slack mcdaniel warden et argued october decided april petitioner slack convicted murder nevada direct appeal unsuccessful filed federal habeas corpus petition wished litigate claims yet presented nevada courts rule requiring complete exhaustion state remedies see rose lundy slack filed motion hold federal petition abeyance returned state federal district ordered habeas petition dismissed without prejudice granting slack leave file application renew upon exhausting state remedies unsuccessful state postconviction proceedings slack filed anew federal presenting claims relief state moved dismiss arguing slack mixed petition raising claims presented state courts established ninth circuit rule claims raised slack federal petition dismissed abuse writ district granted state motion holding first slack petition second successive petition even though petition dismissed without prejudice failure exhaust state remedies invoked abuse writ doctrine dismiss prejudice claims slack raised petition dismissal order filed slack filed district pleading captioned notice appeal consistent circuit practice treated notice application certificate probable cause cpc version existed enactment antiterrorism effective death penalty act aedpa denied cpc concluding appeal raise substantial issue ninth circuit likewise denied cpc slack permitted appeal order dismissing petition held habeas petitioner seeks initiate appeal dismissal petition april aedpa effective date right appeal governed requirements found provides inter alia appeal may taken unless circuit justice judge issues certificate appealability coa coa may issue applicant made substantial showing denial constitutional right even though habeas petition filed district aedpa effective date slack argues incorrectly version statute controls case lindh murphy held aedpa amendments governing entitlement district habeas relief applied cases filed aedpa effective date implementing lindh must recognized directed district proceedings directed appellate proceedings applies cases filed trial applies appellate proceedings initiated although lindh requires appeals apply law reviewing trial ruling cases commenced law governs right appeal cases present appeal continuation litigation started trial distinct step hohn aedpa appellate case commenced application coa filed ibid congress instructs application statute triggered commencement case relevant case statute directed appeals one initiated appellate slack sought appellate review dismissal habeas petition two years aedpa effective date governs slack must apply coa ninth circuit treated notice appeal application pp district denies habeas petition procedural grounds without reaching prisoner underlying constitutional claim coa issue appeal district order may taken prisoner shows least jurists reason find debatable whether petition valid claim denial constitutional right jurists reason find debatable whether district correct procedural ruling pp rejects state contentions provides coa may issue upon substantial showing denial constitutional right constitutional rulings may appealed appeal taken district relies procedural grounds dismiss petition setting forth preconditions issuance coa congress expressed intention allow trial procedural error bar vindication substantial constitutional rights appeal conclusion follows aedpa present provisions incorporate earlier habeas corpus principles except substituting word constitutional word federal present codification cpc standard announced barefoot estelle see williams taylor ante barefoot substantial showing denial right includes showing reasonable jurists debate whether matter agree petition resolved different manner issues presented adequate deserve encouragement proceed pp determining whether coa issue petition dismissed procedural grounds two components one directed underlying constitutional claims one directed district procedural holding section mandates showings made appeals may entertain appeal component part threshold inquiry may find dispose application fair prompt manner proceeds first resolve issue whose answer apparent record arguments resolution procedural issues first allowed encouraged rule pass upon constitutional question also present ground upon case may disposed ashwander tva slack attempt make substantial showing denial constitutional right instead arguing district procedural rulings wrong attempt determine whether slack make required showing constitutional error issue neither briefed presented view cpc rather coa standards applied necessary consider matter upon remand proceedings however address second component inquiry whether jurists reason conclude district dismissal procedural grounds debatable incorrect pp habeas petition filed initial petition dismissed without adjudication merits failure exhaust state remedies second successive petition term understood habeas corpus context pp district erred concluding contrary question whether slack petition second successive implicates right relief trial law governs see lindh murphy supra whether dismissal appropriate controlled rule rules governing incorporates prior decisions subject mccleskey zant second successive petition alleging new different grounds may dismissed judge finds failure assert grounds prior petition constituted abuse writ second successive petition phrase term art given substance rose lundy held district must dismiss habeas petitions containing exhausted unexhausted claims contemplated prisoner return federal requisite exhaustion thus petition filed mixed petition dismissed rose lundy district adjudicated claims treated first petition second successive petition neither rose lundy supports state contention prisoner upon return federal restricted claims made initial petition instead appropriate treat initial mixed petition though filed subject whatever conditions attaches dismissal accordingly slack petition dismissed grounds second successive extent ruling might allow prisoners repeatedly return state thereby inject undue delay collateral review process problem countered power impose proper procedural