Opinion ID: 488796
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Cause-and-Prejudice Standard

Text: 9 Failure to comply with the state's procedural rules, in this case, failing to raise trial counsel's ineffectiveness on appeal, is a procedural default which precludes federal habeas corpus review unless the petitioner can demonstrate (1) good cause for the noncompliance and (2) prejudice resulting from the failure to comply. Reed v. Ross, 468 U.S. 1, 11, 104 S.Ct. 2901, 2908, 82 L.Ed.2d 1 (1984); United States v. Frady, 456 U.S. 152, 167-68, 102 S.Ct. 1584, 1594, 71 L.Ed.2d 816 (1982); Engle v. Isaac, 456 U.S. 107, 130, 102 S.Ct. 1558, 1573, 71 L.Ed.2d 783 (1982); Wainwright v. Sykes, 433 U.S. 72, 87, 97 S.Ct. 2497, 2506-07, 53 L.Ed.2d 594 (1977); Cartee v. Nix, 803 F.2d 296, 300 (7th Cir.1986), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 107 S.Ct. 1584, 94 L.Ed.2d 774 (1987); Nutall v. Greer, 764 F.2d 462, 464 (7th Cir.1985); United States ex rel. Spurlark v. Wolff, 699 F.2d 354 (7th Cir.1983) (in banc). 10 The Seventh Circuit has held that cause should be given 'a flexible definition that may change depending on the degree of prejudice shown.'  United States ex rel. Tonaldi v. Elrod, 782 F.2d 665, 668 (7th Cir.1986) (quoting Clay v. Director, Juvenile Division, Department of Corrections, 749 F.2d 427, 434 (7th Cir.1984), cert. denied, 471 U.S. 1108, 105 S.Ct. 2344, 85 L.Ed.2d 858 (1985)). A recent Supreme Court decision, however, calls into question the degree of flexibility a court has in determining cause for a default. Murray v. Carrier, --- U.S. ----, 106 S.Ct. 2639, 2648-50, 91 L.Ed.2d 397 (1986). The Court emphasized that as a rule both cause and prejudice must be shown, at least in a habeas corpus proceeding challenging a state court conviction. Id. at 2649 (emphasis in original). The Court held that the existence of cause for a procedural default must ordinarily turn on whether the prisoner can show that some objective factor external to the defense impeded counsel's efforts to comply with the state's procedural rule. The Court noted that the unavailability to counsel of the legal or factual basis of a claim, Reed v. Ross, 468 U.S. at 16, 104 S.Ct. at 2910, or interference by officials which makes compliance impracticable, Brown v. Allen, 344 U.S. 443, 486, 73 S.Ct. 397, 422, 97 L.Ed. 469 (1953), are two examples of what would constitute cause under the new standard. Carrier, 106 S.Ct. at 2646. 11 Another example of cause for procedural default is ineffective assistance of counsel. As the Supreme Court recently reiterated, the right to counsel is the right to effective assistance of counsel. Kimmelman v. Morrison, --- U.S. ----, 106 S.Ct. 2574, 2584, 91 L.Ed.2d 305 (1986). When a constitutional claim is waived because of ineffective assistance of counsel, the responsibility for the default is imputed to the state under the sixth amendment. The state may not conduc[t] trials at which persons who face incarceration must defend themselves without adequate legal assistance. Cuyler v. Sullivan, 446 U.S. 335, 344, 100 S.Ct. 1708, 1716, 64 L.Ed.2d 333 (1980). The petitioner, however, generally must exhaust his claim in the state courts before seeking habeas corpus relief. Carrier, 106 S.Ct. at 2646. 12 The magistrate found that Barnard had waived several of his claims in the Illinois courts. Thus, federal habeas corpus review would be precluded unless Barnard could demonstrate cause for the default, and prejudice arising therefrom. The magistrate, addressing only Barnard's claim of ineffective assistance of trial counsel, found that this claim was waived in the Illinois appellate court. Barnard argued, and the magistrate found, that the cause for this default was that Barnard was denied the effective assistance of appellate counsel. The magistrate also found that Barnard was prejudiced by the default because he was denied a full review of his constitutional claims. Finding adequate cause and prejudice to overcome the waiver doctrine, the magistrate went on to consider the merits of Barnard's claim of ineffective assistance of counsel. 1 13 The State argues on appeal that the magistrate was incorrect in finding that Barnard had established cause for his procedural default. The State argues that Barnard's appellate counsel provided competent assistance under the applicable standard described in Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 104 S.Ct. 2052, 80 L.Ed.2d 674 (1984). Moreover, the State insists, Barnard was unable to demonstrate prejudice from the default. 14 [B]ecause we must apply federal law to a fixed state court record, we are not bound [by the state court's ruling] ... nor by the federal district court's ruling.... United States ex rel. Tonaldi v. Elrod, 716 F.2d 431, 437 (7th Cir.1983) (citing United States v. Curcio, 694 F.2d 14, 22 (2d Cir.1982)). We find, however, that the magistrate correctly applied the law to the record before him, and we therefore adopt his ruling. 2