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Wells v. Howton

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF OREGON
Nov 29, 2011
Civ. No. 07-1117-TC (D. Or. Nov. 29, 2011)

Summary

presuming prejudice and granting habeas relief where appellate counsel filed only one "frivolous" argument in withdrawal brief

Summary of this case from De La Rosa v. Davis

Opinion

Civ. No. 07-1117-TC

11-29-2011

STEVEN EUGENE WELLS, Petitioner, v. N. HOWTON, Superintendent, Oregon State Correctional Institution, Respondent.


ORDER

Aiken, Chief Judge:

Magistrate Judge Coffin issued his Findings and Recommendation in the above-captioned case on August 22, 2011. Magistrate Judge Coffin recommends that the petition for writ of habeas corpus be allowed in part and a new direct appeal be provided for petitioner, given the functional deprivation and ineffective assistance of appellate counsel. The matter is now before me. See 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1)(B) and Fed. R. Civ. P. 72(b).

When either party objects to any portion of a magistrate judge's Findings and Recommendation, the district court must make a de novo determination of that portion of the magistrate judge's report. SSS 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1); McDonnell Douglas Corp. v. Commodore Business Machines. Inc., 656 F.2d 1309,1313 (9th Cir, 1981). Respondent timely filed objections to the Findings and Recommendation. Upon de novo review, I find no error and adopt the analysis contained in Magistrate Judge Coffin's opinion.

Given the unique and compelling facts of this case, 1 find no error in Magistrate Judge Coffin's finding that petitioner was, for all intents and purposes, functionally deprived of appellate counsel. Penson v, Ohio, 488 U.S. 75,88-89 (1988). At minimum, petitioner received ineffective assistance of counsel on appeal, and given the absolute lack of effective representation and the issues that could have been raised, a reasonable probability exists that the outcome of petitioner's appeal would have been different Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 694 (1984).

THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that Magistrate Judge Coffin's Findings and Recommendation (doc. 73) filed August 22, 2011, is ADOPTED in its entirety. The Amended Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus (doc. 18) is GRANTED, in that the State of Oregon shall provide petitioner with competent counsel and the opportunity for a new direct appeal. IT IS SO ORDERED.

Ann Aiken

United States District Judge


Summaries of

Wells v. Howton

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF OREGON
Nov 29, 2011
Civ. No. 07-1117-TC (D. Or. Nov. 29, 2011)

presuming prejudice and granting habeas relief where appellate counsel filed only one "frivolous" argument in withdrawal brief

Summary of this case from De La Rosa v. Davis
Case details for

Wells v. Howton

Case Details

Full title:STEVEN EUGENE WELLS, Petitioner, v. N. HOWTON, Superintendent, Oregon…

Court:UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF OREGON

Date published: Nov 29, 2011

Citations

Civ. No. 07-1117-TC (D. Or. Nov. 29, 2011)

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