Opinion ID: 1312837
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Should the Limitations Period have been Equitably Tolled?

Text: Equitable tolling is rarely granted. Tucker v. Kingston, 538 F.3d 732, 734 (7th Cir.2008). Equitable tolling is granted sparingly only when extraordinary circumstances far beyond the litigant's control prevented timely filing. Wilson, 302 F.3d at 749 (internal quotations and alterations omitted); see also Tucker, 538 F.3d at 734 (noting the paucity of cases where we found it warranted). We review the decision to deny equitable tolling for an abuse of discretion. Tucker, 538 F.3d at 735. In deciding that the AEDPA limitations period should be equitably tolled, the district court must determine that the petitioner has pursued his rights diligently and extraordinary circumstances beyond his control stood in the way of the timely filing of his petition. Pace, 544 U.S. at 418, 125 S.Ct. 1807. The district court found that Simms failed to act diligently in pursuing his federal rights, because he waited nearly a year from the withdrawal of his previous state court petition to begin his final attempts at state court review. The district court's reasoning is sound. Simms's last two cracks at habeas relief in Illinois were fraught with difficultiesthe misfiled in forma pauperis petition cost him three weeks and the misfiled petition for rehearing cost him another three. But, given that he waited almost a year to file the claim, his later errors were magnified by his initial delay. See Pace, 544 U.S. at 419, 125 S.Ct. 1807 (Had petitioner advanced his claims within a reasonable time of their availability, he would not now be facing any time problem....). Despite the fact that Simms missed the deadline by one day, there was no extraordinary reason requiring the grant of equitable tolling. See United States v. Marcello, 212 F.3d 1005, 1010 (7th Cir. 2000) (declining to apply equitable tolling when petitioner missed a deadline by one day due to the death of the attorney's father several weeks before the deadline).