that the rule announced in Young was not a new rule because it was dictated by precedent existing when Moore's conviction became final. See Moore II, 924 F. Supp. at 1289-91. We agree with the district court's analysis. 33 In 1970, the Supreme Court indicated its approval of using physical restraints to control unruly defendants in criminal trials, but stated that such restraints should only be used as a last resort. See Illinois v. Allen, 397 U.S. 337, 344 (1970). In 1976, the Supreme Court was asked to consider whether compelling a defendant to appear at trial in prison or jail attire violated his due process rights. See Estelle v. Williams, 425 U.S. 501 (1976). The Supreme Court answered in the affirmative, holding that defendants may not be compelled to attend trial in prison or jail clothing because it could impair the presumption of innocence. See id. at 504. The Court recognized that prison or jail attire constantly reminds jurors of the defendant's incarceration and could affect their judgment. See id. at 504-05. In contrast to the use of physical restraints when they serve a legitimate security purpose, the Court recognized that prison or jail attire furthers no essential state policy. See id. at 505. 34 Before Moore's conviction became final in 1979, this court, in dicta, strongly criticized Massachusetts's practice of forcing criminal defendants to sit in a prisoner's dock at trial. See Walker v. Butterworth, 599 F.2d 1074, 1080-81 (1st Cir. 1979). The Walker court noted that confinement in a prisoner's dock was analogous to the compelled use of prison and jail attire condemned in Williams. See id. at 1080. The court stated that [b]ecause confinement in the prisoner dock is unnecessary to accomplish any important state interest and may well dilute the presumption of innocence, the Massachusetts prisoner dock must be considered, as a general matter, to be an unconstitutional practice. 8 Id. at 1081. This court squarely confronted the issue in Young and held that use of the prisoner's dock, in the absence of security concerns and a curative instruction to the jury, violates a defendant's right to due process. See 700 F.2d at 36-37. 35 Based on our review of the legal landscape at the time Moore's conviction became final, we agree with the district court's well-reasoned conclusion that use of the prisoner's dock, absent security concerns, would violate a defendant's right to due process. See Moore II, 924 F. Supp. at 1289-91. In Williams, the Supreme Court recognized the deleterious effect badges of confinement could have on the presumption of innocence and the jury's assessment of the defendant's guilt. See Williams, 425 U.S. at 504-05. As this court recognized in both Walker and Young, the Supreme Court's concerns about the effects of prison and jail attire apply with equal force to defendants compelled to sit in a prisoner's dock during trial. See Young, 700 F.2d at 34-37; Walker, 599 F.2d at 1080-81. As the Young court also recognized, the practice of using prisoner's docks in jury trials was nearly non-existent in other jurisdictions, and ABA Standards, relied upon by the Supreme Court in Williams, advised against using physical restraints in the courtroom. See Young, 700 F.2d at 35-36 & nn.5-6. In response to Moore's direct appeal, the SJC adopted a prospective rule forbidding use of the dock absent security concerns. See Moore I, 393 N.E.2d at 907-08. Although the SJC did not directly address the constitutional issue in Moore I (because Moore did not raise a constitutional objection), it reconsidered the practice of using the prisoner's dock in response to this court's Walker decision. See id. (citing Walker and ABA Standards). Based on our review of the legal landscape at the time Moore's conviction became final, we conclude that Young's prohibition on the use of the prisoner's dock, absent security concerns, did not constitute a new rule because it was compelled by precedent existing at the time Moore's conviction became final. Therefore, Moore may rely on this rule to support his claim of error.