Professional Documents
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Frye v. Raemisch, 10th Cir. (2013)
Frye v. Raemisch, 10th Cir. (2013)
Clerk of Court
GREGORY P. FRYE,
Petitioner - Appellant,
v.
RICK RAEMISCH, Executive
Director, CDOC; JOHN SUTHERS,
The Attorney General of the State of
Colorado,
No. 13-1356
(D.C. No. 1:12-CV-00722-RBJ)
(D. Colo.)
Respondents - Appellees.
ORDER
DENYING CERTIFICATE OF APPEALABILITY
Background
On August 20, 2008, Mr. Frye pleaded guilty in Colorado state court to
charges of second degree kidnaping (No. 07CR4329) and second degree assault
with a deadly weapon (No. 07CR4363) and was sentenced to 12- and 16-year
consecutive sentences as agreed.
Mr. Frye admitted attacking his wife on two occasions and driving her from
Colorado to Kansas against her will. He was charged with, among other offenses,
first degree murder, second degree kidnaping, first degree burglary, second degree
assault with a deadly weapon, felony menacing, and a habitual-criminal sentence
enhancer. 1 R. 51-53, 76-78.
Prior to trial, Mr. Fryes appointed counsel moved to introduce evidence of
marital discord. 2 (07CR4363) R. 26. 1 Counsel sought to introduce evidence that
Mr. Frye was under the influence of Christian pastors who counseled that his
marital problems were caused by spiritual warfare. Id. This counseling led Mr.
Frye to believe Satans demons were attacking him more intensely than usual
due to his Christian marriage. Id. It was under this mental and spiritual state
that Mr. Frye committed the charged offenses. Id.
Basing Mr. Fryes defense on spiritual warfare, counsel sought
permission to inquire into jurors religious beliefs in voir dire, introduce expert
testimony on spiritual warfare, instruct the jury that they may consult their
religious beliefs, and argue in closing that Mr. Fryes acts were not voluntary but
were the result of demonic attacks designed to frustrate his devout Christian
pursuits. Id.
The trial court declined. It noted that it was not clear what role spiritual
warfare would play at trial, given that Mr. Frye had declined to pursue an
insanity defense. Id. at 130. In a letter, appointed counsel urged Mr. Frye to
accept a plea deal from the state for an 8-year prison term, pointing out that the
defense had no evidence that Mr. Frye suffered from a mental disease or defect
and therefore would not be able to argue the spiritual warfare defense in the
guise of an insanity defense. Id. at 93. Mr. Frye rejected this assessment; he
moved to substitute his appointed counsel in favor of a Christian attorney who
shared his views on spiritual matters. 2 (07CR4329) R. 81. The trial court
found that counsels decisions were strategic and ordered Mr. Frye to proceed
with appointed counsel or pro se. Mr. Frye chose the latter. 2
Nearing trial, Mr. Frye again sought to introduce evidence of spiritual
warfare and demonic influence to negate the mental culpability elements of
the charges. Aplt. Br. 2. The court again rejected this line of defense. On
August 20, 2008three days into trialMr. Frye stopped the proceedings and
entered into a plea agreement stipulating to a 28-year sentence, dismissing other
The court appointed advisory counsel because Mr. Frye discharged the
public defenders office. 2 (07CR4329) R. 90.
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1.
2.
The trial court denied him the effective assistance of counsel by not
replacing his appointed counsel, who was conflicted and ineffective;
3.
4.
5.
6.
The trial court denied him due process by summarily denying his
first postconviction motion without a hearing;
7.
8.
The federal district court erred by not finding cause and prejudice for
his various procedural defaults.
Aplt. Br. 5. Mr. Frye raised additional claims in his initial 2254 petition:
The trial court summarily dismissed his second 35(c) petition as time
barred;
Both the state court of appeals and trial court failed to respond to
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Discussion
In order for this court to grant a COA, Mr. Frye must make a substantial
showing of the denial of a constitutional right, 28 U.S.C. 2253(c)(2), such that
reasonable jurists could debate whether (or for that matter, agree that) the
petition should have been resolved in a different manner or that the issues
presented were adequate to deserve encouragement to proceed further, Slack v.
McDaniel, 529 U.S. 473, 484 (2000). Mr. Frye must demonstrate that reasonable
jurists would find the district courts assessment of the constitutional claims
debatable or wrong. Id. Mr. Frye cannot rely upon claims not contained in his
district court habeas petition. See Parker v. Scott, 394 F.3d 1302, 1327 (10th Cir.
2005).
Like the district court, we must defer to the state court proceedings on
these claims unless they resulted in a decision that was contrary to, or involved
an unreasonable application of, clearly established Federal law or resulted in a
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Mr. Frye argues that his guilty plea was invalid because, divested of the ability
to defend himself, he involuntarily agreed to the States 28-year plea deal. Id. at
11.
In its first order, the district court found that, because Mr. Frye argued the
invalidity of his guilty plea to the Colorado Court of Appeals, the argument that
the trial courts evidentiary rulings had a coercive effect was exhausted. Frye,
2013 WL 50431, at *5. In its second order, the district court denied this claim on
the merits. Frye, 2013 WL 4106459, at *10.
