Minix v. Johnson

IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT No. 97-41371 Summary Calendar JAMES EARL MINIX, Petitioner-Appellant, versus GARY L. JOHNSON, DIRECTOR, TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE, INSTITUTIONAL DIVISION, Respondent-Appellee. - - - - - - - - - - Appeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas USDC No. 9:96-CV-60 - - - - - - - - - - January 28, 1999 Before KING, Circuit Judge, BARKSDALE, and STEWART, Circuit Judges. PER CURIAM:* James Earl Minix, TDCJ #551618, seeks a certificate of appealability (COA) to appeal the district court’s dismissal of his petition for writ of habeas corpus, filed pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2254. Minix argues that he was denied Due Process and Equal Protection, that trial counsel was ineffective, and that the wrong parole statute was applied to his sentence. Since he filed his § 2254 petition prior to the enactment of * Pursuant to 5TH CIR. R. 47.5, the court has determined that this opinion should not be published and is not precedent except under the limited circumstances set forth in 5TH CIR. R. 47.5.4. No. 97-41371 -2- the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act, Minix must obtain a certificate of probable cause (CPC). Green v. Johnson, 116 F.3d 1115, 1119-20 (5th Cir. 1997). To obtain a CPC, Minix must make a substantial showing of the denial of a federal right. See Barefoot v. Estelle, 463 U.S. 880, 893 (1983). Minix has met this standard, and his CPC motion is GRANTED. In his second ground for relief, Minix alleges that counsel failed to advise him regarding parole eligibility, that counsel gave inadequate advice about the sentence being non-aggravated, and that counsel failed to object to an inaccurate presentence investigation report. He made these same claims in his first and second state habeas petitions. These claims are exhausted. Minix’s other two claims were not exhausted, and the district court did not err in finding that they would be procedurally barred. Since Minix filed a mixed petition with both exhausted and unexhausted claims, Minix should be allowed the opportunity to amend his petition by deleting the unexhausted claims. See Rose v. Lundy, 455 U.S. 509, 510 (1982). The judgment of the district court is affirmed in part and vacated in part, and the matter is remanded to allow the district court to give Minix the opportunity to amend his petition by deleting his unexhausted claims and to proceed with his exhausted claims. CPC GRANTED. AFFIRMED IN PART, VACATED IN PART AND REMANDED.