Opinion ID: 1837021
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Whether the Denial of Funding Independently Violated Wiley's Fourteenth Amendment Right to Due Process.

Text: ¶ 8. Wiley asserts that his claims are not procedurally barred and meet the requirements for successive post-conviction relief motions under Miss.Code Ann. § 99-39-23(6), which states in relevant part: The order as provided in subsection (5) of this section or any order dismissing the prisoner's motion or otherwise denying relief under this chapter is a final judgment and shall be conclusive until reversed. It shall be a bar to a second or successive motion under this chapter.... Likewise excepted from this prohibition are those cases in which the prisoner can demonstrate either that there has been an intervening decision of the Supreme Court of either the State of Mississippi or the United States which would have actually adversely affected the outcome of his conviction or sentence or that he has evidence, not reasonably discoverable at the time of trial, which is of such nature that it would be practically conclusive that had such been introduced at trial it would have caused a different result in the conviction or sentence. ¶ 9. Wiley also cites Miss.Code Ann. § 99-39-27(9), which reiterates the language above with reference to an application for leave to proceed in the trial court, and Miss.Code Ann. § 99-39-5(1)(a), which states: (1) Any prisoner in custody under sentence of a court of record of the State of Mississippi who claims: (a) That the conviction or the sentence was imposed in violation of the Constitution of the United States or the Constitution or laws of Mississippi; . . . (e) That there exists evidence of material facts, not previously presented and heard, that requires vacation of the conviction or sentence in the interest of justice; ¶ 10. The State counters that Wiley's claims are indeed barred. We agree. Wiley has not demonstrated compliance with either exception of an intervening decision or new evidence, nor has he shown that his conviction or sentence is a violation of any constitutional right. Additionally, the State asserts that absent procedural bars Wiley failed to comply with the three-year statute of limitations pursuant to Miss. Code Ann. § 99-39-5(2) as set out at the time of his conviction. The statute was amended in 2000 to provide an exception for capital cases requiring post-conviction filings to be made within one (1) year after conviction. However, a discussion of the merits is included nonetheless. ¶ 11. As stated previously, Wiley's present counsel, McDuff, filed a motion to vacate the appointment of Levidiotis and substitute himself as counsel without payment in the United States District Court in 1998. Present counsel also represented Wiley on his last PCR in this Court, which was denied June 3, 1999. The motion for rehearing was denied February 3, 2000. Wiley centers much of his argument around Jackson v. State, 732 So.2d 187 (Miss.1999), which allowed appointment of counsel and consideration of reasonable litigation expenses. However, the motion in Jackson was granted January 28, 1999, which was prior to the denial of both Wiley's PCR and his motion for rehearing. Wiley has already raised the argument of this intervening decision with this Court via his motion for rehearing and separate motion for appointment of counsel and for litigation expenses; now he is essentially seeking a rehearing of that motion under the guise of a post-conviction claim by combining it with a new claim of ineffective assistance of counsel. The State asserts that M.R.A.P. 27(h) prohibits such a rehearing. We agree. ¶ 12. In denying Wiley's prior motion, by order filed February 3, 2000, this Court said: Wiley has had the benefit of pro bono counsel during his post-conviction proceedings, and now asks this Court to remand his case to the DeSoto County Circuit Court for appointment of counsel and determination of compensation under Jackson v. State, 732 So.2d 187 (Miss.1999). After due consideration the Court finds that the motion is not well taken and should be denied. Wiley was at that time and continues to be represented by McDuff and various members of Covington & Burling. ¶ 13. Wiley asserts that he is entitled to funds for investigation, analysis, and presentation of facts outside of the appellate record, under Mississippi law as set out in Jackson despite that the right to counsel in post-conviction proceedings is discretionary. He relies on this Court's comments regarding Murray v. Giarratano, 492 U.S. 1, 109 S.Ct. 2765, 106 L.Ed.2d 1 (1989), in his argument that he is entitled to litigation expenses and compensated counsel. The United States Supreme Court found in Murray that there was no constitutional right to counsel provided by the state in post-conviction proceedings. See also Pennsylvania v. Finley, 481 U.S. 551, 107 S.Ct. 1990, 95 L.Ed.2d 539 (1987). As Murray dealt with a Virginia case, this Court in Jackson found that Mississippi inmates have been unable to obtain counsel or help from institutional lawyers, and that Jackson was entitled to compensated counsel. 732 So.2d at 191. The petitioner in Jackson suffered because of his inability to obtain adequate representation, i.e., his attorney's failure to file a motion for rehearing. The record indicates that Wiley has been adequately represented by different lawyers at every stage of the process. Furthermore, he is represented by the same counsel who represented him on his last PCR. Surely the assertion is not now that counsel will do a better job the second time around if compensated. ¶ 14. Also, Wiley's assertion that Jackson required payment of litigation expenses is incorrect as this Court remanded that issue to the trial court for consideration. Additionally, the request for litigation expenses in Jackson was specific as to the hiring of a forensic psychiatrist or psychologist, whereas here Wiley makes a broad prayer for funds without giving any indication the funds are necessary or for what purpose they would be used. In fact, Wiley demonstrates no new factual, legal, and constitutional grounds that merit vacating Wiley's death sentence or, in the alternative, granting funds for additional investigation. There is no right to litigation funds for a fishing expedition, especially when there is no indication of any fish to be caught. This is Wiley's second post-conviction petition. He has already been heard on the issues he now seeks to raise yet again. ¶ 15. Notwithstanding the procedural bar, this case is distinguishable from Jackson. There this Court said: Obtaining qualified substitute counsel willing to proceed pro bono on this type of specialized, complex and time-consuming litigation is almost impossible. This practice ignores the reality that the state post-conviction stage is particularly important in capital cases, and that having the same counsel represent the condemned in appellate proceedings and post-conviction actions prevents counsel from raising the claim of ineffective assistance of trial or appellate counsel at the post-conviction stage. This practice also ignores the reality that indigent death row inmates are simply not able, on their own, to competently engage in this type of litigation. Applications for post-conviction relief often raise issues which require investigation, analysis and presentation of facts outside the appellate record. Jackson, 732 So.2d at 190. As stated previously, Wiley was able to obtain arguably very qualified substitute counsel willing to proceed pro bono, counsel was not the same counsel to represent him at trial or on direct appeal, and he has not raised any issues requiring investigation. Also, this Court's holding in Jackson does not specifically establish a constitutional right to compensated counsel. As previously set out, the United States Supreme Court held in Murray that there is no constitutional right to counsel in state post-conviction proceedings. As such, there is no liberty interest created and no constitutional violation. ¶ 16. We find that not only are these issue procedurally barred, but they are also without merit.