Case Information
*1 I N T H E S U P R E M E C OU R T O F T H E S T A TE O F N E VADA N o . 82364
J O EL C A R D E NA S , A pp e ll a n t ,
F I LE D v s . R E N EE B AK E R , W A R D E N , R e s pond e n t .
N O V 1 Q 2021 E L I Z AB E T H A . BR O W N
C L E RK O F S U P R E M E C O UR T Y
O R D ER O F AFF I R M A NC E O E ' C L E R X T
h i s i s a n a pp ea l fr o m a d i s t r i c t c ou r t o r d e r d e ny i ng a po s t c onv i c ti on p e titi on f o r a w r it o f h a b e a s c o r pu s . F i f t h J ud i c i a l D i s t r i c t C ou r t , N y e C oun t y ; R ob e r t W . L a n e , J udg e . A pp e ll a n t J o e l C a r d e n a s a r gu e s t h a t t h e d i s t r i c t c ou r t e rr e d i n d e ny i ng h i s p e titi on a s p r o ce du r a ll y b a rr e d . W e a ff i r m .
C a r d e n a s f il e d t h e p e titi on s e v e n y ea r s a f t e r r e m ittit u r i ss u e d on h i s d i r ec t a pp ea l . C a r d e na s v . S t a t e , D o c k e t N o . 58595 ( O r d e r o f A ff i r m a n ce , A p r il 11 , 2012 ) . T hu s , h i s p e titi on w a s un ti m e l y f il e d . S ee N R S 34 . 726 ( 1 ) . T h e p e titi on w a s a l s o s u cce ss i v e b eca u s e h e h a d p r e v i ou s l y liti g a t e d a po s t c onv i c ti on p e titi on f o r a w r it o f h a b ea s c o r pu s . S ee N R S 34 . 810 ( 1 )( b ) , ( 2 ) ; C a r d e na s v . S t a t e , D o c k e t N o . 65222 ( O r d e r o f A ff i r m a n ce , J a nu a r y 15 , 2015 ) . A cc o r d i ng l y , C a r d e n a s p e titi on w a s p r o ce du r a ll y b a rr e d a b s e n t a d e m on s t r a ti on o f good ca u s e a nd ac t u a l p r e j ud i ce . S ee N R S 34 . 726 ( 1 ) ; N R S 34 . 810 ( 1 )( b ) , ( 3 ) . G ood ca u s e m a y b e d e m on s t r a t e d by a s ho w i ng t h a t t h e f ac t u a l o r l e g a l b a s i s f o r a c l a i m w a s no t r ea s on a b l y a v a il a b l e t o b e r a i s e d i n a ti m e l y p e titi on . H a t ha w a y v . S t a t e , 119 N e v . 248 , 252 , 71 P . 3d 503 , 506 ( 2003 ) . F u r t h e r , a s t h e S t a t e s p ec i f i ca ll y p l ea d e d l ac h e s , C a r d e n a s h a d t o ov e r c o m e t h e p r e s u m p ti on o f p r e j ud i ce t o t h e S t a t e . S ee N R S 3 4 . 8 00 ( 2 ) .
S U P R E M E C O UR T O F N EV ADA i v [47] A o ti - 32 3 ( e t
*2 C a r d e n a s a r gu e s t h a t t h e S up r e m e C ou r t ' s r ece n t d ec i s i on i n M c C o y v . L ou i s i ana , 138 S . C t . 1500 ( 2018 ) , p r ov i d e s good ca u s e b eca u s e h i s t r i a l c oun s e l c on t r a d i c t e d h i s d e f e n s e a nd t hu s c on ce d e d gu ilt . H e i s m i s t a k e n , a s M c C o y i s d i s ti ngu i s h a b l e . M c C o y ho l d s t h a t a n a tt o r n e y m a y no t c on ce d e a d e f e nd a n t ' s gu ilt o f a c h a r g e d c r i m e w h e r e t h e d e f e nd a n t e xp r e ss l y ob j ec t s o r i n s i s t s on m a i n t a i n i ng h i s o r h e r i nno ce n ce . 138 S . C t . a t 1509 . M c C o y d i d no t ho l d t h a t a d e f e nd a n t m u s t e xp r e ss l y c on s e n t t o a c on ce ss i on o r t h a t a ca nv a ss m u s t p r ece d e a c on ce ss i on . S ee i d . ; s ee a l s o F l o r i da v . N i x on , 543 U . S . 175 , 186 - 92 ( 2004 ) (r e j ec ti ng no ti on t h a t c on ce ss i on s t r a t e gy r e qu i r e s e xp r e ss c on s e n t o r t h a t it i s t h e f un c ti on a l e qu i v a l e n t o f a gu ilt y p l ea ) . "
