Opinion ID: 2638495
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: analysis

Text: ¶ 11 On a writ of certiorari, we review the decision of the court of appeals, not that of the district court, and apply the same standard of review used by the court of appeals. Clark v. Clark, 2001 UT 44, ¶ 8, 27 P.3d 538 (citations and quotation omitted). This appeal presents questions of law, which we review for correctness. Wickham v. Galetka, 2002 UT 72, ¶ 7, 61 P.3d 978 (Generally, an appeal from a judgment on a petition for post-conviction relief raises questions of law reviewed for correctness, giving no deference to the post-conviction court's conclusion. (citation omitted)). ¶ 12 In this opinion, we review the court of appeals' March 2001 decision affirming the district court's dismissal of Hutchings' second petition for post-conviction relief. Hutchings also asks this court to review the January 1998 decision of the court of appeals affirming the dismissal of his first petition on the theory that his second petition was merely a continuation of the first. We decline this invitation in light of the fact that Hutchings failed to seek certiorari review of the court of appeals' decision regarding his first petition. Hutchings' filing of an extraordinary writ directly with this court some twenty months after the court of appeals finally adjudicated his first petition is properly characterized as the filing of a second petition, rather than as an appeal regarding the first petition. Accordingly, our review is limited to the issue of whether the court of appeals properly affirmed the trial court's dismissal of Hutchings' second petition for post-conviction relief. ¶ 13 The court of appeals found section 106 of the Post Conviction Remedies Act, Utah Code Ann. §§ 78-35a-101 to -110 (1996), dispositive of the case. Hutchings v. State, 2001 UT App 95U (mem.). Section 78-35a-106(1) precludes a petitioner from seeking relief on any ground that was raised or addressed at trial or on appeal or that could have been but was not raised at trial or on appeal. Utah Code Ann. § 78-35a-106(1)(b), (c). In addition, the section precludes relief based on any ground that was raised or addressed in any previous request for post-conviction relief or could have been, but was not, raised in a previous request for post-conviction relief. Id. § 78-35a-106(1)(d). ¶ 14 Proceedings in all petitions for relief filed under the Post Conviction Remedies Act are governed by rule 65C of the Utah Rules of Civil Procedure. Wickham, 2002 UT 72 at ¶ 10. Rule 65C complements section 78-35a-106 by providing for the summary dismissal of claims that have already been addressed by the court. Subparagraph (g)(1) of the rule directs the assigned judge to review the petition, and if it is apparent to the court that any claim has been adjudicated in a prior proceeding, or if any claim appears frivolous on its face, the court shall forthwith issue an order dismissing the claim.... Proceedings on the claim shall terminate with the entry of the order of dismissal. Utah R. Civ. P. 65C(g)(1). These summary dismissal procedures were designed to balance the requirements of fairness and due process against the public's interest in the efficient adjudication of the enormous volume of post-conviction relief cases. Id. advisory committee's note. ¶ 15 With this background in mind, we turn to the particular issues Hutchings raises on appeal. For purposes of discussion, we group these claims into three categories. The first category consists of Hutchings' claims that his constitutional and statutory rights were violated in connection with his extradition from New York and the hearing on his parole violations. [4] The second category consists of Hutchings' claim that he was denied his right to a timely parole hearing. The third category consists of Hutchings' claims that he was denied the effective assistance of counsel at his probation revocation hearing, in perfecting his appeal, and in the prosecution of his first petition for post-conviction relief. ¶ 16 We first examine Hutchings' claims relating to his extradition and the hearing on his parole violations. We find that all of these claims are barred because Hutchings had opportunities to present them on direct appeal from the probation revocation, in the first petition for post-conviction relief, and in the appeal from dismissal of that petition. The court of appeals appropriately affirmed the dismissal of all claims that Hutchings raised, or could have raised, in these previous proceedings. ¶ 17 We next examine Hutchings' claim that he was denied a timely parole hearing. Hutchings argues that because he pled guilty to two second degree felonies, he was entitled to an original parole hearing no later than February 20, 1997six months from the date of his incarceration. Due to a clerical error, the judgment entered by the district court erroneously reflected guilty pleas for one second degree felony (sexual abuse of a child) and one first degree felony (aggravated sexual abuse of a child). According to Hutchings, the effect of this error was to delay his original parole hearing in violation of Utah Code section 77-27-7. [5] In fact, the Board of Pardons and Parole did not provide Hutchings with a parole hearing until October 1999nearly three years after his incarceration. [6] ¶ 18 Hutchings' claim regarding the timeliness of his parole hearing did not arise until after the filing of his first petition for post-conviction relief and therefore is not procedurally barred. However, because Hutchings has since received a hearing and was in fact on parole at the time of oral argument, this issue is now moot. [7] ¶ 19 We finally turn to Hutchings' claims of ineffective assistance of counsel. Specifically, Hutchings asserts that counsel at the revocation hearing was ineffective and that he was wrongfully denied counsel for purposes of his appeal from the probation revocation and for his first petition for post-conviction relief. ¶ 20 Hutchings' claims with respect to the revocation hearing and the direct appeal fail on procedural grounds because they were, or could have been, raised in Hutchings' first petition. Hutchings' claim that he was wrongfully denied counsel in connection with his first petition for post-conviction relief fails on substantive grounds. While Hutchings may have benefitted from professional assistance in the drafting and presentation of his petition, [8] there is no statutory or constitutional right to counsel in a civil petition for post-conviction relief. Utah Code Ann. § 78-35a-109 (1999) (leaving the appointment of counsel in a petition for post-conviction relief not summarily dismissed to the court's discretion); Pennsylvania v. Finley, 481 U.S. 551, 555-56, 107 S.Ct. 1990, 95 L.Ed.2d 539 (1987) (explaining that the fundamental fairness mandated by the Due Process Clause does not require states to provide counsel for post-conviction proceedings). Because Hutchings had no right to the assistance of counsel in preparing his first petition, the lack of appointed counsel cannot provide a basis for post-conviction relief.