Ross v. Kelley (662 F. Supp. 2d 903, 2009)

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

DONALD C. NUGENT, District Judge.

This matter comes before the Court upon the Report and Recommendation of Magistrate Judge George J. Limbert. The Report and Recommendation, filed on September 16, 2009, is ADOPTED by this Court (ECF # 10), and Petitioner’s Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus, filed on December 9, 2008 pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2254, is denied (ECF # 1).

Pursuant to Local Rule 72.2, this matter was referred to Magistrate Judge Limbert for the preparation of a report and recommendation. On September 16, 2009, Magistrate Judge Limbert recommended that this Court dismiss Petitioner’s Petition with prejudice. On September 28, 2009, Petitioner filed objections to the Report and Recommendation. (ECF # 11.)

The Court has reviewed the Report and Recommendation de novo. See Thomas v. Arn, 474 U.S. 140, 106 S.Ct. 466, 88 L.Ed.2d 435 (1985). Moreover, it has considered all of the pleadings, affidavits, motions, and filings of the parties. Despite Petitioner’s assertions to the contrary, the Court finds Magistrate Judge Limbert’s Report and Recommendation to be well-written, well-supported, and correct. The Court likewise finds Petitioner’s objections to the Report and Recommendation to be lacking in merit. Therefore, the Report and Recommendation is ADOPTED in its entirety (ECF # 10), the Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus is DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE (ECF # 1), and Petitioner’s objections are thereby DENIED (ECF #11).

Furthermore, the Court certifies, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1915(a)(3), that an appeal from this decision could not be taken in good faith, and there is no basis upon which to issue a certificate of appealability. 28 U.S.C. § 2253(c); Fed. R.App. P. 22(b).

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Report and Recommendation of Magistrate Judge

GEORGE J. LIMBERT, United States Magistrate Judge.

Petitioner Denny F. Ross (“Petitioner”) has filed a petition for a writ of habeas corpus pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2254. ECF Dkt. # 1. Petitioner seeks relief for alleged constitutional violations that occurred during his Summit County, Ohio Court of Common Pleas conviction for Attempted Murder, Rape, Intimidation of a Crime Victim, and two counts of Felonious Assault. ECF Dkt. # 1. On January 27, 2009, Respondent Bennie Kelley (“Respondent”) filed an answer. ECF Dkt. # 8. February 13, 2009, Petitioner filed a traverse. ECF Dkt. # 9.

The case was referred to the undersigned for a Report and Recommendation. For the following reasons, the undersigned RECOMMENDS that the Court DISMISS the petition in its entirety with prejudice:

I. SYNOPSIS OF THE FACTS

The Ninth District Court of Appeals of Ohio set forth the facts of this case on direct appeal. These binding factual findings “shall be presumed to be correct,” and Petitioner has “the burden of rebutting the presumption of correctness by clear and convincing evidence.” 28 U.S.C. § 2254(e)(1); Warren v. Smith, 161 F.3d 358, 360-61 (6th Cir.1998), cert. denied, 527 U.S. 1040, 119 S.Ct. 2403, 144 L.Ed.2d 802 (1999). As set forth by the Ninth District Court of Appeals, the facts are:

{¶ 3} Defendant’s indictment stemmed from an incident that occurred in the early morning hours of June 16, 2004. The victim J.T., testified that the following events occurred. J.T. had a fight with her boyfriend, Jason Larue, and she decided to go out to a bar as a result. At the bar, she began a conversation with Defendant and two people who were with Defendant, Dannie Yeager and Karri Labut. The evening began with the foursome drinking together at the Station House 319 bar. The four then decided to leave to shoot pool at another bar. The four stayed at the second bar, Rumors, for a period of time and then returned to Station House 319 to purchase beer. Following the beer purchase, the four went to J.T.’s home. The four remained at J.T.’s home until approximately 2:00 a.m.

{¶ 4} At roughly 2:00 a.m., Mr. Yeager and Ms. Labut left J.T.’s residence. Defendant, however, remained at the home. J.T. testified that upon reentering the house from watching the others leave, Defendant attacked and raped her. As a result of the brutal attack, J.T. suffered multiple injuries including a laceration to her face and a broken jaw. At trial, J.T. testified that she believed that the laceration was caused by a knife during the attack. In addition, J.T. testified that she was choked while Defendant raped her. She went on to state that following the attack, Defendant took a picture of her children from her house, threatening to kill them if she called the police. Based upon these facts, Defendant was indicted and brought to trial.

ECF Dkt. # 8, Ex. 12; State v. Ross, Case Nos. 22447, 22598, 2005 WL 2401611 at ¶¶ 3-4 (Ohio App. 9 Dist., Sept. 30, 2005), unreported.

II. PROCEDURAL HISTORY

A. State Trial Court

On June 28, 2004, the Summit County, Ohio prosecuting attorney filed an indictment charging Petitioner with: one count of Attempted Murder, in violation of R.C. 2903.02(A)/2903.02, a felony of the first degree; one count of Kidnapping, a violation of R.C. 2905.01(A)(3)/(4), a felony of the first degree; one count of Rape, in violation of R.C. 2907.02(A)(2), a felony of the first degree; one count Felonious Assault, in violation of R.C. 2903.11(A)(1), a felony of the second degree; one count of Intimidation of Crime Victim or Witness, in violation of R.C. 2921.04(B)(3), a felony of the third degree; one count of Petty Theft, in violation of R.C. 2913.02(A)(1), a misdemeanor of the first degree. ECF Dkt. # 8, Ex. 1. On August 16, 2004, the prosecuting attorney filed a supplemental indictment charging Petitioner with one count of Kidnapping, in violation of R.C. 2905.01(A)(2), a felony of the first degree; one count of Kidnapping, in violation of R.C. 2905.01(A)(4), a felony of the first degree; one count of Aggravated Robbery, in violation of R.C. 2911.01(A)(1), a felony of the first degree; and one count of Felonious Assault, in violation of R.C. 2903.11(A)(2), a felony of the second degree. ECF Dkt. # 8, Ex. 2.

On October 25, 2004, the case proceeded to a jury trial. ECF Dkt. # 8, Ex. 5; Attach. # 11-18 (trial transcript, hereinafter “Tr.”). On November 1, 2004, at the prosecuting attorney’s request, the trial court dismissed two charges of Kidnapping and one count of Petty Theft. ECF Dkt. # 8, Ex. 5. On November 2, 2004, the jury convicted Petitioner of Attempted Murder in violation of R.C. § 2903.02(A), Rape in violation of R.C. § 2907.02(A)(2), Felonious Assault in violation of R.C. § 2903.11(A)(1), Felonious Assault in violation of R.C. § 2903.11(A)(2), Intimidation of Crime Victim or Witness in violation of R.C. § 2921.04(b), and Kidnapping in violation of R.C. § 2905.01(A)(4). ECF Dkt. # 8, Ex. 5. The jury found Petitioner not guilty of Aggravated Robbery. ECF Dkt. # 8, Ex. 5.

