790 F.3d 693
6th Cir.2015Background
- West, a Tennessee inmate on death row, petitions for relief from judgment under Rule 60(b)(6) of the Federal Rules after a prior §2254 habeas proceeding.
- He challenged trial counsel's effectiveness due to an alleged conflict of interest involving defense fees and parental abuse evidence.
- The district court denied relief and raised two questions: Martinez/Trevino applicability to Tennessee; and whether they could be extraordinary circumstances for Rule 60(b)(6).
- West argued Martinez excused the default of his conflict claim because state post-conviction counsel allegedly provided ineffective assistance.
- The court held Martinez-Trevino apply in Tennessee generally but not to West’s default because the conflict claim was first raised at the state post-conviction initial-review stage and not preserved on appeal.
- This court affirms the district court, holding no Martinez-Trevino relief is warranted for the defaulted conflict-of-interest claim.
Issues
| Issue | Plaintiff's Argument | Defendant's Argument | Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whether Martinez applies to Tennessee cases to excuse default. | West relies on Martinez-Trevino to excuse default. | Martinez-Trevino do not excuse default for this claim. | Martinez-Trevino do not apply to West's defaulted claim. |
| Whether Martinez and Trevino can be extraordinary circumstances under Rule 60(b)(6). | West argues they are extraordinary circumstances. | Martinez-Trevino are not extraordinary circumstances for this default. | No ruling needed on merits; claim unreached due to default position. |
Key Cases Cited
- Martinez v. Ryan, 132 S. Ct. 1309 (2012) (recognizes a narrowed exception to Coleman for ineffective-assistance claims in initial-review collateral proceedings)
- Trevino v. Thaler, 133 S. Ct. 1911 (2013) (expands Martinez for state-procedural frameworks making direct appeal unlikely)
- Wallace v. Sexton, 570 F. App’x 443 (2014) (Martinez-Trevino not extendable to attorney errors in post-conviction appellate proceedings)
- Sutton v. Carpenter, 745 F.3d 787 (2014) (Martinez-Trevino applies in Tennessee cases; framework affects default analysis)
- Coleman v. Thompson, 501 U.S. 722 (1991) (no cause excuse from attorney error in state post-conviction proceedings)