Posted by Jose Morin | May 26, 2022 |
Shinn v. Ramirez, 20-1009.
On Monday, May 23, 2022, the Supreme Court, once again tightened the entry door for postconviction relief in most state cases. In Shinn v. Ramirez, 20-1009, the court held that under 28 U.S.C. § 2254(e)(2), a federal habeas court may not conduct an evidentiary hearing or otherwise consider evidence beyond the state court record based on the ineffective assistance of state postconviction counsel. In essence, if the attorney fails to timely file a document, develop a defense, or is just legally wrong on the avenues pursued, the federal court is not allowed to develop the record further beyond what is already on the record in the state court. What you see in the state record is what you get in Federal Court. The record must be developed sufficiently to allow the Federal Court to review the claim with nothing more.