Petitioner filed a motion for judgment of acquittal and a motion for a new trial pursuant to Ohio Rules of Criminal Procedure 29(C) and 33, respectively. ECF Dkt. # 8, Ex. 6, 7. On December 2, 2004, the trial judge denied petitioner’s motions. ECF Dkt. # 8, Ex. 8. He then sentenced Petitioner to 8 years of imprisonment for Attempted Murder, 8 years of imprisonment for Rape, 8 years of imprisonment for Felonious Assault on each of two counts, 8 years for Kidnapping, and 1 year of imprisonment for Intimidation of Crime Victim or Witness. Id. The trial judge merged Petitioner’s sentence for Rape and Kidnapping for a total sentence of 8 years between the two counts. Id. He then imposed concurrent sentences for the two Felonious Assault convictions, with that combined term and all other convictions to be served consecutively for a total of 25 years of imprisonment. Id. The trial judge also adjudged Petitioner to be a sexual predator. Id. On March 8, 2005, the trial court resentenced Petitioner in order to inform him of his post release control obligations. ECF Dkt. # 8, Ex. 9.

B. Direct Appeal

On March 29, 2005, Petitioner filed a notice of appeal from the Summit County Court of Common Pleas conviction. ECF Dkt. # 8, Ex. 10. On May 31, 2005, Petitioner filed a brief in support of his direct appeal, raising the following assignments of error:

1. All of the convictions returned against appellant must be reversed Because [sic] extensive pretrial publicity resulted in a violation of his impartial jury rights under the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Federal Constitution and Article I, § 10 of the Ohio Constitution.

2. The conviction of attempted murder returned against appellant must be vacated with prejudice because the evidence submitted at trial was constitutionally inadequate to sustain a finding of guilt. Petitioner is therefore entitled to relief under the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Federal Constitution and Article I § 10 of the Ohio Constitution.

3. The conviction of attempted murder must be reversed because the State of Ohio knowingly, deliberately and unlawfully deprived appellant of a meaningful opportunity to meet the State’s case against him by concealing the specific allegation of strangulation made by the complaining witness until she testified on direct examination. Petitioner is therefore entitled to relief under the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Federal Constitution and Article I § 10 of the Ohio Constitution.

4. All of the convictions returned against appellant must be reversed because the failure of the State to disclose J.T’s grand jury testimony and the refusal of the Trial Court to permit inspection of her grand jury testimony violated the requirements of the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and Article I § 10 of the Ohio Constitution.

5. Even if the refusal of the trial court to permit inspection of the grand jury materials did not rise to the level of a constitutional violation, the denial of access to grand jury testimony was an abuse of discretion requiring reversal.

6. Each of the convictions returned against appellant must reversed [sic] because each is against the manifest weight of the evidence.

7. Defendant’s convictions and sentences for felonious assault violate R.C. § 2941.25 and the Double Jeopardy clauses of the Ohio and Federal Constitutions.

8. The classification of appellant as a sexual predator must be vacated because the trial court failed to comply with the statutory requirements as mandated by the precedent of the Ohio Supreme Court. Furthermore, the trial court violated appellant’s rights under the Ohio and Federal Constitutions by summarily adjudicating him as a sexual predator without an adequate evidentiary hearing.

9. The classification of appellant as a sexual predator must be vacated because the trial court failed to comply with the statutory requirements as mandated by the precedent of the Ohio Supreme Court. Furthermore, the trial court violated appellant’s right under the Ohio and federal constitutions by summarily adjudicating him as a sexual predator without an adequate evidentiary basis.

10. Ohio’s sexual predator statute violates Blakely v. Washington.

11. The Ohio sexual predator statute is unconstitutionally vague as applied to defendant Ross.

12. The trial court erred in resentencing defendant Ross when it lacked jurisdiction to do so.

ECF Dkt. # 8, Ex. 13.

On September 30, 2005, the Ohio Court of Appeals for the Fifth District denied the appeal and affirmed the trial court’s judgment with regard to the first eleven assignments of error, but vacated the trial court’s resentencing order based upon the twelfth assignment of error. ECF Dkt. # 8, Ex. 17.

C. Supreme Court of Ohio

On November 14, 2005, Petitioner filed a notice of appeal to the Supreme Court of Ohio. ECF Dkt. # 8, Ex. 18. Petitioner also filed a brief in support of jurisdiction, raising the following propositions of law:

I. In a prosecution for attempted murder Article I Section 10 of the Ohio Constitution and the Fourteenth Amendment to the Federal Constitution require that the accused must be given notice of the alleged act constituting the purported attempt to kill. Ambushing the defense with a factual allegation that was deliberately omitted from the indictment and two separate bills of particulars constitutes a due process violation requiring reversal under the Federal Constitution and the Ohio Constitution.

II. A defendant may not be convicted of attempted murder in the absence of proof beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant actually attempted to murder someone.

III. If the grand jury testimony of a key government witness could not have been consistent with both her trial testimony and her pretrial statements, the grand jury testimony necessarily constitutes exculpatory evidence which must be disclosed to the defense pursuant to the Federal Constitution and the Ohio Constitution.

IV. A change of venue is constitutionally mandated where the state itself has conceded that unrelated allegations which have saturated the local community through media reports are too inflammatory and prejudicial for the courtroom.

V. The Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments to the Federal Constitution forbid the imposition of a maximum sentence under Section 2929.14(C) where the required findings have not been proven beyond a reasonable doubt to a jury and have not been admitted to by the defendant.

VI. The Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments to the Federal Constitution forbid the imposition of consecutive sentences under Section 2929.14(E) where the required findings have not been proven beyond a reasonable doubt to a jury and have not been admitted to by the defendant.

VII. Multiplicitous felonious assault convictions violate R.C. Section 2941.25 and the Double Jeopardy Clauses of the Ohio and Federal Constitutions.

VIII. Summarily adjudicating a defendant as a sexual predator is incompatible with the requirements of State v. Eppinger (2001), 91 Ohio St.3d 158 [743 N.E.2d 881] and violates the Ohio Constitution and the Federal Constitution.

IX. The Ohio sexual predator statute is unconstitutionally vague.

ECF Dkt. # 8, Ex. 19. On February 22, 2006, the Supreme Court of Ohio accepted the appeal on propositions of law V and VI and stayed proceedings pending resolutions of State v. Foster, 109 Ohio St.3d 1, 845 N.E.2d 470 (2006). ECF Dkt. # 8, Ex. 21. On March 3, 2006, the Supreme Court of Ohio reversed the Court of Appeals’ judgment as to Propositions of Law Numbers V and VI and remanded the case for resentencing pursuant to Foster. ECF Dkt. # 8, Ex. 22.

