Jackson v. Adams

FILED UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS DEC 29 2009 MOLLY C. DWYER, CLERK FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT U.S . CO U RT OF AP PE A LS STEVEN CLAY JACKSON, No. 05-56645 Petitioner - Appellant, D.C. No. CV-02-00867-DT Central District of California, v. Riverside DERRAL ADAMS, Warden California Substance Abuse Treatment Facility State ORDER Prison Corcoran; et al., Respondents - Appellees. Before: GRABER, GOULD, and BEA, Circuit Judges. The memorandum disposition filed on April 17, 2009, is withdrawn. A replacement memorandum disposition will be filed concurrently with this order. The pending petition for rehearing is granted and no further petitions for review will be entertained. FILED NOT FOR PUBLICATION DEC 29 2009 MOLLY C. DWYER, CLERK UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS U.S . CO U RT OF AP PE A LS FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT STEVEN CLAY JACKSON, No. 05-56645 Petitioner - Appellant, D.C. No. CV-02-00867-DT v. MEMORANDUM * DERRAL ADAMS, Warden California Substance Abuse Treatment Facility State Prison Corcoran; et al., Respondents - Appellees. Appeal from the United States District Court for the Central District of California Dicµran M. Tevrizian, District Judge, Presiding Submitted April 13, 2009** Before: GRABER, GOULD, and BEA, Circuit Judges. California state prisoner Steven Clay Jacµson appeals from the district court's judgment dismissing his 28 U.S.C. y 2254 habeas petition. Petitioner's October 5, 2008, notice of appeal is timely under the district court's order granting * This disposition is not appropriate for publication and is not precedent except as provided by 9th Cir. R. 36-3. ** The panel unanimously finds this case suitable for decision without oral argument. See Fed. R. App. P. 34(a)(2). leave to file out of time. Fed. R. App. P. 4(a)(6). We have jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. yy 1291 and 2253, and we affirm. Jacµson argues that his confrontation clause objection is not procedurally defaulted under California law. We need not decide the procedural default issue because this claim fails on the merits. On de novo review, we hold that the trial court did not err in ruling that Jacµson had an opportunity and the proper incentive to cross-examine his accusers in the preliminary hearing where the testimony of these witnesses and the investigating detective were heard before they became unavailable. See California v. Green, 399 U.S. 149, 151 (1970). Even if there were a confrontation clause violation, the error was harmless in light of Jacµson's confessions and the other evidence of his guilt. See Forn v. Hornung, 343 F.3d 990, 999 (9th Cir. 2003). AFFIRMED. 2