Mr. Frye did not present the district court with the claims he presents here.
In his COA application, he argues that the exclusion of spiritual warfare
evidence violated his right to present a defense and relieved the State of its
burden of proof. 1 R. 6-7. Because we find no similar contentions in his district
court habeas petition, we will not address them here. Parker, 394 F.3d at 1327.
To the extent he is arguing that the evidentiary rulings coerced his guilty plea, the
state courts resolution of the voluntariness of the plea is not an unreasonable
application of federal law. See Frye, 2013 WL 4106459, at *9-10.
Claim 2.
Mr. Frye argues that the trial court violated his Sixth Amendment rights by
not appointing Christian counsel who could correctly translate his claims of
spiritual warfare into terms negating mens rea. Aplt. Br. 8. Because the trial
court erroneously found these differences to be strategic, Mr. Frye argues that
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his waiver of counsel was invalid and he was denied effective assistance of
counsel. Id. at 9.
In his original petition, Mr. Frye argued that his guilty plea was invalid
[p]rimarily because [he] was denied counsel. 1 R. 14. The district court found
that, although Mr. Frye raised this argument with the state court of appeal in a
cursory manner, he did not argue the substance of it, and the appeals court did
not address it. Frye, 2013 WL 50431, at *5. The claim was therefore
procedurally barred. Id. at *6. The court found that Mr. Frye did not present
specific facts showing cause and prejudice, or actual innocence to overcome this
default. Id.
Before this court, Mr. Frye argues that each of the district courts
procedural default holdings are in error. 3 Aplt. Br. 16-19. However, in his
original habeas petition, Mr. Frye neglected to explain his failure to raise certain
arguments either on direct appeal or in state postconviction proceedings. 1 R. 12,
14. Nor did his reply to the States pre-answer response allege specific facts
demonstrating cause and prejudice. 1 R. 194-97. Mr. Frye cannot assign error to
something that was not fairly presented to the district court.
To the extent Mr. Fryes second COA claim argues beyond the scope of his
district court petition, it will not be considered here. Parker, 394 F.3d at 1327.
Claim 3.
3
Mr. Frye argues that the trial court constructively denied his right to
effective assistance of counsel when, after he had waived his right to counsel, the
court gave him only two months to prepare his pro se defense. Aplt. Br. 10. Mr.
Frye asserted this claim in his habeas petition. 1 R. 13.
The district court found that Mr. Frye had procedurally defaulted on this
claim because he failed to present it to the state court of appeals in his opening
brief. Frye, 2013 WL 50431, at *4. The record shows that Mr. Frye made a
cursory reference to this argument in his Summary of Arguments to the court of
appeals. 1 R. 123. However, the actual argument he presented to that court is
devoid of any suggestion that his Sixth Amendment rights were violated by
having insufficient time to prepare his pro se defense. Id. at 125-39. The Court
of Appeals did not issue an opinion on that matter. 1 R. 113-14. The district
court concluded that Mr. Frye did not demonstrate cause and prejudice, or actual
innocence to overcome this default. Frye, 2013 WL 50431, at *5.
Mr. Frye argues that the district courts holdings were in error. Aplt. Br.
16. However, he fails to allege that he presented the district court with arguments
and evidence from which it could find an exception to this procedural default.
The district courts conclusions will therefore stand, and the third claim is
procedurally barred.
Claim 4.
Mr. Frye argues that his guilty plea was invalid and makes several
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arguments: (1) he entered into the plea agreement without counsel; (2) the States
28-year plea deal had a coercive effect on him; (3) the cumulative effect of the
trial courts rulings broke his will and rendered his plea involuntary; and (4) the
State breached its initial plea agreement. Aplt. Br. 10-13.
In one form or another, Mr. Frye presented these claims to the district court
in his habeas petition. 1 R. 13-14. Because his first argument assumes a denial
of his right to counsel, our analyses under Claims 2 and 3 above dispense with the
need for additional analysis. We also note that at the time Mr. Frye entered into
his plea agreement, he had the benefit of advisory counsel. 1 R. 122.
Second, insofar as the States 28-year offer of leniency coerced Mr. Frye,
the Colorado Court of Appeals specifically noted that a guilty plea is not rendered
invalid merely because it is
motivated by the defendants desire to accept the
certainty or probability of a lesser penalty rather than
face a wide range of possibilities extending from
acquittal to conviction and a higher penalty authorized
by law for the crime charged.
1 R. 112 (quoting Brady v. United States, 397 U.S. 742, 751 (1970)). The federal
district court recognized that Mr. Frye asked to stop the trial and plead guilty
after the prosecution presented substantial evidence of his guilt and that he
rationally feared receiving a harsher sentence if he did not plead. Frye, 2013 WL
4106459, at *9. The record bears out that Mr. Frye made a knowing, voluntary,
and intelligent decision to plead guilty and avoid the threat of a 96 year
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sentence. Aplt. Br. 11. The holding of the state court of appeals is not contrary
to clearly established federal law.
Regarding his third and fourth argument, the district court found that Mr.
