Due Process Violation

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7^th Circuit Court of Appeals

Case Name: Francisco Carrion v. Kim Butler

Case No.: 14-3241

Officials: RIPPLE, KANNE, and WILLIAMS, Circuit Judges.

Focus: Due Process Violation

Evidence presented was more than sufficient for conviction and admittance of appellant statements, although translated, were valid.

Francisco Carrion was convicted of residential burglary and of first‐degree murder following a bench trial in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois. The state courts affirmed his conviction on direct appeal and on state postconviction review. Mr. Carrion then filed a habeas petition in federal court under 28 U.S.C. § 2254, in which he raised multiple claims for relief. The district court denied his petition, concluding that although the petition probably was timely filed, most of the claims were procedurally defaulted and the remaining claims were meritless; the court further declined to grant a certificate of appealability (“COA”). Mr. Carrion then appealed to this court, and we granted a COA instructing the parties to address three questions: whether there was sufficient evidence to support his convictions, whether Mr. Carrion’s confession was voluntary, and whether appellate counsel had been ineffective in failing to challenge the voluntariness of his confession.   After briefing and oral argument, we conclude that, whether we apply the deferential review of the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act (“AEDPA”), 28 U.S.C. § 2254(d), or de novo review, Mr. Carrion is not entitled to relief on any of these claims. There is no question that the State of Illinois met its burden of proving each of the charges be‐ yond a reasonable doubt. We further perceive no due process violation in the reception into evidence of Mr. Carrion’s statement, even though it was translated by an investigating officer. Any ambiguities in the statement were examined thoroughly at trial and the state trial court was entitled to admit and rely upon the statement. Accordingly, for the reasons set out more fully in this opinion, we affirm the district court’s denial of Mr. Carrion’s habeas petition.

Petition Denied

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