Opinion ID: 402158
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Reasonableness of the delay

Text: 17 Cotton admits that the petition was based upon grounds for which he could previously have had knowledge, but he argues that the delay was justified and was not unreasonable because the delay was caused by (1) his efforts to exhaust his state remedies on the St. Francis County conviction as required by 28 U.S.C. § 2254(b) and (c); and (2) the state court's failure to provide him with a transcript of the 1969 proceedings. 18 Cotton argues that he pursued his challenge of the St. Francis County conviction first because a reversal of that conviction would have again suspended his 15 year sentence, thus obviating the need for a challenge of the guilty plea. The district court held that the petition regarding Cotton's 1969 guilty plea would not have been barred for failure to exhaust state remedies on the unrelated St. Francis County conviction and therefore Cotton's efforts to exhaust did not justify the delay. Further, the district court held that Cotton's decision to appeal the St. Francis County conviction before bringing the present habeas petition was a tactical one which he cannot now challenge. 19 Cotton argues that the delay from 1977 until 1979 resulted from the state court's failure to provide him with a transcript of the 1969 proceedings. The district court held that Cotton was not entitled to a free transcript because he failed to show a compelling need for one. The question is not whether Cotton was entitled to a transcript but whether his delay in filing the habeas petition during the nine year period the transcript was available was reasonable. 20 We find the 10 year delay in filing this habeas petition was unreasonable. We recognize the general rule that lapse of time alone may not warrant denial of the writ, Paprskar v. Estelle, 612 F.2d 1003, 1007 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, 449 U.S. 885, 101 S.Ct. 239, 66 L.Ed.2d 111 (1980), but we find no justification here for petitioner's 10 year delay. 21 Petitioner was aware of the facts upon which he relies in challenging his guilty plea years before he brought this action. In fact he admits that he knew or should have known of the claims he now raises. We agree with the district court that the decision to challenge the St. Francis County conviction prior to filing the present petition was a tactical decision of which petitioner cannot now complain. We find it difficult to understand why petitioner did not raise his claims at, or immediately after, his St. Francis County trial when he knew the 1969 guilty plea would be used to enhance his sentence. See Bouchillon v. Estelle, 628 F.2d 926, 929 (5th Cir. 1980). Because we find the delay to have been unreasonable our next inquiry is whether the state was prejudiced by the delay.