Frye had procedurally defaulted on these portions of his claim, given that he had
failed to adequately present them to the Colorado Court of Appeals. Frye, 2013
WL 50431, at *5. The record reflects that Mr. Frye did not raise the argument
that his plea was invalid because of cumulative error or breach of plea agreement
in his opening brief, and the court of appeals had no opportunity to rule on those
issues. 1 R. 145-48. Those claims are therefore procedurally barred. See United
States v. Barajas-Diaz, 313 F.3d 1242, 1245 (10th Cir. 2002). Nothing suggests
cause and prejudice or a fundamental miscarriage of justice that might excuse the
procedural default.
Claim 5.
Mr. Frye argues that the state improperly reneged on its initial offer of an
8-year sentence by subsequently offering a 28-year deal at trial. Aplt. Br. 13.
Mr. Frye, however, did not squarely present this issue to the district court in his
habeas petition. 1 R. 14. Nonetheless, our review of the record demonstrates that
Mr. Frye initially waived a preliminary hearing and pled guilty under a deal for
an 8-year sentence. Apparently against the advice of counsel, he eventually
changed his plea, 1 R. 14, and the state removed the 8-year deal from the table, 2
(07CR4329) R. 88. Mr. Frye does not demonstrate that the States subsequent
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offer of 28 years, made after Mr. Frye reneged on the 8-year deal, violated clearly
established federal law.
Claim 6.
Mr. Frye argues that the trial court denied him due process by summarily
denying his first 35(c) motion. Aplt. Br. 13. In his original habeas petition, Mr.
Frye challenged the trial courts denial of both his first and second 35(c) motions.
1 R. 15.
The district court dismissed his claims as to both 35(c) motions, noting that
arguments based on state law are not cognizable in habeas, and any cognizable
federal claims are procedurally barred. Frye, 2013 WL 50431, at *9-10. After
reviewing the record, we agree that Mr. Frye did not present the state courts with
a claim that the trial courts denial of his 35(c) motion violated due process.
Claim 7.
Mr. Frye argues that the state court of appeals erred in not finding good
cause or excusable neglect for his failure to timely file a direct appeal. Aplt. Br.
14. To the extent that Mr. Frye argues that good cause was presented because of
ineffective assistance of counsel, 1 R. 14-15, he did not include this argument in
his original habeas petition, and we will not resolve it in the first instance.
Parker, 394 F.3d at 1327.
Rather, his habeas petition solely alleged that the trial courts failure to
advise him of his right to appeal violated due process and caused him to file a late
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appeal. 1 R. 14. We agree with the district court that this claim is procedurally
barred. Frye, 2013 WL 50431, at *7-8. He did not raise that claim in his opening
brief to the state court of appeals, 1 R. 123, or his response to the show cause
order for his untimely notice of appeal, 1 R. 231-32. In fact, Mr. Frye did not
raise the issue until his second postconviction motion, which the state trial court
denied as time-barred and successive. Frye, 2013 WL 50431, at *6. These
adequate and independent state grounds preclude habeas relief.
Claim 8.
Finally, Mr. Frye argues that the district court erred by failing to find his
procedural defaults excused by cause and prejudice. Aplt. Br. 16. However, his
original habeas petition and reply demonstrate that he did not provide specific
facts of cause and prejudice that would allow the district court to hold in his
favor. In all cases in which a state prisoner has procedurally defaulted on federal
claims, he must demonstrate cause for the default and actual prejudice as a result
of the alleged violation of federal law, or that failure to consider the claims will
result in a fundamental miscarriage of justice. Coleman v. Thompson, 501 U.S.
722, 750 (1991). Pro se litigants do not enjoy a more lenient standard. Andrews
v. Deland, 943 F.2d 1162, 1189 n.41 (10th Cir. 1991). Cause may be shown by
either actual ineffective assistance of counsel or some objective factor external to
the defense that impeded efforts to comply with state procedures. Coleman, 501
U.S. at 725; Murray v. Carrier, 477 U.S. 478, 488 (1986). We briefly discuss
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an objective factor external to the defense, as Mr. Frye was acting as his own
attorney at the time, 1 R. 105, 108, and bore the risk of attorney error. Cf.
Coleman, 501 U.S. at 752-53.
Mr. Fryes other arguments do not constitute cause for his defaults. Aplt.
Br. 17-19. Because we find no cause for Mr. Fryes procedural defaults, we need
not discuss prejudice. Engle v. Isaac, 456 U.S. 107, 134 n.43 (1982).
Furthermore, Mr. Frye does not point to a fundamental miscarriage of justice,
such as his actual innocence, so as to move us to overlook these defaults.
B. 2254 Petition Claims
Mr. Frye raised additional claims in his original habeas petition that he
abandons in his combined opening brief and COA application. These issues are
beyond our review. See Harvey v. Addison, 390 F. Appx 840, 843 (10th Cir.
2010) (unpublished). We also note that the district court dismissed each of these
claims as procedurally barred, which we have already analyzed above. See Frye,
2013 WL 50431, at *4-10; Frye, 2013 WL 4106459, at *2-5.
We DENY IFP status, DENY a COA, and DISMISS the appeal.
Entered for the Court
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