bars federal courts broad powers prevent duplicative unnecessary litigation pp thus slack demonstrated reasonable jurists conclude district abuse writ holding wrong whether slack otherwise entitled issuance coa question resolved first upon remand reversed remanded kennedy delivered opinion part unanimous part ii joined rehnquist scalia thomas ginsburg parts iii iv joined rehnquist stevens souter ginsburg breyer jj stevens filed opinion concurring part concurring judgment souter breyer joined scalia filed opinion concurring part dissenting part thomas joined antonio tonton slack petitioner eldon mcdaniel warden et al writ certiorari appeals ninth circuit april justice kennedy delivered opinion called upon resolve series issues regarding law habeas corpus including questions proper application antiterrorism effective death penalty act aedpa hold follows first habeas corpus petitioner seeks initiate appeal dismissal habeas corpus petition april effective date aedpa right appeal governed certificate appealability coa requirements found supp iii true whether habeas corpus petition filed district aedpa effective date second district denies habeas petition procedural grounds without reaching prisoner underlying constitutional claim coa issue appeal district order may taken prisoner shows least jurists reason find debatable whether petition valid claim denial constitutional right jurists reason find debatable whether district correct procedural ruling third habeas petition filed initial petition dismissed without adjudication merits failure exhaust state remedies second successive petition term understood habeas corpus context federal courts however retain broad powers prevent duplicative unnecessary litigation petitioner antonio slack convicted murder nevada state direct appeal unsuccessful november slack filed petition writ habeas corpus federal early federal proceeding slack decided litigate claims yet presented nevada courts raise claims federal exhaustion remedies rule explained rose lundy federal required dismiss petition presenting claims yet litigated state accordingly slack filed motion seeking hold federal petition abeyance returned state exhaust new claims without objection state district ordered habeas petition dismissed without prejudice order dated february stated petitioner granted leave file application renew upon exhaustion state remedies slack director dept prisons app unsuccessful round state postconviction proceedings slack filed new federal habeas petition may district later appointed counsel directing file amended petition notice intention proceed current petition december counsel filed amended petition presenting claims relief state moved dismiss petition first ground state argued slack petition must dismissed mixed petition say petition raising claims presented state courts second ground state cited farmer mcdaniel contended established rule ninth circuit claims slack raised federal habeas petition must dismissed abuse writ district granted state motion first relied farmer hold slack petition second successive petition even though petition dismissed without prejudice failure exhaust state remedies invoked abuse writ doctrine dismiss prejudice claims slack raised petition left slack four claims raised petition one concluded yet presented state courts therefore dismissed slack remaining claims mixed petition slack seeks challenge dismissal claims abusive contend claims presented amended petition exhausted district dismissal order filed march april slack filed district pleading captioned notice appeal consistent circuit practice treated notice application certificate probable cause cpc version denied cpc concluding appeal raise substantial issue appeals likewise denied cpc july app result slack permitted take appeal order dismissing petition granted certiorari slack contends entitled appeal dismissal petition arguing district wrong hold petition second successive agree slack petition second successive first must resolve two preliminary questions ii aedpa appellate review dismissal habeas petition governed version enacted act june stat statute provided appeal taken final order habeas corpus proceeding unless justice judge rendered order circuit justice judge issues certificate probable cause ibid statute explain standards issuance cpc established prisoner must show obtain cpc barefoot estelle substantial showing denial federal right citation brackets omitted effective april aedpa amended relevant aedpa added subsection provides unless circuit justice judge issues certificate appealability appeal may taken appeals final order habeas corpus proceeding detention complained arises process issued state final order proceeding section certificate appealability may issue paragraph applicant made substantial showing denial constitutional right certificate appealability paragraph shall indicate specific issue issues satisfy showing required paragraph supp ii issue consider outset whether version controls slack right appeal lindh murphy held aedpa amendments statute governing entitlement habeas relief district applied cases filed aedpa effective date slack contends lindh means apply case commenced district position incorrect purposes implementing holding lindh must recognized directed proceedings district directed proceedings appellate courts applies cases filed trial applies appellate proceedings initiated true lindh requires appeals apply law reviewing trial ruling cases commenced law governs right appeal cases one us appeal continuation litigation started trial distinct step hohn mackenzie engelhard sons described proceedings courts appeals appellate cases order apr amendments federal rules appellate procedure shall govern proceedings appellate cases thereafter commenced aedpa appellate case commenced application coa filed hohn supra congress instructs us lindh says application statute triggered commencement case relevant case statute directed appeals one initiated appellate thus governs appellate proceedings filed aedpa effective date see indication congress intended tie