Opinion ID: 2671262
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Jeffrey E. Felier

Text: After the pleadings were filed, the magistrate judge denied Lugo’s abeyance motion and sua sponte appointed attorney Jeffrey E. Felier to represent Lugo on April 20, 2010.7 The order appointing Felier specifically directed him to file a status report addressing, among other things, “[w]hether this Petition is barred by the statute of limitations.” Felier filed a status report on June 16, 2010, but it did not address the statute of limitations issue. On December 20, 2010, Felier filed an amended § 2254 petition. Citing Holland, the petition itself alleged that “professional negligence and egregious conduct by Court-Appointed Registry Counsel, Roy D. Wasson supports the need for equitable intervention by this Court.” Specifically, the amended petition said that Wasson “failed to present and argue mutually agreed upon causes during the course of his representation of [Lugo].” The amended petition also alleged in a conclusory fashion that Lugo was 7 Wasson never filed a notice of appearance or any pleadings in federal court on Lugo’s behalf, despite his statutory, contractual, and ethical obligations to continue his representation into federal court. We were advised during oral argument that the Florida Supreme Court has yet to allow Wasson to withdraw from representing Lugo. 12 Case: 11-13439 Date Filed: 04/24/2014 Page: 13 of 53 entitled to equitable tolling because he was acting diligently and extraordinary circumstances prevented him from filing his petition on time. See Holland, 560 U.S. at 649, 130 S.Ct. at 2562. After further briefing and without an evidentiary hearing, the district court dismissed the amended petition as untimely.