Opinion ID: 1366656
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 13

Heading: right to state-compensated counsel in habeas proceedings

Text: In his habeas proceeding, Parsons argued that under the federal and state constitutions, defendants pursuing habeas relief for the first time were entitled to counsel compensated by the state. The United States Supreme Court has held that neither the Due Process Clause nor the equal protection guarantee of meaningful access requires a state to provide counsel for indigent defendants seeking postconviction relief. Pennsylvania v. Finley, 481 U.S. 551, 555-56, 107 S.Ct. 1990, 1993, 95 L.Ed.2d 539 (1987) (citing Ross v. Moffitt, 417 U.S. 600, 610-11, 94 S.Ct. 2437, 2443-44, 41 L.Ed.2d 341 (1974)). This rule applies with equal force to defendants convicted of capital crimes. Murray v. Giarratano, 492 U.S. 1, 10, 109 S.Ct. 2765, 2770, 106 L.Ed.2d 1 (1989). We decline to address and decide in this proceeding whether under the Utah Constitution appointed counsel in a first habeas proceeding has a right to be compensated by the state. The district court opined that it was an issue which should be resolved legislatively. If that course is not to be followed and the question is to be resolved by the judiciary because of its far-reaching impact, it should be addressed in a proceeding where all affected parties, organizations, agencies, and entities are invited to participate in the briefing and oral argument, not limited to the parties of a single case such as we now have before us. In denying compensation to appointed counsel, we are not unmindful of the generous contribution of their time and resources to this case. We thank them for the high quality of their professional effort in behalf of Parsons. The denial of the writ is affirmed. STEWART, Associate C.J., and HALL, J., concur.