D. Post-conviction Petition

On August 24, 2005, Petitioner filed a request for an evidentiary hearing in the trial court. ECF Dkt. # 8, Ex. 23. Petitioner raised the following claims for relief:

1. Use of perjured testimony in violation of Napue v. Illinois (1995) [(1959)], 360 U.S. 264 [79 S.Ct. 1173, 3 L.Ed.2d 1217],

2. Withholding exculpatory evidence in violation of Brady v. Maryland (1963), 373 U.S. 83 [83 S.Ct. 1194, 10 L.Ed.2d 215].

3. Cumulative prejudice arising from petitioner’s claims under Brady and Napue.

Id. The state filed a motion to dismiss, which Petitioner opposed. ECF Dkt. # 8, Exs. 25, 26. On November 30, 2005, the trial court dismissed the petition. ECF Dkt. # 8, Ex. 27.

On December 22, 2005, Petitioner filed a notice of appeal from the trial court’s judgment denying his request for an evidentiary hearing. ECF Dkt. # 8, Ex. 28. Petitioner filed a brief raising the following assignments of error:

1. The court of common pleas erred in dismissing defendant Ross’ amended petition for post conviction relief without disclosing the grand jury testimony of J.T. to defense counsel or conducting an in camera examination of J.T.’s grand jury testimony.

2. The trial court erred in denying defendant Ross’ request for an evidentiary hearing in support of his petition for post conviction relief.

3. The trial court erred in holding that defendant Ross had not made a prima facie showing of a constitutional violation based on the use of perjured testimony by the prosecution.

4. The trial court erred in applying the doctrine of res judicata to claims for relief which relied on evidence which was not contained in the trial record at the time of defendant Ross’ direct appeal.

ECF Dkt. #8, Ex. 29. On August 23, 2006, the Ohio Court of Appeals for the Ninth District denied the appeal and affirmed the trial court’s judgment. ECF Dkt. # 8, Ex. 32.

On October 10, 2006, Petitioner filed a notice of appeal to the Supreme Court of Ohio. ECF Dkt. # 8, Ex. 33. Petitioner filed a memorandum in support of jurisdiction raising the following propositions of law:

1. Res judicata cannot operate to bar a post-conviction claim that favorable evidence has been suppressed where the State’s own misconduct in suppressing the evidence prevented the claim from being fully litigated on direct review.

2. The Ohio and Federal Constitutions prohibit the prosecution from presenting testimony which it knows or should know is so misleading as to amount to falsity.

3. There is no “public records exception” to the constitutional obligation of the State to disclose favorable evidence.

4. An evidentiary hearing must be granted when a petition for post-conviction relief makes a prima facie showing that a conviction was obtained in violation of the constitutional rights of the accused.

ECF Dkt. # 8, Ex. 34. On December 27, 2006, the Supreme Court of Ohio dismissed Petitioner’s appeal as not involving a substantial constitutional question. ECF Dkt. # 8, Ex. 35.

E. Resentencing

On July 26, 2006, the trial court resentenced Petitioner and the trial judge imposed the same sentence that he had previously imposed. ECF Dkt. # 8, Ex. 36. On August 23, 2006, Petitioner filed a notice of appeal from the trial court’s resentencing judgment entry. ECF Dkt. # 8, Ex. 37. Petitioner filed a brief raising the following assignments of error:

1. The court of common pleas violated appellant’s right to trial by jury by sentencing appellant to a term of incarceration which exceeded the statutory maximum mandated by the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments. The decision rendered by the Supreme Court of Ohio in State v. Foster, (2006) 109 Ohio St.3d 1 [845 N.E.2d 470], which purports to authorize sentences in excess of the statutory maximum, is incompatible with the controlling precedent of the United States Supreme Court and must be rejected.

2. The court of common pleas violated appellant’s right under the ex post facto clause of the Federal Constitution by sentencing appellant to a term incarceration which exceeded the maximum penalty available under the statutory framework at the time of the offense. The decision rendered by the Supreme Court of Ohio in State v. Foster, (2006) 109 Ohio St.3d 1 [845 N.E.2d 470], which purports to authorize the sentence rendered against defendant Ross, is incompatible with the controlling precedent of the United States Supreme Court and must be rejected.

3. The Court of Common Pleas violated appellant’s rights under the Fourteenth Amendment to the Federal Constitution by sentencing appellant pursuant to the decision rendered by the Supreme Court of Ohio in State v. Foster (2006), 109 Ohio St.3d 1 [845 N.E.2d 470], because the holding of Foster is invalid under Rogers v. Tennessee (2001), 532 U.S. 451 [121 S.Ct. 1693, 149 L.Ed.2d 697].

4. The rule of lenity required the imposition of non-maximum and concurrent sentences at resentencing, and the ruling of the Court of Common Pleas to the contrary must be reversed.

5. The Court of Common Pleas erred by imposing a sexual predator classification without making a finding that defendant Ross poses a risk of recidivism.

6. The Court of Common Pleas violated appellant’s due process rights under the Ohio Constitution and the Federal Constitution by holding that the undisclosed grand jury testimony of the complainant did not have independent constitutional significance with regard to sentencing and punishment.

ECF Dkt. #8, Ex. 38. On March 21, 2007, the Ohio Court of Appeals for the Ninth District denied Petitioner’s appeal and affirmed the trial court’s judgment. ECF Dkt. # 8, Ex. 41.

On May 2, 2007, Petitioner filed a notice of appeal to the Supreme Court of Ohio. ECF Dkt. # 42. Petitioner filed a memorandum in support of jurisdiction, raising the following propositions of law:

1. When a criminal sentence has been rendered in violation of the right to trial by jury as protected by the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments to the federal Constitution, the error cannot be remedied by retroactively eliminating the statutorily-mandated factual prerequisites to the imposition of an otherwise-unavailable penalty.

a. The limitations imposed on criminal sentencing by the jury trial guarantee of the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments represent a fundamental reservation of power in the constitutional structure of American government.

b. Retroactively eliminating Apprendi-enforceable sentencing enhancements is fundamentally incompatible with the requirements imposed upon the criminal justice system by the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments,

c. Cunningham v. California (2007) [549 U.S. 270], 127 S.Ct. 856 [166 L.Ed.2d 856], confirms that the remedial holding of Foster is unconstitutional.

2. If the text of a penal statute is modified while direct review of a criminal sentence is pending, the Ex Post Facto Clause of the Federal Constitution prohibits the imposition of any sentence exceeding the maximum penalty available under the statutory framework as it previously existed at the time of the underlying offense.

3. The due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment prohibits the judiciary from retroactively expanding the range of penalties which may be lawfully imposed as punishment for a criminal conviction.

4. The rule of lenity requires the application of pre-Foster sentencing presumptions to cases which were not yet final when Foster was decided.

5. A sexual predator adjudication which is unaccompanied by any findings regarding the risk of recidivism is void as a matter of law.

6. If the grand jury testimony of a victim witness is necessarily inconsistent with other statements she has made, the testimony constitutes favorable evidence having independent constitutional significance with regard to punishment under Brady v. Maryland (1963), 373 U.S. 83 [83 S.Ct. 1194, 10 L.Ed.2d 215].

