Thursday, January 22, 2015

Christeson v. Roper - lawyer's conflict of interest merits reversal in death case

SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES
MARK A. CHRISTESON v. DON ROPER, WARDEN
ON PETITION FOR WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED
STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE EIGHTH CIRCUIT

No. 14–6873. Decided January 20, 2015
 PER CURIAM.
 Petitioner Mark Christeson’s first federal habeas petition
was dismissed as untimely. Because his appointed
attorneys—who had missed the filing deadline—could not
be expected to argue that Christeson was entitled to the
equitable tolling of the statute of limitations, Christeson
requested substitute counsel who would not be laboring
under a conflict of interest. The District Court denied the
motion, and the Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
summarily affirmed. In so doing, these courts contravened
our decision in Martel v. Clair, 565 U. S. ___ (2012).
Christeson’s petition for certiorari is therefore granted,
the judgment of the Eighth Circuit is reversed, and the
case is remanded for further proceedings. ***

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