Jimerson v. Payne, No. 18-3174 (8th Cir. 2020)
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The Eighth Circuit affirmed the district court's grant of habeas corpus relief under 28 U.S.C. 2254 to Tina Jimerson and John Brown, Jr., two Arkansas prisoners serving life sentences for murder and aggravated robbery.
The court held that Jimerson's Youngblood and actual innocence claims are timely under 28 U.S.C. 2244(d)(1)(D), but her Brady claim is not; Brown's claims were timely under section 2244(d)(1)(D); and Brown and Jimerson have made an adequate showing excusing procedural default as to their Youngblood claims. The court also held that, under these particular circumstances where the prosecutor and law enforcement acted in concert to not only conceal the contents of the recording but also effectively concealed the fact that a recorded conversation took place, an adverse inference may be drawn and it is appropriate to weigh the value in favor of Brown and Jimerson. Therefore, under the O'Neal standard, the court is required to treat the constitutional violation as if it had substantial and injurious effect or influence on the jury's verdicts. The court reversed in part as to certain claims and affirmed in part as to certain claims, ultimately affirming the grant of habeas relief.
Court Description: [Erickson, Author, with Gruender and Kelly, Circuit Judges] Prisoner case - habeas. Jimmerson's actual innocence claim was timely under ADEPA as it was filed within one year of the date on which her basis for the claim was discovered; Jimmerson's Brady claim was time-barred; Jimmerson's Youngblood claim was timely because concealment of evidence meant she was not aware of the basis of the claim until she received access to a document in January, 2015; the court rejects the State's arguments that Brown failed to exercise due diligence in presenting his claims as there was no basis for concluding Brown learned or could of learned of the factual predicate for his actual innocence claim until he learned in an email in December, 2015 that co-defendant Early had confessed; Brown and Jimmerson have made an adequate showing excusing procedural default of their Youngblood claims; the district court's finding that Brown met the actual innocence gateway exception is reversed; the district court erred in determining Jimmerson established her actual innocence claim; however, under these particular circumstances where the prosecutor and law enforcement acted in concert not only to conceal the contents of a recorded confession by a co-defendant but also effectively concealed the fact that a recorded conversation took place, an adverse inference may be drawn, and it is appropriate to weigh it in favor of Brown and Jimmerson; accordingly, under the O'Neal standard the court is required to treat this constitutional violation as if it had substantial and injurious effect or influence on the jury's verdict, and Brown and Jimmerson were entitled to habeas relief for this Youngblood violation.
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