McLaughlin v. Joyner

          ORDER

          R. Bryan Harwell United States District Judge.

         Petitioner, a state prisoner proceeding pro se, commenced this action by filing a habeas petition pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2254. See ECF No. 1. Currently pending is Respondent's [ECF No. 19] motion for summary judgment. This motion is before the court with the Report and Recommendation [ECF No. 28] of Magistrate Judge Mary Gordon Baker, filed on November 5, 2018.^[1]

         In the Report and Recommendation, the Magistrate Judge recommended granting Respondent's motion for summary judgment concluding that the instant petition was barred by the one-year statute of limitations set forth in the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 (“AEDPA”), 28 U.S.C. § 2244(d)(1). On December 21, 2018, Petitioner filed objections to the Magistrate Judge's Report and Recommendation. [ECF No. 33]. Respondent filed a Reply on January 4, 2019.

         Legal Standards

         I. Review of the R & R

         The Magistrate Judge makes only a recommendation to the Court. The Magistrate Judge's recommendation has no presumptive weight, and the responsibility to make a final determination remains with the Court. Mathews v. Weber, 423 U.S. 261, 270-71 (1976). The Court must conduct a de novo review of those portions of the R & R to which specific objections are made, and it may accept, reject, or modify, in whole or in part, the recommendation of the Magistrate Judge or recommit the matter with instructions. 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1); Fed.R.Civ.P. 72(b).

         The Court must engage in a de novo review of every portion of the Magistrate Judge's report to which specific written objections have been filed. Id. However, the Court need not conduct a de novo review when a party makes only “general and conclusory objections that do not direct the [C]ourt to a specific error in the [M]agistrate [Judge]'s proposed findings and recommendations.” Orpiano v. Johnson, 687 F.2d 44, 47 (4th Cir. 1982). In the absence of timely filed specific objections to the R & R, the Court reviews only for clear error, Diamond v. Colonial Life & Acc. Ins. Co., 416 F.3d 310, 315 (4th Cir. 2005), and the Court need not give any explanation for adopting the Magistrate Judge's recommendation. Camby v. Davis, 718 F.2d 198, 199-200 (4th Cir. 1983). Failure to file timely objections constitutes a waiver of de novo review and a party's right to appeal this Court's order. 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1); see Snyder v. Ridenour, 889 F.2d 1363, 1366 (4th Cir. 1989); Carr v. Hutto, 737 F.2d 433, 434 (4th Cir. 1984).

         II. One-Year Statute of Limitations for Filing a § 2254 Habeas Petition

         Petitioner filed his habeas petition after the effective date of the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 (“AEDPA”). Accordingly, the provisions of the AEDPA apply. Lindh v. Murphy, 521 U.S. 320, 336-37 (1997).

         A state prisoner seeking federal habeas relief under 28 U.S.C. § 2254 has one year to file his petition after the latest of four enumerated events:

(A) the date on which the judgment became final by the conclusion of direct review or the expiration of the time for seeking such review;

(B) the date on which the impediment to filing an application created by State action in violation of the Constitution or laws of the United States is removed, if the applicant was prevented from filing by such State action;

(C) the date on which the constitutional right asserted was initially recognized by the Supreme Court, if the right has been newly recognized by the Supreme Court and made retroactively applicable to cases on collateral review; or

(D) the date on which the factual predicate of the claim or claims presented could have been discovered through the ...