7th circuit decision, reversed, Hardy v. Cross, USSC No. 11-74, 12/12/11 Habeas Review – Confrontation – Pre-Crawford (Ohio v. Roberts) Showing of Witness Unavailability The state court (Illinois) unreasonably applied controlling Supreme Court precedent in finding good-faith efforts to secure the presence of the declarant, before determining that she was unavailable so that her first-trial… Read more
B. Federal
7th circuit decision; habeas review of State v. Martin, No. 06AP2413 Habeas – Filing Deadline – SVP Martin’s habeas challenge to denial of his ch. 980 petition for discharge isn’t time-barred by the fact he could have raised the same challenge to his original commitment. Discharge typically requires a new determination of whether the SVP’s condition has… Read more
seventh circuit decision; denying rehearing and amending panel decision, Coleman v. Hardy (per curiam , 2/7/11) Habeas – Defaulted Claim – Assertion of Innocence Although Coleman defaulted his ineffective assistance of counsel claim by failing to raise it in state court, his allegation of actual innocence supports a “gateway” evidentiary hearing to determine whether to reach the… Read more
federal habeas decision (pdf file: here), granting relief in State v. Fischer, 2010 WI 6; respondent’s Rule 59 motion to amend judgment denied 1/7/11 Habeas Review – Right to Present Defense – Expert Opinion, Based PBT Preventing Fisher from adducing expert opinion he wasn’t driving with a prohibited alcohol content based on analysis of his PBT… Read more
7th circuit decision Habeas – Limits on Cros-Examination State court limitation on impeachment of a witness — so as to exclude that portion of a pre-trial conversation containing the defendant’s “self-serving,” thus inadmissible hearsay, statement — wasn’t an unreasonable application of controlling caselaw. Determination of whether “state interests, including those reflected in the state’s evidentiary… Read more
7th Circuit decision; on habeas review of Wis. opinion No. 2005AP2599-CR Habeas – Filing Deadline – Tolling The District Court had authority to grant Socha’s pre-filing, pre-deadline request to extend the 28 U.S.C. § 2244(d) deadline for his habeas petition, made on the ground of equitable tolling. … First, there is no absolute bar imposed… Read more
7th Cir. decision; Order denying rehearing and amending opinion, 10/10/15 Habeas – Voluntary Statement – Juvenile State court determination that juvenile’s custodial statement to police was voluntary wasn’t objectively unreasonable., notwithstanding his age (15), borderline intellectual functioning and lack of criminal background. “(I)t is the totality of the circumstances underlying a juvenile confession, rather than… Read more
2nd Circuit court of appeals decision Federal Habeas (28 U.S.C. § 2254) – Filing Deadline – Brady Claim The 2254 filing deadline is one year from the date the state-court conviction becomes “final,” subject to certain exceptions, including one which restarts the limitation period from “the date on which the factual predicate of the claim… Read more
