Opinion ID: 781943
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Requirements for federal habeas review.

Text: 27 Generally, for Koerner's claims to be reviewed by a federal habeas court, they must have been exhausted and not procedurally barred. To satisfy the exhaustion requirement, the claim must have been presented previously to the Nevada Supreme Court, includ[ing] reference to a specific federal constitutional guarantee, as well as a statement of the facts that entitle the petitioner to relief. Gray v. Netherland, 518 U.S. 152, 162-63, 116 S.Ct. 2074, 135 L.Ed.2d 457 (1996). [E]xhaustion of state remedies requires that petitioners fairly present federal claims to the state courts in order to give the State the opportunity to pass upon and correct alleged violations of its prisoners' federal rights. Duncan v. Henry, 513 U.S. 364, 365, 115 S.Ct. 887, 130 L.Ed.2d 865 (1995) (per curiam) (alteration and internal quotation marks omitted). Fair presentation requires that the petitioner must present both the operative facts and the federal legal theory on which his claim is based to the state court. Kelly v. Small, 315 F.3d 1063, 1066 (9th Cir.2003). 28 Even if Koerner's claims have been fairly presented to the Nevada Supreme Court, however, federal courts may not review them if the Nevada Supreme Court denied relief on the basis of independent and adequate state procedural grounds. Coleman v. Thompson, 501 U.S. 722, 730, 111 S.Ct. 2546, 115 L.Ed.2d 640 (1991). This rule works in tandem with the exhaustion requirement, to ensure that state prisoners cannot subvert the exhaustion requirement by presenting their claims to the state court in a procedurally deficient manner: 29 In the absence of the independent and adequate state ground doctrine in federal habeas, habeas petitioners would be able to avoid the exhaustion requirement by defaulting their federal claims in state court. The independent and adequate state ground doctrine ensures that the States' interest in correcting their own mistakes is respected in all federal habeas cases. 30 Id. at 732, 111 S.Ct. 2546. If his claims are procedurally defaulted pursuant to an independent and adequate state rule, Koerner can only seek federal habeas review of those claims if he can demonstrate cause for the default and actual prejudice as a result of the alleged violation of federal law, or demonstrate that failure to consider the claims will result in a fundamental miscarriage of justice. Id. at 750, 111 S.Ct. 2546. Pursuant to these rules, the district court found that Koerner's claim for the denial of a direct appeal had not been exhausted by his first two state post-conviction petitions, but had been exhausted by the third petition. Nonetheless, the district court held, the Nevada courts had dismissed the claim on the basis of an adequate and independent state procedural ground, and Koerner could not demonstrate cause and prejudice. 31