Joseph MacAstle Jackson v. Ron Champion, Attorney General For The State of Oklahoma, 13 F.3d 405, 10th Cir. (1993)

13 F.
3d 405
NOTICE: Although citation of unpublished opinions remains unfavored,
unpublished opinions may now be cited if the opinion has persuasive value on a
material issue, and a copy is attached to the citing document or, if cited in oral
argument, copies are furnished to the Court and all parties. See General Order of
November 29, 1993, suspending 10th Cir. Rule 36.3 until December 31, 1995, or
further order.
Joseph Macastle JACKSON, Petitioner-Appellant,

v.
Ron CHAMPION, Attorney General for the State of
Oklahoma,
Defendants-Appellees.
No. 93-5158.
United States Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit.

Nov. 24, 1993.
Before TACHA, BALDOCK and KELLY, Circuit Judges.
ORDER AND JUDGMENT1

1
Petitioner Joseph Macastle Jackson appeals the district court's dismissal of his
petition for writ of habeas corpus on the grounds of abuse of the writ. We have
jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C.1291.
Petitioner was convicted of first degree murder and conspiracy to commit

murder in the District Court of Oklahoma County, and received concurrent
sentences of life imprisonment and five years' imprisonment, respectively. On
direct appeal, the Oklahoma Court of Appeals affirmed Petitioner's conviction.
See Jackson v. State, 741 P.2d 875 (Okla.Crim.App.1987). Petitioner
subsequently filed several state applications for post-conviction relief, all of
which were denied.
On October 28, 1988, Petitioner filed his first petition for federal habeas relief
in federal district court, 28 U.S.C.2254, alleging his due process rights were
violated because the jury was not impartial. The district court denied the
petition on the merits.
4
Petitioner, proceeding pro se, filed a second petition for federal habeas relief on
January 10, 1991. In his second petition, he alleged: (1) he did not receive a fair
trial because of his counsel's failure to inform the court of misleading jury
instructions, (2) he was unconstitutionally denied a hearing concerning his
allegations of jury partiality and misconduct, (3) the court erred in dismissing
the jury following the verdict, and (4) he received ineffective assistance of
counsel. The district court sua sponte dismissed Petitioner's application as an
abuse of the writ. Relying on McCleskey v. Zant, 111 S.Ct. 1454, 1470 (1991),
we vacated the district court's order and remanded the case, stating that the
government must first plead abuse of the writ before a petition may be
dismissed as abusive. See Jackson v. Champion, No. 92-5069, 1992 WL
339062, at * 3 (10th Cir. Nov. 17, 1992).
On remand, Defendants moved, under Rule 9(b) of the Rules Governing

Section 2254 cases, to dismiss Petitioner's second petition as an abuse of the
writ. The district court dismissed the petition as an abuse of the writ, and this
appeal followed.
"[A] petitioner who raises new claims in a second or subsequent habeas petition
must show both cause for failing to present those claims in an earlier habeas
petition and prejudice therefrom." Rodriguez v. Maynard, 948 F.2d 684, 687
(10th Cir.1991). In order to show cause, a petitioner must show an external
impediment--i.e., "something that cannot fairly be attributed to him"--which
prevented him from raising or formulating the new claims. Id. If a petitioner
fails to show cause and prejudice, failure to raise the new claims earlier may
then be excused only if a petitioner can show that a fundamental miscarriage of
justice would result from a failure to consider the claim. Id. The fundamental
miscarriage of justice exception encompasses "extraordinary instances when a
constitutional violation probably has caused the conviction of one innocent of
the crime." McClesky, 111 S.Ct. at 1470.
Petitioner attempts to show cause by claiming: (1) he received inadequate

training as a legal research assistant, (2) the state failed to provide adequate
access to a law library, and (3) the state failed to provide an adequate law
library or adequate assistance from persons trained in the law in formulating his
first petition.
We reject Petitioner's first assertion of cause--i.e., that his training as a legal
research assistant was inadequate--because a lack of legal training does not

constitute adequate cause for a petitioner's failure to raise new claims in a
previous habeas petition. Rodriguez, 948 F.2d at 688.
9
Petitioner's next asserted ground for cause is that he had inadequate access to a
law library and was unable to raise his new claims in his first habeas petition
because an Oklahoma prison policy prevented him from working on his own
case while working as an inmate legal research assistant. However, Petitioner
makes no showing that the prison policy prevented him from working on his
own case during off hours. Furthermore, Petitioner failed to raise this argument
before the district court. Petitioner has therefore waived this ground for relief.
See United States v. Cook, 997 F.2d 1312, 1316 (10th Cir.1993).
10
In his final argument, Petitioner claims the state failed to "provide an adequate
law library or adequate assistance from someone trained in the law" in
formulating his habeas petition. See Bounds v. Smith, 430 U.S. 817, 828
(1977)(requiring state to provide adequate law libraries or adequate assistance
from someone trained in the law); Ward v. Kort, 762 F.2d 856, 860 (10th
Cir.1985)(state must provide either adequate law libraries or available counsel
on reasonable basis). Petitioner has failed to allege any facts to support his
allegations. Conclusory allegations without supporting factual averments are
insufficient to show cause. See Cartwright v. Maynard, 802 F.2d 1203, 1211
(10th Cir.1986) (federal habeas petition based on general allegations without
substantive supporting facts properly denied), modified on other grounds by
822 F.2d 1477 (10th Cir.1987).
11
Because Petitioner fails to allege adequate cause for his failure to raise his new
claims in his first habeas petition, we need not consider whether Petitioner
suffered actual prejudice. See McCleskey, 111 S.Ct. at 1474; Rodriguez, 948
F.2d at 688.
12
Furthermore, Petitioner's failure to raise his new claims in his first petition is
not excused under the fundamental miscarriage of justice exception because
Petitioner fails to produce any evidence of actual innocence. Rather, he admits
his involvement in the crime in his brief to this court.
13
AFFIRMED.
This order and judgment has no precedential value and shall not be cited, or
used by any court within the Tenth Circuit, except for purposes of establishing
the doctrines of the law of the case, res judicata, or collateral estoppel. 10th Cir.
R. 36.3

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13 F.

Joseph Macastle JACKSON, Petitioner-Appellant,

United States Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit.

Before TACHA, BALDOCK and KELLY, Circuit Judges.

ORDER AND JUDGMENT1

Petitioner was convicted of first degree murder and conspiracy to commit

On remand, Defendants moved, under Rule 9(b) of the Rules Governing

Petitioner attempts to show cause by claiming: (1) he received inadequate

We reject Petitioner's first assertion of cause--i.e., that his training as a legal

research assistant was inadequate--because a lack of legal training does not

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