Opinion ID: 4103821
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Direct Appeal and Habeas Proceedings

Text: Sorto raised sixteen claims on automatic direct appeal. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals (“TCCA”) affirmed Sorto’s conviction and sentence. Sorto 4 Case: 16-70005 Document: 00513780048 Page: 5 Date Filed: 12/01/2016 No. 16-70005 v. Texas, 173 S.W.3d 469, 471 (Tex. Crim. App. 2005). In 2005, during the pendency of his direct appeal, Sorto also filed a state habeas application pursuant to Article 11.071 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, raising fifteen claims, including an IAC claim under Wiggins v. Smith, 539 U.S. 510 (2003). The TCCA dismissed the 2005 state habeas application, adopting the trial judge’s findings and conclusions and denying habeas relief. Ex parte Sorto, No. WR-71,381-01, 2009 WL 483147, at  (Tex. Crim. App. Feb. 25, 2009) (per curiam). Sorto then brought the present case seeking a writ of habeas corpus in federal district court. On July 12, 2010, the district court issued an order staying the case and directing Sorto to present an unexhausted Atkins claim in state court. Accordingly, Sorto filed a state habeas application with the TCCA on November 8, 2010, arguing that he should be granted relief under Atkins. Sorto also asserted an expanded IAC claim under Wiggins and supplied the TCCA with additional evidence in support of that claim. On April 20, 2011, the TCCA issued a short order dismissing Sorto’s 2010 state habeas application pursuant to Article 11.071, Section 5(a). Ex parte Sorto, No. WR-71381-03, 2011 WL 1533377, at  (Tex. Crim. App. Apr. 20, 2011) (per curiam). Section 5(a) states that if a prisoner files a subsequent habeas application after filing an initial application, Texas courts will not consider the merits or grant relief unless the subsequent application contains sufficient specific facts establishing that one of three narrow exceptions applies. Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 11.071, § 5(a). 1 Examining Sorto’s Wiggins claim under the relevant exception, the court 1 In relevant part, Section 5(a) states the application must contain “sufficient specific facts establishing that . . . (3) by clear and convincing evidence, but for a violation of the United States Constitution no rational juror would have answered in the state’s favor one or more of the special issues that were submitted to the jury in the applicant’s trial.” Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 11.071, § 5(a). 5 Case: 16-70005 Document: 00513780048 Page: 6 Date Filed: 12/01/2016 No. 16-70005 concluded that “the application does not contain sufficient specific facts establishing that but for a violation of the United States Constitution, no rational juror would have answered one or more of the special issues in the State’s favor.” Ex parte Sorto, 2011 WL 1533377, at . The case then returned to the federal district court. On September 30, 2015, the district court issued a memorandum and order denying habeas relief on all claims and declining to issue a COA. Sorto subsequently filed a motion to alter or amend the judgment under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 59(e), which the district court denied. Sorto now appeals.