Opinion ID: 754313
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Procedural Default of Issues (4), (5), (6), and (7)

Text: 6 Before examining the merits of Mr. Jackson's claims, we must examine whether the district court properly dismissed issues (4), (5), (6), and (7) on grounds of procedural default. See Watson v. State of New Mexico, 45 F.3d 385, 387 (10th Cir.1995). Where a state has raised and preserved the issue of procedural default, federal courts generally do not review issues that have been defaulted in state court on an independent and adequate state procedural ground, unless the default is excused through a showing of cause and actual prejudice or a fundamental miscarriage of justice. See Coleman v. Thompson, 501 U.S. 722, 750, 111 S.Ct. 2546, 2565, 115 L.Ed.2d 640 (1991); Steele v. Young, 11 F.3d 1518, 1521 (10th Cir.1993). Procedural default is grounded in concerns of comity and federalism; it is not jurisdictional. See Coleman, 501 U.S. at 730, 111 S.Ct. at 2554; Lambrix v. Singletary, 520 U.S. 518, ----, 117 S.Ct. 1517, 1522, 137 L.Ed.2d 771 (1997). 7 Relying on the magistrate's recommendations, the district court dismissed issues (4), (5), (6) and (7) as procedurally barred, noting the state court determined that all matters complained of [in Mr. Jackson's second post conviction petition] could and should have been raised in the appeal of the trial jury's verdict and may not be raised at this time. See I R. doc. 20 at 5; I R. doc. 9 ex. W at 2. Mr. Jackson contends that the state court's finding of procedural default is not an adequate state ground. He argues New Mexico does not strictly or regularly apply the rule that issues not raised on direct appeal may not be raised in a habeas petition because state law specifically provides for exceptions to this general rule, allowing state courts discretion to hear defaulted claims in habeas review. See, e.g., Clark v. Tansy, 118 N.M. 486, 882 P.2d 527, 531 (1994); Swafford v. State, 112 N.M. 3, 810 P.2d 1223, 1226 n. 1 (1991); State v. Gillihan, 86 N.M. 439, 524 P.2d 1335, 1337 (1974). Mr. Jackson also contends that the arguments he presents to this court in issue (5) and (6) were effectively presented to and decided by the state court when that court considered the cumulative error argument he raised in his direct criminal appeal, which he also presents to this court as issue (2). We address these arguments in turn. 8 First, we agree with the district court's conclusion that claims (5), (6) and (7) were procedurally defaulted. As the state trial court implied in its dismissal of Mr. Jackson's second state post-conviction petition, New Mexico law provides that the failure to raise issues in a direct criminal appeal results in waiver of those claims for purposes of state post-conviction relief. See Gillihan, 524 P.2d at 1336. This rule is adequate for purposes of federal habeas procedural default doctrine if the [state] court's actual application of the ... rule to all 'similar' claims has been evenhanded 'in the vast majority' of cases. See Maes v. Thomas, 46 F.3d 979, 986 (10th Cir.) (citing Andrews v. Deland, 943 F.2d 1162, 1190 (10th Cir.1991), cert. denied, 502 U.S. 1110, 112 S.Ct. 1213, 117 L.Ed.2d 451 (1992)), cert. denied, 514 U.S. 1115, 115 S.Ct. 1972, 131 L.Ed.2d 861 (1995). 9 Our review of New Mexico cases indicates that New Mexico courts have consistently and even handedly applied the rule waiving issues not raised on direct appeal for purposes of post-conviction relief. See, e.g., Duncan v. Kerby, 115 N.M. 344, 851 P.2d 466, 468 (1993); State v. Cranford, 92 N.M. 5, 582 P.2d 382, 384 (1978); State v. Wildenstein, 91 N.M. 550, 577 P.2d 448, 450 (App.1978). The fact that New Mexico provides exceptions to this general rule does not indicate that New Mexico courts have unfettered discretion to consider the type of claims that Mr. Jackson has not raised on direct appeal, and the cases Mr. Jackson cites do not indicate otherwise. See Maes, 46 F.3d at 986-87; Gutierrez v. Moriarty, 922 F.2d 1464, 1469-70 (10th Cir.), cert. denied, 502 U.S. 844, 112 S.Ct. 140, 116 L.Ed.2d 106 (1991). Moreover, though Mr. Jackson argues he implicitly raised the arguments he presents to this court as issues (5) and (6) in