Opinion ID: 77042
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Conviction Issues — Procedural Bar

Text: 307 In his § 2254 petition, the defendant raised the following issues concerning his convictions which both the state courts and the federal district court determined were procedurally barred: (1) the trial court's lock-up statement violated the Constitution; (2) the districting procedure in Palm Beach County was unconstitutional; (3) the state's introduction of shocking and gruesome photographs violated the Constitution; and (4) the state engaged in several instances of prosecutorial misconduct. 308 With regard to the defendant's claim that the trial court's lock-up statement violated the Constitution, the State 3.850 Court determined that the claim was procedurally barred because it either was or could have been raised on direct appeal. The difficulty with the procedural default argument is found in the `was raised' or `could have been raised' dichotomy. Smith v. Dugger, 840 F.2d 787, 791 (11th Cir.1988) (discussing the state court's refusal to address the merits of a claim made in a 3.850 proceeding). 309 As this Court has concluded, if, in fact, the claim was raised on direct appeal in state court, it was necessarily ruled upon and might very well be foreclosed from state collateral attack, [but] it would be available in the federal case as an exhausted claim. Id. If, however, the claim could have been raised [on direct appeal], but was not, it would be barred from any state collateral review, and likewise barred from federal review. Id. (citing Murray v. Carrier, 477 U.S. 478, 106 S.Ct. 2639, 91 L.Ed.2d 397 (1986)). Reviewing the state court record, we conclude that the defendant did not raise the lock-up statement as a claim on direct appeal to the Florida Supreme Court. Furthermore, the defendant did not appeal the State 3.850 Court's determination that this claim was procedurally barred to the Florida Supreme Court. 24 310 Accordingly, we conclude that the State 3.850 Court's refusal to consider the defendant's assertion that the trial court's lock-up statement violated the Constitution as procedurally barred rested on an independent and adequate state ground that precludes federal habeas consideration of this issue. 25 We also conclude that the defendant failed to properly exhaust this issue when he failed to raise it, or an issue sufficiently similar, to the Florida Supreme Court on direct appeal or in his appeal of the State 3.850 Court's decision. Consequently, this claim about the trial court's lock-up statement is procedurally barred, and we do not consider it. See, e.g., Coleman v. Thompson, 501 U.S. 722, 735 n. 1, 111 S.Ct. 2546, 2557 n. 1, 115 L.Ed.2d 640 (1991) ([I]f the petitioner failed to exhaust state remedies and the court to which the petitioner would be required to present his claims in order to meet the exhaustion requirement would now find the claims procedurally barred . . . there is a procedural default for purpose of federal habeas. . . .). 26 311 With regard to the defendant's second claim, that the districting procedure in Palm Beach County was unconstitutional, the defendant did not raise this issue on direct appeal or in his state 3.850 motion. Consequently, the district court properly determined that this claim was unexhausted and procedurally barred, and we do not consider it. 27 See id. 312 As for the defendant's claim that the state's introduction of shocking and gruesome photographs violated the Constitution, the State 3.850 Court determined that the claim was procedurally barred because it could have been raised on direct appeal. Likewise, the Florida Supreme Court also determined that the claim was procedurally barred. Consequently, we conclude that the state court's decision rested on independent and adequate state grounds, and that federal habeas relief is unavailable to the defendant on this issue. 313 Finally, the defendant asserts that the state engaged in several instances of prosecutorial misconduct. Both the State 3.850 Court and Florida Supreme Court (in the appeal from the denial of 3.850 relief) determined that these claims were procedurally barred because they could have been raised on direct appeal. 28 As with the defendant's claim regarding the shocking and gruesome photographs, the state court's determination rests on independent and adequate state grounds and habeas relief is, therefore, unavailable. 314