ECF Dkt. # 8, Ex. 43. Petitioner also filed a motion to hold the first three propositions of law in abeyance pending disposition of State v. Elmore, Ohio No. 2007-0475. ECF Dkt. # 8, Ex. 44. On October 17, 2007, the Supreme Court of Ohio denied leave to appeal as not involving a substantial constitutional question and denied Petitioner’s motion as moot. ECF Dkt. # 8, Ex. 45.

F. 28 U.S.C. § 2254 Petition

On December 9, 2008, Petitioner filed the instant petition for a writ of habeas corpus. ECF Dkt. # 1. Petitioner has raised the following grounds for relief:

GROUND ONE: The Ohio Court of Appeals acted contrary to the rule of Rogers v. Tennessee, 532 U.S. 451 [121 S.Ct. 1693, 149 L.Ed.2d 697] (2001) in upholding petitioner’s attempted murder conviction.

GROUND TWO: The Ninth Appellate District rendered an objectively unreasonable decision in refusing to extend the disclosure requirements of Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83 [83 S.Ct. 1194, 10 L.Ed.2d 215] (1963) to the grand jury testimony of the prosecuting witness at petitioner’s trial.

GROUND THREE: The Ohio Court of Appeals rendered an objectively unreasonable decision in denying petitioner’s claims of knowing use of perjured testimony.

GROUND FOUR: The Ohio Court of Appeals acted contrary to clearly established federal law in holding that retroactively eliminating the statutory elements of a criminal offense did not violate petitioner’s rights under the United States Constitution.

GROUND FIVE: The decision of the Ohio Court of Appeals in petitioner’s case, and the decision of the Ohio Supreme Court in Foster upon which the Court of Appeals relied, constituted an objectively unreasonable application of United States v. Booker, 543 U.S. 220 [125 S.Ct. 738, 160 L.Ed.2d 621] (2005).

GROUND SIX: The Ohio Court of Appeals applied Rogers v. Tennessee, 532 U.S. 451 [121 S.Ct. 1693, 149 L.Ed.2d 697] (2001) in an objectively unreasonable manner.

ECF Dkt. # 1. On January 27, 2009, Respondent filed a return of writ. ECF Dkt. # 8, Ex. 8. On February 13, 2009, Petitioner filed a traverse. ECF Dkt. # 8, Ex. 9.

III. PROCEDURAL BARRIERS TO REVIEW

A petitioner must overcome several procedural barriers before a court will review the merits of a petition for a federal writ of habeas corpus. As Justice O’Connor noted in Daniels v. United States, “Procedural barriers, such as statutes of limitations and rules concerning procedural default and exhaustion of remedies, operate to limit access to review on the merits of a constitutional claim.” 532 U.S. 374, 381, 121 S.Ct. 1578, 149 L.Ed.2d 590 (2001); see also United States v. Olano, 507 U.S. 725, 731, 113 S.Ct. 1770, 123 L.Ed.2d 508 (1993).

Further, the Supreme Court has held that it would be in the interests of the parties and the courts for the merits of a petition to be addressed forthwith if it is clear that the applicant does not even raise a colorable federal claim. Granberry v. Greer, 481 U.S. 129, 135, 107 S.Ct. 1671, 95 L.Ed.2d 119 (1987); Prather v. Rees, 822 F.2d 1418, 1421-22 (6th Cir.1987) (lack of exhaustion was properly excused where petition was plainly meritless, the state had not addressed exhaustion, and disposition of the case would not offend federal-state comity).

A. Statute of Limitations

The Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 (“AEDPA”) statute of limitations period for filing a petition for a writ of federal habeas corpus is one year, and it begins to run on the date judgement became final. 28 U.S.C. § 2244(d)(1). The AEDPA statute of limitations is not currently at issue in this case.

B. Procedural Default

The procedural default doctrine serves to bar review of federal claims that a state court has declined to address when a petitioner does not comply with a state procedural requirement. Wainwright v. Sykes, 433 U.S. 72, 87, 97 S.Ct. 2497, 53 L.Ed.2d 594 (1977). In these cases, “the state judgment rests on independent and adequate state procedural grounds.” Coleman, 501 U.S. at 730, 111 S.Ct. 2546. For purposes of procedural default, the state ruling with which the federal court is concerned is the “last explained state court judgment.” Munson v. Kapture, 384 F.3d 310, 314 (6th Cir.2004) citing Ylst v. Nunnemaker, 501 U.S. 797, 805, 111 S.Ct. 2590, 115 L.Ed.2d 706 (1991) (emphasis removed). When the last explained state court decision rests upon procedural default as an “alternative ground,” a federal district court is not required to reach the merits of a habeas petition. McBee v. Abramajtys, 929 F.2d 264, 265 (6th Cir.1991). In determining whether a state court has addressed the merits of a petitioner’s claim, federal courts must rely upon the presumption that there is no independent and adequate state grounds for a state court decision absent a clear statement to the contrary. Coleman, 501 U.S. at 735, 111 S.Ct. 2546.

Applying this presumption, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals established a four-pronged analysis to determine whether a claim has been procedurally defaulted. Maupin v. Smith, 785 F.2d 135 (6th Cir.1986). Under the Maupin test, a reviewing court must decide:

(1) whether the petitioner failed to comply with an applicable state procedural rule;

(2) whether the state courts actually enforced the state procedural sanction;

(3) whether the state procedural bar is an “adequate and independent” state ground on which the state can foreclose federal review; and

(4) if the above are met, whether the petitioner has demonstrated “cause” and “prejudice.”

Id. at 138.

Under the first prong of Maupin, there must be a firmly established state procedural rule applicable to the petitioner’s claim and the petitioner must not have complied with the rule. Ford v. Georgia, 498 U.S. 411, 423-24, 111 S.Ct. 850, 112 L.Ed.2d 935 (1991) (state procedural bar that is not “firmly established and regularly followed” cannot serve to bar federal judicial review); Franklin v. Anderson, 434 F.3d 412, 418 (6th Cir.2006). The question of whether a state procedural rule was “firmly established and regularly followed” is determined as of the time at which it was to be applied. Richey v. Mitchell, 395 F.3d 660, 680 (6th Cir.2005).

Under the second prong, the last state court to which the petitioner sought review must have invoked the procedural rule as a basis for its decision to reject review of the prisoner’s federal claims. Coleman v. Thompson, 501 U.S. 722, 729-30, 111 S.Ct. 2546, 115 L.Ed.2d 640 (1991) (appeal dismissed for lack of jurisdiction); Richey, 395 F.3d at 678 (“a lapsed claim survives if the state court overlooked the default and decided the claim anyway”); Baze v. Parker, 371 F.3d 310, 320 (6th Cir.2004) (if a state court does not expressly rely on a procedural deficiency, then a federal court may conduct habeas review); Gall v. Parker, 231 F.3d 265, 310 (6th Cir.2000) (even if issue is not raised below, where state supreme court clearly addresses the claim, no procedural bar arises); Boyle v. Million, 201 F.3d 711, 716-17 (6th Cir.2000) (where a state appellate court characterizes its earlier decision as substantive, the earlier decision did not rely on a procedural bar; therefore, the cause and prejudice test does not apply).

