Opinion ID: 2525464
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 21

Heading: Waiver of an issue

Text: A court must dismiss a habeas petition if it presents claims that either were or could have been presented in an earlier proceeding, unless the court finds both cause for failing to present the claims earlier or for raising them again and actual prejudice to the petitioner. [92] Claims of ineffective assistance of counsel are properly presented in a timely, first post-conviction petition for a writ of habeas corpus. Because such a claim is generally not appropriate for review on direct appeal, the failure to raise it on direct appeal does not constitute a waiver of the claim for purposes of post-conviction proceedings. [93] However, post-conviction habeas claims that are independent of ineffective assistance claims and that could have been raised on direct appeal are waived. [94] Although this is a post-conviction habeas proceeding, in his briefs to this court Evans focuses directly on perceived errors at his trial and asserts ineffective assistance of counsel in a pro forma, perfunctory way. Although these assertions are sometimes barely adequate to state a claim of ineffective assistance, we have dealt with the above claims as such. His opening brief also contains a section that asserts that trial counsel were ineffective for the reasons set forth in the issues raised in the rest of the brief. This court will not accept such conclusory, catchall attempts to assert ineffective assistance of counsel. If first-time applicants for post-conviction habeas relief fail to argue specifically that their trial or appellate counsel were ineffective in regard to an issue or to show good cause for failing to raise the issue before, that issue will not be considered, pursuant to NRS 34.810. Evans claims that jury instruction number 24, on the possible guilt of other persons, erroneously endorsed a conviction based on guilt by association. However, he alleges neither ineffective assistance in this regard nor cause for failing to raise this claim at trial or on direct appeal; therefore, it is procedurally barred. We conclude that it is also patently meritless.