F I L E D
United States Court of Appeals
Tenth Circuit
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
MAR 22 2001
TENTH CIRCUIT
PATRICK FISHER
Clerk
WAYNE COOK,
Petitioner-Appellant,
v. No. 00-1406
GARY D. NEET; ATTORNEY (D.C. No. 00-Z-1309)
GENERAL OF THE STATE OF (D.Colo.)
COLORADO,
Respondents-Appellees.
ORDER AND JUDGMENT *
Before HENRY , BRISCOE, and MURPHY, Circuit Judges.
After examining the briefs and appellate record, this panel has determined
unanimously that oral argument would not materially assist the determination of
this appeal. See Fed. R. App. P. 34(a)(2); 10th Cir. R. 34.1(G). The case is
therefore ordered submitted without oral argument.
This order and judgment is not binding precedent, except under the
*
doctrines of law of the case, res judicata, and collateral estoppel. The court
generally disfavors the citation of orders and judgments; nevertheless, an order
and judgment may be cited under the terms and conditions of 10th Cir. R. 36.3.
Petitioner Wayne Cook, appearing pro se, seeks a certificate of
appealability to appeal the district court’s denial of his 28 U.S.C. § 2254 petition.
We deny a certificate of appealability and dismiss the appeal.
Cook pleaded guilty in state court to one count of sexual assault on a child
by a person in a position of trust. His direct appeal was affirmed and his motion
for post-conviction relief was denied. Cook filed his § 2254 petition in federal
district court, contending he was coerced into confessing, he was coerced into
signing the plea agreement, and he had ineffective assistance of counsel. The
district court denied the petition for failure to exhaust state remedies.
Ordinarily, a state prisoner cannot obtain federal habeas corpus relief
“unless it appears that the applicant has exhausted the remedies available in the
courts of the State, or that there is either an absence of available State corrective
process or the existence of circumstances rendering such process ineffective to
protect the rights of the prisoner.” 28 U.S.C. § 2254(b). The exhaustion
requirement is satisfied if the federal issue has been properly presented to the
highest state court, either by direct review of the conviction or in a post-
conviction attack. Dever v. Kan. State Penitentiary , 36 F.3d 1531, 1534 (10th
Cir.1994). A state prisoner bringing a federal habeas corpus action bears the
burden of showing that he has exhausted available state remedies. Miranda v.
Cooper , 967 F.2d 392, 398 (10th Cir. 1992).
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Although Cook appealed his case to the highest state court and filed a
motion for post-conviction relief in state court, he did not raise in those
proceedings the three claims he raises in his habeas petition. The federal district
court ordered Cook to show cause why his petition should not be denied for
failure to exhaust state remedies. In his response, Cook did not claim he had
raised the issues in his state actions. Cook argues that he sent a letter to the state
court describing his concerns of coercion and ineffective assistance of counsel
but the court struck the letter because he did not go through his appointed
counsel. Cook did not appeal the striking of his letter and counsel did not raise
these issues on appeal. Therefore, the letter did not exhaust Cook’s claims.
Cook was permitted to proceed in forma pauperis in district court. The
district court denied his motion to proceed in forma pauperis on appeal pursuant
to 28 U.S.C. § 1915 because he had not “shown the existence of a reasoned,
nonfrivolous argument on the law and facts in support of the issues raised on
appeal.” Record, Doc. 13. As the district court has certified in writing that this
appeal was not taken in good faith, see 28 U.S.C. § 1915(3), and as the record
shows the appeal lacks basis in law or fact, we deny Cook’s motion to proceed in
forma pauperis on appeal.
We DENY a certificate of appealability and DISMISS the appeal. We
DENY the motion to proceed in forma pauperis on appeal. The mandate shall
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issue forthwith.
Entered for the Court
Mary Beck Briscoe
Circuit Judge
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