Under the third prong, a state judgment invoking the procedural bar must rest on a state law ground that is both independent of the merits of the federal claim and is an adequate basis for the state court’s decision. Munson v. Kapture, 384 F.3d 310, 313-14 (6th Cir.2004).

Under the fourth prong, a claim that is procedurally defaulted in state court will not be reviewable in federal habeas corpus unless the petitioner can demonstrate cause for the default and actual prejudice as a result of the alleged violation of federal law, or that failure to consider the claim will result in a fundamental miscarriage of justice. Coleman, 501 U.S. at 751, 111 S.Ct. 2546. “Cause” is a legitimate excuse for the default, and “prejudice” is actual harm resulting from the alleged constitutional violation. Magby v. Wawrzaszek, 741 F.2d 240, 244 (9th Cir.1984), cert. denied, 490 U.S. 1068, 109 S.Ct. 2070, 104 L.Ed.2d 635 (1989). If a petitioner fails to show cause for his procedural default, the reviewing court need not address the issue of prejudice. Smith v. Murray, 477 U.S. 527, 106 S.Ct. 2661, 91 L.Ed.2d 434 (1986).

Simply stated, a federal court may review federal claims:

that were evaluated on the merits by a state court. Claims that were not so evaluated, either because they were never presented to the state courts (i.e., exhausted) or because they were not properly presented to the state courts (i.e., were procedurally defaulted), are generally not cognizable on federal habeas review.

Bonnell v. Mitchel, 301 F.Supp.2d 698, 722 (N.D.Ohio 2004). The above standards apply to the Court’s review of Petitioner’s claims.

IV. STANDARD OF REVIEW

If Petitioner’s claims overcome the procedural barriers of time limitation, exhaustion and procedural default, AEDPA governs this Court’s review of the instant case because Petitioner filed his petition for the writ of habeas corpus pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2254 on February 26, 2007, well after the act’s effective date of April 26, 1996. Harpster v. Ohio, 128 F.3d 322, 326 (6th Cir.1997), cert. denied, 522 U.S. 1112, 118 S.Ct. 1044, 140 L.Ed.2d 109 (1998). Under Section 2254, a state prisoner is entitled to relief if he is held in custody in violation of the United States Constitution or laws or treaties of the United States. 28 U.S.C. § 2254(d).

The AEDPA sets forth the standard of review for the merits of a petition for the writ of habeas corpus. The AEDPA provides:

(d) An application for a writ of habeas corpus on behalf of a person in custody pursuant to the judgment of a State court shall not be granted with respect to any claim that was adjudicated on the merits in State court proceedings unless the adjudication of the claim- — ■

(1) resulted in a decision that was contrary to, or involved an unreasonable application of, clearly established Federal law, as determined by the Supreme Court of the United States; or

(2) resulted in a decision that was based on an unreasonable determination of the facts in light of the evidence presented in the State court proceeding.

28 U.S.C. § 2254(d) (emphasis added). In Williams v. Taylor, the Supreme Court clarified the language of 28 U.S.C. § 2254(d) and stated:

Under the “contrary to” clause, a federal habeas court may grant the writ if the state court arrives at a conclusion opposite to that reached by this Court on a question of law or if the state court decides a case differently than this Court has on a set of materially indistinguishable facts. Under the “unreasonable application” clause, a federal habeas court may grant the writ if the state court identifies the correct governing legal principle from this Court’s decisions but unreasonably applies that principle to the facts of the prisoner’s case.

Williams v. Taylor, 529 U.S. 362, 412-13, 120 S.Ct. 1495, 146 L.Ed.2d 389 (2000). Furthermore, the Supreme Court declared that “a federal habeas court making the ‘unreasonable application’ inquiry should ask whether the state court’s application of clearly established federal law was objectively unreasonable.” Id. Elaborating on the term “objectively unreasonable,” the Court stated that “a federal habeas court may not issue the writ simply because that court concludes in its independent judgment that the relevant state-court decision applied clearly established federal law erroneously or incorrectly. Rather, that application must also be unreasonable.” Id.; see also Bailey v. Mitchell, 271 F.3d 652, 655-56 (6th Cir.2001).

The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals offers the following guidelines for applying the AEDPA limitations:

A. Decisions of lower federal courts may not be considered.

B. Only the holdings of the Supreme Court, rather than its dicta, may be considered.

C. The state court decision may be overturned only if:

1. It ‘[applies] a rule that contradicts the governing law set forth in [Supreme Court of the United States] cases,’ [the Supreme Court precedent must exist at the time of petitioner’s direct appeal] or;

2. the state-court decision ‘confronts a set of facts that are materially indistinguishable from a decision of [the Supreme Court] and nevertheless arrives at a result different from [Supreme Court] precedent;’ or

3. ‘the state court identifies the correct governing legal rule from [the Supreme] Court’s cases but unreasonably applies it to the facts of the particular state prisoner’s case;’ or

4. the state court ‘either unreasonably extends a legal principle from [a Supreme Court] precedent to a new context where it should not apply or unreasonably refuses to extend that principle to a new context where it should apply.’

D. Throughout this analysis the federal court may not merely apply its own views of what the law should be. Rather, to be overturned, a state court’s application of Supreme Court of the United States precedent must also be objectively unreasonable. That is to say, that ‘a federal habeas court may not issue the writ simply because that court concludes in its independent judgment that the relevant state-court decision applied clearly established federal law erroneously or incorrectly.’ ‘An unreasonable application of federal law is different from an incorrect or erroneous application of federal law.’

E. Findings of fact of the state courts are presumed to be correct. ‘The applicant shall have the burden of rebutting the presumption of correctness by clear and convincing evidence.’

Bailey v. Mitchell, 271 F.3d 652, 655-56 (6th Cir.2001) (internal citations omitted).

Finally, a reviewing federal court is bound by the presumption of correctness, under which the federal court is obligated to “accept a state court’s interpretation of the state’s statutes and rules of practice.” Hutchison v. Marshall, 744 F.2d 44, 46 (6th Cir.1984), cert. denied, 469 U.S. 1221, 105 S.Ct. 1208, 84 L.Ed.2d 350 (1985); see also Duffel v. Dutton, 785 F.2d 131, 133 (6th Cir.1986). The presumption of correctness is set forth in 28 U.S.C. § 2254(e), which provides:

(e)(1) In a proceeding instituted by an application for a writ of habeas corpus by a person in custody pursuant to the judgment of a State court, a determination of a factual issue made by a State court shall be presumed to be correct.