H e r e , t h e r ec o r d r e p e l s C a r d e n a s c l a i m s t h a t t r i a l c oun s e l c on ce d e d h i s gu ilt . C a r d e n a s e xp r e ss e d h i s i n t e n t t o m a i n t a i n h i s i nno ce n ce w h e n h e t e s ti f i e d t h a t t h e s e xu a l e n c oun t e r w a s c on s e n s u a l . C oun s e l , ho w e v e r , d i d no t c on ce d e gu ilt i n op e n i ng s t a t e m e n t o r c l o s i ng a r gu m e n t w h e n c oun s e l r e p r e s e n t e d t h a t t h e v i c ti m w a s d r unk du r i ng t h e i n c i d e n t , s u c h t h a t h e r m e m o r y w a s pu r po r t e d l y un r e li a b l e . N o t on l y d i d t h i s a r gu m e n t acc o r d w it h C a r d e n a s ' t e s ti m ony , bu t a ny s li gh t d i s c r e p a n c y w ou l d f a ll w it h i n c oun s e l ' s p r ov i n ce a nd w ou l d no t a m oun t t o i n fr i ng i ng on C a r d e n a s ' b r o a d e r d ec i s i on t o m a i n t a i n h i s i n no ce n ce . S ee M c C o y , 138 S . C t . a t 1508 ( d i s ti ngu i s h i ng c oun s e r s t r i a l m a n a g e m e n t i n c l ud i ng d ec i d i ng w h a t a r gu m e n t s t o m a k e fr o m a d e f e nd a n t ' s d ec i s i on w h e t h e r t o m a i n t a i n i nno ce n ce ) . M o r e ov e r , t h e r ec o r d b e li e s C a r d e n a s ' a r gu m e n t t h a t c oun s e l c on ce d e d gu ilt by a r gu i ng o r i m p l y i ng t h a t t h e v i c ti m w a s t oo i n t ox i ca t e d t o
' N o t a b l y , M c C o y d i d n o t a lt e r t h e ho l d i n g i n N i x o n . M c C o y , 13 8 S . C t . a t 1509 .
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EV ADA 2 *3 c on s e n t , a s c oun s e l d i d no t . A nd C a r d e n a s a r gu m e n t t h a t c oun s e l c on ce d e d h i s gu ilt w h e n c oun s e l s t a t e d i f t h e j u r y f ound C a r d e n a s gu ilt y , it s hou l d on l y f i nd h i m gu ilt y o f a tt e m p t e d s e xu a l a ss a u lt a l s o f a il s . 2 I n c on t e x t , c oun s e l n e v e r c on ce d e d t h a t t h e e v i d e n ce s ho w e d t h a t C a r d e n a s w a s gu ilt y o f a tt e m p t e d s e xu a l a ss a u lt; t o t h e c on t r a r y , h e a r gu e d t h e oppo s it e m e r e s ec ond s ea r li e r . C oun s e l ' s a r gu m e n t d i d no t r e li e v e t h e S t a t e o f it s bu r d e n t o d e m on s t r a t e C a r d e n a s ' gu ilt b e yond a r ea s on a b l e doub t w h e n t a k e n i n c on t e x t . S ee A rr n e n t a - C a r p i o v . S t a t e , 129 N e v . 531 , 534 , 306 P . 3d 395 , 397 ( 2013 ) (r ec ogn i z i ng " t h a t c on ce d i ng gu ilt r e li e v e s t h e S t a t e o f it s bu r d e n o f p r oo f f o r a n o ff e n s e " ) . B eca u s e M c C o y i s d i s ti ngu i s h a b l e , w e n ee d no t r e s o l v e C a r d e n a s ' a r gu m e n t t h a t M c C o y a pp li e s r e t r o ac ti v e l y . C f . E d w a r d s v . V anno y , 141 S . C t . 1547 , 1562 ( 2021 ) ([ N ] e w p r o ce du r a l r u l e s a pp l y t o ca s e s p e nd i ng i n t r i a l c ou r t s a nd on d i r ec t r e v i e w . B u t n e w p r o ce du r a l r u l e s do no t a pp l y r e t r o ac ti v e l y on f e d e r a l c o ll a t e r a l r e v i e w . " ) . A cc o r d i ng l y , C a r d e n a s h a s no t s ho w n t h a t M c C o y p r ov i d e s good ca u s e .
