Opinion ID: 847535
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: defendant's conviction is final

Text: A state court conviction is final `for purposes of retroactivity analysis when the availability of direct appeal to the state courts has been exhausted and the time for filing a petition for a writ of certiorari has elapsed or a timely filed petition has been finally denied.' Beard, supra at 411, 124 S.Ct. 2504 (citation omitted). Here, defendant's direct appeal ended when this Court denied leave to appeal in 2003, and the time for filing a petition for certiorari elapsed without defendant's having filed such a petition. The decision in Halbert, meanwhile, was not released until June 23, 2005. Thus, defendant's conviction was clearly final for purposes of the Teague analysis. Defendant and amicus Criminal Defense Attorneys of Michigan (CDAM) argue, however, that defendant's motion for relief from judgment should be viewed as essentially a continuation of his direct appeal. Defendant contends that some sort of tolling is required because he was denied the opportunity to have counsel assist him in the direct appeal. Likewise, CDAM argues that because defendant never had an appeal with the assistance of counsel, he is in the position of someone whose case is still pending on direct review. CDAM brief at 8. CDAM suggests that defendant's direct appeal was invalid because defendant did not have the assistance of counsel in his direct appeal. These arguments amount to classic bootstrapping. In asserting that this collateral proceeding should be viewed as a continuation of defendant's direct appeal because he was denied counsel, CDAM and defendant put the cart before the horse. They are essentially applying Halbert retroactively to conclude that the absence of counsel renders void the prior proceedings on direct review. But defendant cannot simply assume in this manner that Halbert applies retroactively, for that is the very issue that we must here decide. The Supreme Court has made clear that a court ` must apply Teague before considering the merits of [a] claim,' Beard, supra at 412, 124 S.Ct. 2504 (emphasis in original; citation omitted). Here, defendant and CDAM erroneously reach the merits of the claim first by assuming that defendant was entitled to counsel under Halbert, and then using that assumption to argue that defendant's conviction is not final. This circular logic is unavailing. Defendant's conviction was clearly final at the time Halbert was issued.