28 U.S.C. § 2254(e). The presumption of correctness applies to basic primary facts, and not to mixed questions of law and fact. Levine v. Torvik, 986 F.2d 1506, 1514 (6th Cir.1993), cert. denied, 509 U.S. 907, 113 S.Ct. 3001, 125 L.Ed.2d 694 (1993). The presumption also applies to “implicit findings of fact, logically deduced because of the trial court’s ability to adjudge the witnesses’ demeanor and credibility.” McQueen v. Scroggy, 99 F.3d 1302, 1310 (6th Cir.1996), cert. denied, 520 U.S. 1257, 117 S.Ct. 2422, 138 L.Ed.2d 185 (1997). Furthermore, a reviewing federal court is not free to ignore the pronouncement of a state appellate court on matters of law. See Central States, Southeast & Southwest Areas Pension Fund v. Howell, 227 F.3d 672, 676, n. 4 (6th Cir.2000). Petitioner has the burden of rebutting the presumption of correctness by clear and convincing evidence. 28 U.S.C. § 2254(e)(1).

V. ANALYSIS

A. Ground One: Alleged Rogers Violation

Petitioner first contends that his attempted murder conviction was not supported by sufficient evidence. An allegation that the verdict was entered upon insufficient evidence states a claim under the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 99 S.Ct. 2781, 61 L.Ed.2d 560, reh’g denied, 444 U.S. 890, 100 S.Ct. 195, 62 L.Ed.2d 126 (1979), and In re Winship, 397 U.S. 358, 90 S.Ct. 1068, 25 L.Ed.2d 368 (1970). On habeas review, the District Court cannot weigh the credibility of the witnesses. Walker v. Engle, 703 F.2d 959, 969. Nor is the District Court permitted to overturn a conviction merely because it would have acquitted had it acted as the finder of fact. Brown v. Davis, 752 F.2d 1142, 1147 (6th Cir.1985), and Walker, 703 F.2d at 969. In order to establish an insufficiency of the evidence claim, the relevant inquiry is “whether after viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, any rational trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt.” Scott v. Mitchell, 209 F.3d 854, 885 (6th Cir.2000), quoting Jackson, 443 U.S. at 319, 99 S.Ct. 2781. “This requires successful challengers to meet a very high threshold, even with respect to newly-discovered evidence.” Apanovitch v. Houk, 466 F.3d 460, 488 (6th Cir.2006). The inquiry is not whether the jury made the correct determination of guilt or innocence, but whether it made a rational decision to acquit or convict. Williams v. Haviland, No. 1:05CV1014, 2006 WL 456470, *3 (N.D.Ohio Feb. 24, 2006), citing Herrera v. Collins, 506 U.S. 390, 402, 113 S.Ct. 853, 122 L.Ed.2d 203 (1993). A court should interfere with a jury verdict only to the extent necessary to guarantee the fundamental protections of due process of law. Scott, 209 F.3d at 885 quoting Jackson, 443 U.S. at 319, 99 S.Ct. 2781.

In the case at bar, Petitioner contends that there was “absolutely no evidence that Petitioner had actually attempted to kill [the victim].” ECF Dkt. # 1 at 14. In advancing this argument, Petitioner offers the following summary of pertinent facts:

At trial, J.T. alleged that Petitioner had asked to use the restroom as he was leaving the residence; J.T. claimed that when she went upstairs to check on Petitioner, he attacked her and knocked her down the stairs. (TR 115-26). J.T. asserted that she was raped and beaten downstairs, and that Petitioner threatened to kill her and her children if she fought him. (TR 115-26). J.T. stated that she was punched in the head and choked while the rape was occurring, and that after the attack Petitioner took a picture of her children and left the residence. (TR 115-26).

ECF Dkt. # 1 at 14. Petitioner contends that the Ohio appellate court improperly held that the jury may have considered conditional intent. Id. That is, “that the jury could have inferred beyond a reasonable doubt that: 1. Petitioner attacked J.T., intending to rape her; 2. when J.T. struggled, he decided to choke her and ‘intended to kill J.T. if he could not successfully rape her;’ but, 3. changed his mind and decided that killing J.T. would not be necessary because she had been subdued by the choking.” Id. citing ECF Dkt. # 1 at 14 ¶¶ 19-21. Petitioner contends that Ohio law did not recognize the doctrine of conditional intent at the time of the offense, and the appellate court’s application of the principle violates the rule of law articulated by the United States Supreme Court in Rogers v. Tennessee, 532 U.S. 451, 121 S.Ct. 1693, 149 L.Ed.2d 697 (2001). ECF Dkt. # 1 at 15 citing State v. Kinnemore, 34 Ohio App.2d 39, 295 N.E.2d 680, 682-83 (2d Dist.1972). In Rogers, the United States Supreme Court held that “[i]f a judicial construction of a criminal statute is ‘unexpected and indefensible by reference to the law which had been expressed prior to the conduct in issue,’ [the construction] must not be given retroactive effect.” Rogers, 532 U.S. at 457, 121 S.Ct. 1693.

Even assuming, arguendo the court in the case at bar relied upon the possibility of conditional intent, the Kinnemore case upon which Petitioner’s argument relies fails to establish that conditional intent was not recognized in Ohio at the time of Petitioner’s conviction because Kinnemore, a single case from the Second District Court of Appeals, is not binding precedent on the Ninth District Court of Appeals. The Kinnemore court did state that conditional intent was not a valid legal theory in Ohio at the time:

The third assignment of error challenges the weight and sufficiency of the evidence presented by the state to sustain the charge of ‘assault with intent to kill,’ and this alleged error brings into focus the difficult question in the case.

The state submitted overwhelming evidence that Kinnemore assaulted Sharon Frazier in an attempt to effect an escape, but the evidence of an intent to kill at the time of the assault is dependent upon considerable speculation. The assault took place within a few feet of the security officer, Margaret Mason, and the four male employees. Each of these witnesses testified that the appellant twice said that ‘if you guys don’t let me go, I’m going to kill her.’

Although the assault was complete at that point, the exclamation tends to show that its objective was escape-not murder. The threat was conditional, where as an assault coupled with a present intent to kill necessarily involves continuous, sequential, and uninterrupted conduct. The state was required to prove that Kinnemore intended to kill Miss Franzier at the time of the assault, but the evidence upon this issue, which consists entirely of the exclamation of the defendant at the time of the assault, is not sufficient to sustain an essential element of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt; hence, the third assignment of error is well made.

Kinnemore, 295 N.E.2d at 682-83. And the Kinnemore case appears to be factually analogous to the case at bar because the defendant in Kinnemore stated that he would only kill the victim if he was unable to escape and J.T. testified in the case at bar that Petitioner stated that he would kill her if he was unable to rape her (Tr. at 115-26).

