Opinion ID: 617872
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Equitable Tolling of AEDPA's Statute of Limitations

Text: AEDPA's one-year limitations period is not a jurisdictional bar and is subject to equitable tolling in certain instances. See Holland v. Florida, ___ U.S. ___, 130 S.Ct. 2549, 2560, 177 L.Ed.2d 130 (2010). However, a petitioner is `entitled to equitable tolling' only if he shows `(1) that he has been pursuing his rights diligently, and (2) that some extraordinary circumstance stood in his way' and prevented timely filing. Holland, 130 S.Ct. at 2562 (quoting Pace v. DiGuglielmo, 544 U.S. 408, 418, 125 S.Ct. 1807, 161 L.Ed.2d 669 (2005)); see also Robertson v. Simpson, 624 F.3d 781, 783-84 (6th Cir. 2010) (quoting Holland, 130 S.Ct. at 2560-62). We have indicated that equitable tolling should be applied sparingly, Solomon v. United States, 467 F.3d 928, 933 (6th Cir.2006), and decided on a case-by-case basis, Keenan v. Bagley, 400 F.3d 417, 421 (6th Cir.2005). [3] Further, although the party asserting statute of limitations as an affirmative defense has the burden of demonstrating that the statute has run, the petitioner bears the ultimate burden of persuading the court that he or she is entitled to equitable tolling. Griffin v. Rogers, 308 F.3d 647, 653 (6th Cir.2002).