Opinion ID: 158616
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: applicability of aedpa's standards of review

Text: 9 Petitioner first argues the district court erred in applying the standards of review set forth in AEDPA, even though he filed his habeas petition after the effective date of AEDPA. Petitioner submits that application of AEDPA's new standards to state court proceedings completed before enactment or effectiveness of AEDPA is unconstitutionally retroactive. This court has held to the contrary, determining that AEDPA applies to cases filed after its effective date, regardless of when state court proceedings occurred. See Rogers v. Gibson, 173 F.3d 1278, 1282 n.1 (10th Cir. 1999); see also Berget v. Gibson, No. 98-6381, 1999 WL 586986, at - (10th Cir. Aug. 5, 1999) (unpublished order and judgment in capital case citing Rogers and holding that application of AEDPA to cases filed after its effective date is not impermissibly retroactive); Mueller v. Angelone, 181 F.3d 557, 565-72 (4th Cir. 1999). 10 Under AEDPA, 11 a state prisoner will be entitled to federal habeas corpus relief only if he can establish that a claim adjudicated by the state courts resulted in a decision that was contrary to, or involved an unreasonable application of, clearly established Federal law, as determined by the Supreme Court of the United States, or resulted in a decision that was based on an unreasonable determination of the facts in light of the evidence presented in the State court proceeding. [28 U.S.C. § 2254(d).] Further, a determination of a factual issue made by a State court shall be presumed to be correct. [Id.] § 2254(e)(1). That presumption of correctness is rebuttable only by clear and convincing evidence. Id. 12 Boyd v. Ward, 179 F.3d 904, 911-12 (10th Cir. 1999). If, however, a state court did not decide a claim on its merits and instead the federal district court decided the claim in the first instance, this court reviews the district court's conclusions of law de novo and factual findings, if any, for clear error. See LaFevers v. Gibson, 182 F.3d 705, 711 (10th Cir. 1999). 13 We have applied, but not defined, AEDPA's standards. See Bryson v. Ward, No 97-6435, 1999 WL 590738, at n.3 (10th Cir. Aug. 6, 1999). The United States Supreme Court has granted certiorari to review the Fourth Circuit's interpretation of the standards. See Williams v. Taylor, 119 S. Ct. 1355 (1999); see also 67 U.S.L.W. 3608 (Apr. 6, 1999) (listing issues presented). Under any possible interpretation, the outcome of this appeal will be the same. Thus, we decline to interpret the standards in this case.