However, the Kinnemore case does not necessarily embody Ohio law. “Under the rule of stare decisis [a court of appeals] is bound by the decisions of the Supreme Court [of Ohio].” Miller v. Chrysler Corp., 183 N.E.2d 421 (Ohio App. 8th Dist. 1962) (emphasis added); see also State v. Yonkings, Case Nos. 94CA005807, 94CA005825, 1994 WL 721850 at *2 (Ohio App. 9 Dist. Dec. 30, 1994), unreported (“Nonetheless, under the doctrine of stare decisis, this court is compelled to follow the decision of the Supreme Court of Ohio as laid down in [State v.] White [(1985), 18 Ohio St.3d 340, 481 N.E.2d 596]. ”) (emphasis added). “As the United States Supreme Court has observed, faced with controlling authority by a superior court and another line of decisions, a court of appeals has only one course-to follow the authority of the court to which it is inferior, ‘leaving to [the higher court] the prerogative of overruling its own decisions.’ ” Johnson v. Microsoft Corp., 156 Ohio App.3d 249, 805 N.E.2d 179, 181-82 (1st Dist.2004). (internal citations omitted.) (emphasis added). The Supreme Court of Ohio stated that:

While the principle of stare decisis is necessary to an orderly and predictable system of law, the principle is not to be substituted for analyzing each case as it is presented. To follow a precedent is not to reach the same result; rather, it is to adopt the reasoning of the precedential case. To reject a precedent is not merely to reach a different result, but to find that the reasoning and principles advanced in favor of that precedent are no longer persuasive.

Shearer v. Shearer, 18 Ohio St.3d 94, 480 N.E.2d 388, 390-91 (1985) (emphasis added). It follows that two courts of the same authority can differ on their interpretation of the law and one is not bound by the other. See e.g. Jones v. Walton, Case No. CA87-09-117, 1987 WL 20377 at *3 (Ohio App. 12th Dist. Nov. 23 1987), unreported (holding that one common pleas judge was not bound by the ruling of another common pleas judge. In fact, this Court can take notice that the various United States Court of Appeals interpret federal law differently, often requiring the United States Supreme Court to resolve the issue. See e.g. U.S. v. Quinn, 576 F.3d 292, 296 (6th Cir.2009), slip op. (“We thus note that a circuit split exists on the question of whether a Guidelines range is mandatory in a sentence-modification proceeding under § 3582(c)(2) ... ”); Engstrom v. Mayfield, 195 Fed.Appx. 444, 448 (6th Cir.2006) (“The Supreme Court has recently weighed in on this precise issue in order to resolve a circuit split ... ”). There is no reason to believe that an Ohio Court of Appeals would be bound by another District’s interpretation of state law. Petitioner has failed to establish that the Ninth District decision in this case was bound by the Second District’s decision in Kinnemore.

Petitioner has not pointed to any precedent from the Supreme Court of Ohio or the Ninth District Court of Appeals that would have been binding in his case. Further, he points to only one case rather than a collection of cases to establish that the Kinnemore court’s analysis was broadly accepted in Ohio courts. Petitioner states that “the United States Supreme Court itself has recognized that Ohio is in the minority of jurisdictions where conditional intent is not a valid legal theory” by pointing to the Kinnemore case. ECF Dkt. # 1 at 15. Although it is true that the United States Supreme Court made mention of the Kinnemore case, the Court did not broadly classify the entire state of Ohio as not recognizing conditional intent, but rather stated that one Ohio court had rejected conditional intent:

The court held that the jury had been properly instructed that the “specific intent to kill” could be found even though that intent was “coupled with a condition” that the defendant would not fire if the victim complied with his demand. [FN8] That holding has been repeatedly cited with approval by other courts [FN9] and by scholars.

FN9. See People v. Vandelinder, 192 Mich.App. 447, 451, 481 N.W.2d 787, 789 (1992) (endorsing holding of Connors); Eby v. State, 154 Ind.App. 509, 517, 290 N.E.2d 89, 95 (1972) (same); Beall v. State, 203 Md. 380, 386, 101 A.2d 233, 236 (1953) (same); Price v. State, 168 Tenn. 378, 381, 79 S.W.2d 283, 284 (1935) (same). But see State v. Irwin, 55 N.C.App. 305, 285 S.E.2d 345 (1982) (reaching opposite conclusion); State v. Kinnemore, 34 Ohio App.2d 39, 295 N.E.2d 680 (1972) (same).

Holloway v. U.S., 526 U.S. 1, n. 9, 119 S.Ct. 966, 143 L.Ed.2d 1 (1999) (emphasis added). The United States Supreme Court simply stated that the Kinnemore court had held that specific intent to kill, coupled with a condition, was not sufficient to support a conviction for attempted murder. The Court did not state that Ohio as a whole was “in the minority of jurisdictions where conditional intent is not a valid legal theory.” Therefore, the Court should reject Petitioner’s contention that a single Second District Court of Appeals case, Kinnemore, constituted the embodiment of Ohio law on the issue at the time of Petitioner’s conviction.

In addition to the weak precedential value of the Kinnemore case, Petitioner’s argument should fail because it appears that the Ohio Court of Appeals did not wholly rely on conditional intent in his particular case. The undersigned first notes that Petitioner’s argument relies on the misleading assertion of fact that “J.T. stated that she was punched in the head and choked while the rape was occurring ...” ECF Dkt. # 1 at 14. Upon review of the record, the undersigned notes that J.T.’s testimony could support a jury finding that Petitioner choked her before raping her. This distinction is important because, as the appellate court noted, a defendant’s intent must often be gleaned from circumstantial evidence. If Petitioner choked the victim prior to raping her, the jury could have fairly concluded that his motive was to kill because the victim testified that Petitioner threatened to kill her if she resisted his efforts to rape her and she further testified that she did resist. Tr. at 122,1.16-20; 123,1. 8-18.

Contrary to Petitioner’s assertion that the appellate court relied upon conditional intent, the appellate court relied upon specific intent by holding:

{¶ 17} To facilitate analysis, we will first address Defendant’s attempted murder conviction and then his remaining convictions.

{¶ 18} Attempt is defined by R.C. 2923.02(A) as follows:

“No person, purposely or knowingly, and when purpose or knowledge is sufficient culpability for the commission of an offense, shall engage in conduct that, if successful, would constitute or result in the offense.”

R.C. 2903.02 provides that “No person shall purposely cause the death of another [.]” With respect to his attempted murder conviction, Defendant urges that the State failed to demonstrate that he had the intent required under the statute to be convicted. This Court disagrees.

{¶ 19} In order to convict a defendant for attempted murder, the State is required to prove that the defendant has a specific intent to kill at the time of the offense. State v. Widner (1982), 69 Ohio St.2d 267, 268-269, 431 N.E.2d 1025. Because a defendant’s mental state is difficult to demonstrate with direct proof, it may be “inferred from the surrounding circumstances.” State v. Logan (1979), 60 Ohio St.2d 126, 131, 397 N.E.2d 1345. In this matter, Defendant urges that since the he could have killed the victim, but chose not to, he clearly never intended to kill her. Defendant further asserts that his subsequent threat to kill the victim demonstrates that he never intended to kill her. We find that both of Defendant’s contentions lack merit.

