490 F. App'x 766
6th Cir.2012Background
- Reeves was convicted in Tennessee on two counts of aggravated child abuse; sentencing was 20 years per count, to be served concurrently.
- He sought post-conviction relief; district court held an evidentiary hearing in 2010 and denied the petition.
- At the evidentiary hearing, Reeves called two alibi witnesses (Gray and Rickard) who claimed Reeves was elsewhere on the critical dates.
- Reeves argued trial counsel was ineffective for not calling the alibi witnesses; he procedurally defaulted but claimed actual innocence to excuse the default.
- The court applied Schlup to evaluate actual innocence as a gateway to review the IAC claim and affirmed the district court’s denial, ruling no credible actual innocence showing was proven.
Issues
| Issue | Plaintiff's Argument | Defendant's Argument | Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whether actual innocence excuses procedural default | Reeves argues actual innocence should permit review of IAC | State contends no credible actual innocence shown | Not established; no gateway to review |
| Whether new alibi evidence creates credible actual innocence under Schlup | New alibi testimony undermines guilt | Evidence is insufficient to establish likely innocence | Not met; evidence does not meet Schlup standard |
| Whether district court properly denied habeas petition based on IAC claim | District court erred by not granting IAC relief on merits | District court properly denied relief due to default and lack of actual innocence | Affirmed district court's denial |
Key Cases Cited
- Schlup v. Delo, 513 U.S. 298 (1995) (actual innocence gateway; new evidence must show reasonable doubt)
- House v. Bell, 547 U.S. 518 (2006) (actual innocence extraordinary case; substantial new evidence)
- Souter v. Jones, 395 F.3d 577 (6th Cir. 2005) (actual innocence as gateway, not itself a constitutional claim)
- McCray v. Vasbinder, 499 F.3d 568 (6th Cir. 2007) ( Schlup standard applied to show not reasonable probability of guilt)
- Williams v. Taylor, 529 U.S. 362 (2000) (clear error standard for application of federal law to state facts)
- Awkal v. Mitchell, 613 F.3d 629 (en banc 2010) ( en banc review standards in habeas context)
- Black v. Bell, 664 F.3d 81 (6th Cir. 2011) (standards for reviewing state-court habeas decisions)