Opinion
CIVIL ACTION Docket No. CR-11-563
08-16-2012
THOMAS CASTLE, Petitioner v. STATE OF MAINE, Respondent
State's Attorney: EVERT FOWLE
ORDER ON STATE'S MOTION
TO DISMISS AND
PETITIONER'S MOTION TO
EXTEND TIME
Before the court is the State's motion to dismiss the petition for post-conviction review and the petitioner's second motion to extend time. For the following reasons, the State's motion to dismiss is denied and the petitioner's motion to extend time is granted.
One June 7, 2010, the petitioner pleaded guilty to criminal charges in a Rule 11 proceeding. He was sentenced that day. On June 24, 2011, the petitioner filed a motion to extend the time within which to file a petition for post-conviction review. The motion was denied on 7/7/11. The petitioner filed a second motion to extend the time within which to file a petition. The court did not act on the second motion. The petitioner filed a petition for post-conviction review on 7/21/11.
The State argues the petition should have been filed by 6/8/11. Even allowing for a 21-day period of appeal, which is not available on a plea of guilty, the State argues the petition should have been filed on 6/28/11. The State argues that because the petition was filed beyond the one-year limit and the time limit is jurisdictional, the court is "without jurisdiction to hear this post-conviction." (Resp. Mot. 2.); 15 M.R.S. § 2128(5).
The petition for post-conviction review filing deadline was adopted in Maine in 1997 and is "modeled after the federal habeas corpus statute, 28 United States code, section 2244." Finch v. State, 1999 ME 108, ¶ 7, 736 A.2d 1043 (quoting L.D. 1533, Summary (118th Legis. 1997). The U.S. Supreme Court has stated, while discussing the deadline imposed by the federal habeas corpus statute, "a statute of limitations defense . . . is not 'jurisdictional.'" Day v. McDonough, 547 U.S. 198, 205 (2006). Accordingly, the court declines to grant the motion to dismiss, especially considering the reasons stated by the petitioner in his second motion to extend time.
The entry is
The State's Motion to Dismiss is DENIED.
The Petitioner's Second Motion to Extend Time is GRANTED. The time within which to file the petition is extended to 7/21/11.
___________
Nancy Mills
Justice, Superior Court
PL. DOB: 12/03/1957
PL. ATTY: DAVID PARIS
72 FRONT STREET
BATH ME 04530-2657
APPOINTED 10/20/2011
State's Attorney: EVERT FOWLE Filing Document: PETITION
Filing Date: 07/21/2011
Major Case Type: POST CONVICTION REVIEW
Charge(s)
Docket Events:
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ ¦07/28/¦FILING DOCUMENT - PETITION FILED ON 07/21/2011 ¦ ¦2011 ¦ ¦ +------+----------------------------------------------------------------------¦ ¦07/28/¦POST CONVIC. REVIEW - REVIEW SENT FOR REVIEW ON 07/28/2011 ¦ ¦2011 ¦ ¦ +------+----------------------------------------------------------------------¦ ¦10/18/¦POST CONVIC. REVIEW - ASSIGNMENT ASSIGNED TO DOCKET ON 09/29/2011 ¦ ¦2011 ¦WILLIAM R ANDERSON , JUSTICE ¦ +------+----------------------------------------------------------------------¦ ¦10/18/¦MOTION - MOTION FOR APPOINTMENT OF CNSL FILED