{¶ 20} J.T. testified that Defendant choked her and that she believed that she lost consciousness on several occasions as a result of the choking and the severe beating she received. We find that from the facts that the jury could reasonably infer that J.T.’s lapses into unconsciousness eliminated Defendant’s desire to kill her. Prior to the assault, Defendant warned J.T. that he would kill her if she fought back. Once the victim began to lose consciousness, Defendant could successfully complete the crime that he desired, rape, without killing J.T.

{¶ 21} Further, Defendant has offered no authority for his position that he could not have changed his mind during the course of the attack, unless the victim had successfully fought him. Once Defendant realized that he had successfully beaten J.T. into submission, he no longer had to follow through with his prior threat. However, that does not mean that Defendant did not take a substantial step in a course of conduct planned to culminate in murder. See State v. Group, 98 Ohio St.3d 248, 781 N.E.2d 980, 2002-Ohio-7247, at ¶95. Defendant choked J.T. until she was unconscious. That fact alone presents substantial evidence from which a jury could reasonably infer that Defendant intended to kill J.T. if he could not successfully rape her.

ECF Dkt. # 8, Ex. 17 at ¶¶ 17-21 (emphasis added). From paragraph 20, above, it appears that the Court of Appeals was not referring to conditional intent. Rather the court was suggesting that the jury could have found that Petitioner was actually engaging in the act of murder but desisted once the victim lost consciousness and he saw an opportunity to commit the rape that he originally intended to commit. In other words, he was choking her for the purpose of murder rather than for the purpose of rape. While this theory is closely related to the conditional intent analysis upon which Petitioner relies, a crucial difference exists. If Petitioner was actually engaged in the act of attempting to murder the victim while choking her and he changed his mind after she lost consciousness, then he did exhibit specific intent, even if that intent lasted for a very brief period. In that circumstance there is not a question of conditional intent.

The closely related theory that Petitioner advances is that he would have allegedly only committed the murder if he could not have committed the rape. The undersigned notes that the appellate court stated that “the jury could reasonably infer that J.T.’s lapses into unconsciousness eliminated Defendant’s desire to kill her.” Id. at ¶20 (emphasis added). Since the court stated that the lapses in consciousness eliminated Petitioner’s intent to kill, the court necessarily determined that the jury could have found at some point Petitioner had the specific intent to kill. It is therefore clear that the appellate court found that there was sufficient evidence upon which the jury could determine that Petitioner was attempting to murder the victim with specific intent to kill at the time of the offense, but the change in circumstances (ie., her unconsciousness) eliminated his desire to complete the murder. As discussed above, J.T.’s testimony that Petitioner threatened to kill her if she resisted, that she did resist, and that he began to choke her, provides the evidence to support the factual conclusion of specific intent to murder, even if that intent was later eliminated.

Although this case is somewhat similar to Kinnemore, a distinction exists in that Petitioner threatened to kill the victim if he could not perform the rape, when she resisted he began to choke her to the point that she lost consciousness, and at some point he raped her. In Kinnemore, a man had stolen merchandise from a department store and was detained in an upstairs office with a security officer, four male employees, and a female employee. Kinnemore, 295 N.E.2d at 681-82. Once he was cornered, he threatened to kill the female employee if he was not allowed to escape. Id. at 682. The Kinnemore court stated that the state was required to prove an intent to kill, but the defendant’s exclamation at the time of the assault was insufficient to sustain an essential element of the crime of attempted murder. Id. at 683. Unlike Kinnemore, evidence was presented in the instant case that Petitioner threatened to kill J.T. and then actually began to choke her. Therefore, the state did not wholly rely on Petitioner’s exclamation like the state did in Kinnemore.

Further, the fact that he was able to perform the rape does not mean that he never, for a moment, manifested an intent to commit the murder. He may have manifested the intent to commit the murder, began to commit the murder by choking the victim, and desisted once she lost consciousness. As the appellate court observed, it is difficult to demonstrate with direct proof what a defendant’s mental state is. In this case, it is clear that Petitioner’s motives in choking the victim were aimed at either killing her or raping her. Perhaps even his intent changed during the course of events such that his intent included both an intent to choke her for the purpose of murder and for the purpose of rape. Sufficient evidence existed to support any of these conclusions because J.T. testified that Petitioner threatened to kill her if he could not commit the rape, she resisted, he choked her, and he ultimately committed the rape. Tr. at 122,1.16-20; 123,1. 8-18.

Of note, there is little doubt that, had the victim immediately died rather than losing consciousness, sufficient evidence would be present to establish intent for murder. State v. McBroom, Case No. 84AP-1163, 1985 WL 10348 at *3 (Ohio App. 10th Dist. June 25, 1985), unreported (“If a person chokes another until she dies, there is ample evidence of intent to kill.”). The fact that the victim lost consciousness and provided Petitioner an opportunity to retreat from the murder and commit the rape does not mean that he never had the specific unconditional intent to murder the victim, even if that intent was ephemeral. The fact that Petitioner ultimately committed the rape later cannot erase an earlier manifested intent to murder. Therefore, the fact that Petitioner ultimately raped J.T. did not foreclose the jury from concluding that, at the time he was choking the victim but before she lost consciousness, his intent was to murder her rather than to rape her. Accordingly, as the appellate court found, sufficient evidence supported a finding of a specific intent to kill, and even if the court alluded to the possibility of the jury relying on conditional intent, that analysis does not vitiate the court’s reliance on stand-alone specific intent. As such, there is no basis for relief on this habeas claim.

Petitioner contends that the court relied on conditional intent by stating that he “intended to kill J.T. if he could not successfully rape her.” EOF Dkt. # 1 at 14. Even under a conditional intent theory, Petitioner’s claim fails because evidence was presented that he may have believed his condition to commit murder was satisfied at some point during the course of events. Obviously, once the condition underlying conditional intent is satisfied, then the intent will be manifested as specific intent. In this case, if Petitioner only intended to kill the victim if he could not commit the rape, and at some point during the commission of the crime he believed that he could not commit the rape, then the jury could have found that he formed the specific intent to kill. Therefore, even under a conditional intent theory, it is still possible for specific intent to manifest. It would be entirely proper for a jury to infer from the evidence presented that, even for a fleeting moment, Petitioner intended to kill the victim from his action of choking her because he stated that he would kill J.T. if he was unable to rape her and when she resisted, he began to choke her to the point that she became unconscious. Tr. at 122,1.16-20; 123,1. 8-18.

Based on the foregoing, it is clear that the Kinnemore case was not controlling precedent, the Ohio appellate court did not rely wholly on conditional intent in this case, sufficient evidence existed to permit a jury to find that Petitioner manifested specific intent, and sufficient evidence existed to permit a jury to find that the co