N e x t , C a r d e n a s a r gu e s t h a t i n e ff ec ti v e a ss i s t a n ce o f po s t c onv i c ti on c oun s e l p r ov i d e s good ca u s e . W e d i s a g r ee . C a r d e n a s w a s no t e n titl e d t o t h e e ff ec ti v e a ss i s t a n ce o f po s t c onv i c ti on c oun s e l i n a non ca p it a l ca s e . S ee B r o w n v . M c D an i e l , 130 N e v . 565 , 569 , 331 P . 3d 867 , 870 ( 2014 ) ( c on c l ud i ng t h a t c l a i m s o f i n e ff ec ti v e a ss i s t a n ce o f po s t c onv i c ti on [2] S p ec i f i ca ll y , c oun s e l a r gu e d — Y ou h a v e t o l ook a t t h i s s e xu a l a ss a u lt — gu ilt y o r no t gu ilt y — o r a tt e m p t s e xu a l a ss a u lt — gu ilt y o r no t gu ilt y . I w ou l d r e s p ec t f u ll y s ub m it t o you t h a t b a s e d upon t h e e v i d e n c e t h a t you ' v e h ea r d i n t h i s c ou r t r o o m , t h e a pp r op r i a t e v e r d i c t i s n o t g u ilt y . H o w e v e r , i n a w o r s t , w o r s t , w o r s t s c e n a r i o , t h i s w a s a t b e s t a n a tt e m p t s e xu a l a ss a u l t .
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EV ADA 3 [1] , n [7] A *4 c oun s e l i n non ca p it a l ca s e s do no t c on s tit u t e good ca u s e f o r a s u cce ss i v e p e titi on b eca u s e t h e r e i s no e n titl e m e n t t o a ppo i n t e d c oun s e l ) . W e d ec li n e C a r d e n a s r e qu e s t t o ov e rr u l e o r r ec on s i d e r B r o w n .
F u r t h e r , C a r d e n a s h a s no t d e m on s t r a t e d t h e d i s t r i c t c ou r t e rr e d i n d e t e r m i n i ng t h e p e titi on w a s b a rr e d by l ac h e s . T h e S t a t e s u ff i c i e n tl y p l ea d e d l ac h e s , a nd p r e j ud i ce w a s p r e s u m e d b a s e d on t h e m o r e - t h a n -f i v e - y ea r p e r i od fr o m t h e d ec i s i on on d i r ec t a pp ea l . N R S 34 . 800 ( 2 ) . C a r d e n a s h a s no t ov e r c o m e t h e p r e s u m p ti on o f p r e j ud i ce t o t h e S t a t e . S ee N R S 34 . 800 ( 1 ) (r e qu i r i ng a p e titi on e r t o d e m on s t r a t e a f und a m e n t a l m i s ca rr i a g e o f j u s ti ce w h e n t h e S t a t e i s p r e j ud i ce d i n it s a b ilit y t o c ondu c t a r e t r i a l a nd l ac k o f kno w l e dg e o r e x e r c i s e o f r ea s on a b l e d ili g e n ce w h e n t h e S t a t e i s p r e j ud i ce d i n r e s pond i ng t o t h e p e titi on ) ; s ee a l s o P e ll e g r i n i v . S t a t e , 117 N e v . 860 , 887 , 34 P . 3d 519 , 537 ( 2001 ) (r ec ogn i z i ng t h a t f und a m e n t a l m i s ca rr i a g e o f j u s ti ce r e qu i r e s a s ho w i ng o f ac t u a l i nno ce n ce ) .
W e c on c l ud e t h a t t h e d i s t r i c t c ou r t c o rr ec tl y a pp li e d t h e m a nd a t o r y p r o ce du r a l b a r s a nd d i d no t e rr i n d e t e r m i n i ng t h e p e titi on w a s b a rr e d by l ac h e s . S ee S t a t e v . E i gh t h J ud i c i a l D i s t . C ou r t ( R i ke r ) , 121 N e v . 225 , 231 , 233 , 112 P . 3d 1070 , 1074 , 1075 ( 2005 ) . W e t h e r e f o r e
O R D E R t h e j udg m e n t o f t h e d i s t r i c t c ou r t A FF I R M E D . 3 / , C . J . H a r d e s t y • J . C a d i s h [3] T h e H o n o r a b l e M a r k G i bb o n s , S e n i o r J u s ti c e , p a r ti c i p a t e d i n t h e d ec i s i o n o f t h i s m a t t e r un d e r a g e n e r a l o r d e r o f a ss i g n m e n t .
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E VADA 4 . [0] , [1947] A *5 cc : H on . R ob e r t W . L a n e , D i s t r i c t J udg e F e d e r a l P ub li c D e f e nd e r / L a s V e g a s A tt o r n e y G e n e r a l/ C a r s on C it y N y e C oun t y D i s t r i c t A tt o r n e y N y e C oun t y C l e r k
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