Opinion ID: 461628
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Availability of State Remedies

Text: 35 We can now move to the question of whether petitioner had any state remedies actually available at the time he filed his writ, for exhaustion is only required 'if he has the right under the law of the State to raise, by any available procedure, the question presented.'  Moore v. Duckworth, 581 F.2d at 643, quoting 28 U.S.C. Sec. 2254(c). 36 Following the denial of his petition for rehearing, petitioner could have availed himself of the procedures under P.C.R. Rule 1. This rule permits a defendant to raise issues, including constitutional questions, that were not raised in his or her original appeal as long as the defendant did not already have the issue adjudicated on the merits and did not knowingly, voluntarily, and intelligently waive the issue in prior proceedings. Id. Sec. 8. The court can also grant relief under this rule if the petitioner shows sufficient reason for not raising the issue in the original appeal. Id. A P.C.R. Rule 1 motion is to be filed in the trial court where convicted and may be appealed under the rules applicable to civil actions. Id. Sec. 7. 37 This court has previously examined the availability of P.C.R. Rule 1 in detail and held it to be a realistic remedy in that case. Moore v. Duckworth, 581 F.2d at 643-45. Besides examining the actual requirements of the procedure, this court noted the willingness of the Indiana courts to make this procedure available so that defendants would have an  'ample opportunity to present claims for relief in the courts of [Indiana] before resort must be had to the federal courts.'  Id. at 644-45, quoting Langley v. State, 256 Ind. 199, 204, 267 N.E.2d 538, 541 (1971). While recognizing that post-conviction relief is often available, this court will not require a petitioner to seek out such relief when it is clear that post-conviction relief is not available. See, e.g., Williams v. Duckworth, 724 F.2d 1439, 1441-42 (7th Cir.1983), cert. denied, 105 S.Ct. 143, 83 L.Ed.2d 82 (1984); Zellers v. Duckworth, 763 F.2d 250, 252-53 (7th Cir.1985). 38 P.C.R. Rule 1 Sec. 8 defines what grounds for relief are excluded from being raised in a Rule 1 motion. First, any grounds finally adjudicated on the merits may not be raised. Since petitioner never raised the Fourth Amendment issue on the merits, that rule does not prevent post-conviction relief. Second, a knowing, voluntary, and intelligent waiver of the grounds precludes raising an issue on a P.C.R. Rule 1 motion. Petitioner's persistent, but futile, attempt to raise the Fourth Amendment issue, both through his attorney and on his own, should prevent this rule from having any effect. Instead, it appears that petitioner would be able to present some substantial basis or circumstance which would satisfactorily mitigate his failure to pursue or perfect a remedy. Davis v. State, 164 Ind.App. 331, 339, 328 N.E.2d 768, 774 (1975), quoting Langley v. State, 256 Ind. 199, 211, 267 N.E.2d 538, 545 (1971). Finally, there is no time limit on filing a P.C.R. Rule 1 motion. Haynes v. State, 436 N.E.2d 874, 875 (Ind.1982); Twyman v. State, 459 N.E.2d 705, 712 (Ind.1984). 39 For the reasons given above, petitioner has failed to exhaust his remedies as required by 28 U.S.C. Sec. 2254(b). The district court properly dismissed his petition for writ of habeas corpus. The district court judgment is affirmed. 40 Judge Posner believes that there is no need to consider the issue of exhaustion of remedies, a difficult issue, since the petition for habeas corpus is in any event frivolous in light of Stone v. Powell, 428 U.S. 465, 96 S.Ct. 3037, 49 L.Ed.2d 1067 (1976). 41 AFFIRMED.