his cumulative error argument on direct appeal, our review of the record indicates the New Mexico Supreme Court was not presented with the substance of these claims and did not examine them in Mr. Jackson's direct criminal appeal. The factual basis for the arguments Mr. Jackson raises in issues (5) and (6) existed at the time of Mr. Jackson's direct appeal, but Mr. Jackson instead challenged only the cumulative effect of the three alleged errors presented as issue (2) of this appeal. See Duncan, 851 P.2d at 468. Thus, we may be precluded from considering issues (5), (6) and (7) in Mr. Jackson's federal petition because his failure to raise them in his direct criminal appeal constitutes an independent, adequate state procedural ground unless he has demonstrated cause and prejudice or a fundamental miscarriage of justice. See Maes, 46 F.3d at 985; Ballinger v. Kerby, 3 F.3d 1371, 1374-75 (10th Cir.1993). 10 We disagree, however, with the district court's reason for Mr. Jackson's default of issue (4)--an ineffective assistance claim raised for the first time in his second state post-conviction petition. In narrow circumstances, we have held that in habeas proceedings where the underlying claim [defaulted] is ineffective assistance of counsel, ... the 'general' rule [of waiver of claims not raised on direct appeal] must give way because of countervailing concerns unique to ineffective assistance claims. See Brecheen v. Reynolds, 41 F.3d 1343, 1363 (10th Cir.1994), cert. denied, 515 U.S. 1135, 115 S.Ct. 2564, 132 L.Ed.2d 817 (1995). These circumstances would seem to apply where, as here, petitioner had no opportunity to develop facts relating to his counsel's performance and had the same counsel during his trial and direct appeal. See id. at 1364. Absent the opportunity to consult with new counsel to ascertain whether counsel in his direct criminal proceedings performed adequately or develop facts relating to his counsel's performance, the state's imposition of a procedural bar deprives [petitioner] of any meaningful review of his ineffective assistance claim. Id. at 1364; see Osborn v. Shillinger, 861 F.2d 612, 623 (10th Cir.1988). Thus, we disagree that Mr. Jackson's failure to raise his ineffective assistance claim on direct appeal procedurally bars us from considering his claim. See Brewer v. Reynolds, 51 F.3d 1519, 1522 (10th Cir.1995); Brecheen, 41 F.3d at 1364. 11 Although the state argues that Mr. Jackson's claim of ineffective assistance is nevertheless barred because he failed to raise the issue in his first state habeas petition, see Gillihan, 524 P.2d at 1336, the state court's denial of his second state habeas petition was not based on that procedural ground. We are not inclined to rely on a state procedural rule that the New Mexico courts did not rely upon. See Caldwell v. Mississippi, 472 U.S. 320, 326, 105 S.Ct. 2633, 2638, 86 L.Ed.2d 231 (1985); County Court v. Allen, 442 U.S. 140, 152-54, 99 S.Ct. 2213, 2222-23, 60 L.Ed.2d 777 (1979); Brasier v. Douglas, 815 F.2d 64, 65 (10th Cir.), cert. denied, 483 U.S. 1023, 107 S.Ct. 3271, 97 L.Ed.2d 769 (1987). Moreover, constitutionally ineffective assistance of counsel may establish cause excusing Mr. Jackson's procedural default of claims (5), (6), and (7), requiring us to reach the merits of his ineffective assistance claim anyway. See Coleman, 501 U.S. at 753-54, 111 S.Ct. at 2566-67; McCleskey v. Zant, 499 U.S. 467, 493-94, 111 S.Ct. 1454, 1469-70, 113 L.Ed.2d 517 (1991). However, because Mr. Jackson has not presented us with any evidence of a fundamental miscarriage of justice or cause beyond his allegations of ineffective assistance, and because we find herein that Mr. Jackson's ineffective assistance claims are without merit, Mr. Jackson has procedurally defaulted claims (5), (6) and (7). See Coleman, 501 U.S. at 750, 111 S.Ct. at 2565; Murray v. Carrier, 477 U.S. 478, 497, 106 S.Ct. 2639, 2650, 91 L.Ed.2d 397 (1986). Moreover, because Mr. Jackson's factual allegations of ineffective assistance do not establish a Sixth Amendment violation, he is not entitled to an evidentiary hearing. See Church v. Sullivan, 942 F.2d 1501, 1510 (10th Cir.1991). We thus examine Mr. Jackson's remaining arguments on the merits. 12