BY DEFENDANT ON 07/21/ ¦ ¦2011 ¦2011 ¦ +------+----------------------------------------------------------------------¦ ¦10/20/¦MOTION - MOTION FOR APPOINTMENT OF CNSL GRANTED ON 10/19/2011 NANCY ¦ ¦2011 ¦MILLS , JUSTICE COPY TO PARTIES/COUNSEL ¦ +------+----------------------------------------------------------------------¦ ¦10/20/¦Party(s): THOMAS M CASTLE ¦ ¦2011 ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ATTORNEY - APPOINTED ORDERED ON 10/20/2011 Attorney: DAVID PARIS ¦ +------+----------------------------------------------------------------------¦ ¦11/01/¦ORDER - TRANSCRIPT ORDER FILED ON 11/01/2011 ¦ ¦2011 ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦Attorney: DAVID PARIS PLEA AND SENTENCING ¦ +------+----------------------------------------------------------------------¦ ¦12/28/¦SUPPLEMENTAL FILING - AMENDED PETITION FILED ON 12/27/2011 ¦ ¦2011 ¦ ¦ +------+----------------------------------------------------------------------¦ ¦05/07/¦MOTION - MOTION TO DISMISS FILED BY STATE ON 05/03/2012 ¦ ¦2012 ¦ ¦ +------+----------------------------------------------------------------------¦ ¦05/07/¦MOTION - MOTION FOR EXTENSION OF TIME FILED BY STATE ON 05/03/2012 ¦ ¦2012 ¦ ¦ +------+----------------------------------------------------------------------¦ ¦05/07/¦POST CONVIC. REVIEW - RESPONSE TO PETITION FILED ON 05/03/2012 ¦ ¦2012 ¦ ¦ +------+----------------------------------------------------------------------¦ ¦05/07/¦ORDER - TRANSCRIPT ORDER FILED ON 05/03/2012 ¦ ¦2012 ¦ ¦ +------+----------------------------------------------------------------------¦ ¦05/07/¦POST CONVIC. REVIEW - ASSIGNMENT ASSIGNED TO JUSTICE ON 05/03/2012 ¦ ¦2012 ¦NANCY MILLS , JUSTICE ¦ +------+----------------------------------------------------------------------¦ ¦05/08/¦HEARING - MOTION FOR ENLARGEMENT OF TIME SCHEDULED FOR 05/29/2012 at ¦ ¦2012 ¦03:00 p.m. NANCY MILLS , JUSTICE NOTICE TO PARTIES/COUNSEL ¦ +------+----------------------------------------------------------------------¦ ¦05/08/¦HEARING - MOTION FOR ENLARGEMENT OF TIME NOTICE SENT ON 05/08/2012 ¦ ¦2012 ¦ ¦ +------+----------------------------------------------------------------------¦ ¦05/29/¦HEARING - MOTION FOR ENLARGEMENT OF TIME CONTINUED ON 05/29/2012 ¦ ¦2012 ¦ ¦ +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ ¦06/20/¦HEARING - MOTION FOR ENLARGEMENT OF TIME SCHEDULED FOR 07/09/2012 at ¦ ¦2012 ¦03:00 p.m. NANCY MILLS , JUSTICE NOTICE TO PARTIES/COUNSEL ¦ +------+----------------------------------------------------------------------¦ ¦06/20/¦HEARING - MOTION FOR ENLARGEMENT OF TIME NOTICE SENT ON 06/20/2012 ¦ ¦2012 ¦ ¦ +------+----------------------------------------------------------------------¦ ¦07/11/¦HEARING - MOTION FOR ENLARGEMENT OF TIME HELD ON 07/09/2012 NANCY ¦ ¦2012 ¦MILLS , JUSTICE Attorney: DAVID PARIS DA: PAUL RUCHA PHONE CONFERENCE ¦ +------+----------------------------------------------------------------------¦ ¦07/11/¦POST CONVIC. REVIEW - PCR CONFERENCE HELD ON 07/09/2012 NANCY MILLS , ¦ ¦2012 ¦JUSTICE Attorney: DAVID PARIS DA: PAUL RUCHA ¦ +------+----------------------------------------------------------------------¦ ¦ ¦MOTION - MOTION FOR EXTENSION OF TIME GRANTED ON 07/09/2012 NANCY ¦ ¦07/11/¦MILLS , JUSTICE ¦ ¦2012 ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦AFTER TELEPHONE CONFERENCE, STATE'S MOTION TO EXTEND GRANTED OVER ¦ ¦ ¦OBJECTION. COPY TO ATTY PARIS AND ADA RUCHA ¦ +------+----------------------------------------------------------------------¦ ¦ ¦POST CONVIC. REVIEW - ORDER RESULTING FROM PCR CONF FILED ON 07/09/ ¦ ¦07/11/¦2012 NANCY MILLS , JUSTICE ¦ ¦2012 ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦EVIDENTIARY HEARING: 2 TO 4 HOURS. COPY TO ATTY PARIS AND ADA RUCHA ¦ +------+----------------------------------------------------------------------¦ ¦07/12/¦HEARING - MOTION TO DISMISS SCHEDULED FOR 07/18/2012 at 02:00 p.m. ¦ ¦2012 ¦NANCY MILLS , JUSTICE NOTICE TO PARTIES/COUNSEL ¦ +------+----------------------------------------------------------------------¦ ¦07/12/¦HEARING - MOTION TO DISMISS NOTICE SENT ON 07/12/2012 ¦ ¦2012 ¦ ¦ +------+----------------------------------------------------------------------¦ ¦07/12/¦WRIT - HABEAS CORPUS TO PROSECUTE ORDERED ON 07/12/2012 ¦ ¦2012 ¦ ¦ +------+----------------------------------------------------------------------¦ ¦07/12/¦WRIT - HABEAS CORPUS TO PROSECUTE ISSUED ON 07/12/2012 CERTIFIED COPY ¦ ¦2012 ¦TO SHERIFF DEPT. ¦ +------+----------------------------------------------------------------------¦ ¦ ¦MOTION - OTHER MOTION FILED BY STATE ON 07/19/2012 DA: PAUL RUCHA ¦ ¦07/19/¦ ¦ ¦2012 ¦MOTION FOR COURT ORDER REQUIRING ATTORNEY TO PROVIDE INFORMATION TO ¦ ¦ ¦THE STATE'S ATTY. ¦ +------+----------------------------------------------------------------------¦ ¦ ¦MOTION - OTHER MOTION GRANTED ON 07/19/2012 NANCY MILLS , JUSTICE ¦ ¦07/20/¦ ¦ ¦2012 ¦MOTION FOR COURT ORDER REQUIRING ATTORNEY TO PROVIDE INFORMATION TO ¦ ¦ ¦THE STATE'S ATTY. ¦ +------+----------------------------------------------------------------------¦ ¦08/16/¦MOTION - MOTION FOR EXTENSION OF TIME FILED BY PETITIONER ON 05/03/ ¦ ¦2012 ¦2012 ¦ +------+----------------------------------------------------------------------¦ ¦08/16/¦MOTION - MOTION FOR EXTENSION OF TIME GRANTED ON 08/09/2012 NANCY ¦ ¦2012 ¦MILLS , JUSTICE COPY TO PARTIES/COUNSEL ¦ +------+----------------------------------------------------------------------¦ ¦ ¦HEARING - MOTION TO DISMISS HELD ON 07/18/2012 ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦NANCY MILLS , JUSTICE ¦ ¦08/16/¦ ¦ ¦2012 ¦Attorney: DAVID PARIS ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦DA: PAUL RUCHA ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦Defendant Present in Court ¦ +------+----------------------------------------------------------------------¦ ¦08/16/¦MOTION - MOTION TO DISMISS DENIED ON 08/09/2012 NANCY MILLS , JUSTICE ¦ ¦2012 ¦COPY TO PARTIES/COUNSEL ¦ +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ ¦ ¦ORDER - COURT ORDER FILED ON 08/09/2012 NANCY MILLS , JUSTICE ¦ ¦08/16/ ¦ ¦ ¦2012 ¦ORDER ON STATE'S MOTION TO DISMISS AND PETITIONER'S MOTION TO ¦ ¦ ¦EXTEND TIME ¦ +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ A TRUE COPY
ATTEST: ___________
Clerk