application provisions date petition filed district coa statute establishes procedural rules requires threshold inquiry whether circuit may entertain appeal hohn supra cf lindh supra slack sought appellate review two years aedpa effective date governs right appeal note applied decision hohn case arrived posture case like slack hohn argued apply petition filed district aedpa effective date brief petitioner hohn pp though opinion discuss whether applied hohn reason reach issue resolve statutory certiorari jurisdiction review denial coa aedpa apply disposition today consistent hohn aedpa governs conditions slack appeal required seek coa obtain appellate review dismissal habeas petition iii aedpa applied appeals treated notice appeal application coa fed rule app proc fed rule civ proc see also hohn supra evaluate whether appeals granted coa must determine habeas applicant must show satisfy requirements citing requirement coa may issue upon substantial showing denial constitutional right state contends appeal taken district relies procedural grounds dismiss petition according state constitutional rulings may appealed view state prisoner demonstrate convicted violation constitution demonstrate district wrong dismiss petition procedural grounds denied relief reject interpretation writ habeas corpus plays vital role protecting constitutional rights setting forth preconditions issuance coa congress expressed intention allow trial procedural error bar vindication substantial constitutional rights appeal conclusion follows aedpa present provisions incorporate earlier habeas corpus principles aedpa coa may issue unless applicant made substantial showing denial constitutional right supp iii except substituting word constitutional word federal codification cpc standard announced barefoot estelle congress meaning barefoot given words selected give language found meaning ascribed barefoot due note substitution word constitutional see williams taylor slip obtain coa habeas prisoner must make substantial showing denial constitutional right demonstration barefoot includes showing reasonable jurists debate whether matter agree petition resolved different manner issues presented adequate deserve encouragement proceed barefoot sum ming substantial standard district rejected constitutional claims merits showing required satisfy straightforward petitioner must demonstrate reasonable jurists find district assessment constitutional claims debatable wrong issue becomes somewhat complicated district dismisses petition based procedural grounds hold follows district denies habeas petition procedural grounds without reaching prisoner underlying constitutional claim coa issue prisoner shows least jurists reason find debatable whether petition valid claim denial constitutional right jurists reason find debatable whether district correct procedural ruling construction gives meaning congress requirement prisoner demonstrate substantial underlying constitutional claims conformity meaning substantial showing standard provided barefoot supra adopted congress aedpa plain procedural bar present district correct invoke dispose case reasonable jurist conclude either district erred dismissing petition petitioner allowed proceed circumstance appeal warranted determining whether coa issue petition dismissed procedural grounds two components one directed underlying constitutional claims one directed district procedural holding section mandates showings made appeals may entertain appeal component showing part threshold inquiry may find dispose application fair prompt manner proceeds first resolve issue whose answer apparent record arguments recognition pass upon constitutional question although properly presented record also present ground upon case may disposed ashwander tva brandeis concurring allows encourages first resolve procedural issues ashwander rule inform discretion regard case slack attempt make substantial showing denial constitutional right instead arguing district procedural rulings wrong attempt determine whether slack make required showing constitutional error issue neither briefed presented view cpc rather coa standards applied necessary consider matter upon remand proceedings however address second component inquiry whether jurists reason conclude district dismissal procedural grounds debatable incorrect issue discussed briefs presented us question upon granted certiorari resolution end case decide matter state favor district dismissed claims slack failed raise petition based conclusion slack petition second successive habeas petition conclusion wrong habeas petition filed district initial habeas petition unadjudicated merits dismissed failure exhaust state remedies second successive petition slack commenced habeas proceeding district aedpa effective date question whether slack petition second successive implicates right relief trial law governs see lindh murphy though suggest definition second successive different aedpa see stewart using law interpret aedpa provision governing second successive habeas applications parties point us rule rules governing section cases district controlling issue rule incorporates prior decisions regarding successive petitions abuse writ mccleskey zant second successive petition alleging new different grounds may dismissed judge finds failure petitioner assert grounds prior petition constituted abuse writ text demonstrates rule applies second successive petition phrase second successive petition term art given substance prior habeas corpus cases decision rose lundy instructs us reaching understanding term rose lundy held federal district must dismiss habeas corpus petitions containing exhausted unexhausted claims opinion however contemplated prisoner return federal requisite exhaustion prisoners submit mixed petitions nevertheless entitled resubmit petition exhausted claims exhaust remainder claims prisoner declined return state decided proceed exhausted claims federal possibility arose subsequent petition considered second successive subject dismissal abuse writ plurality opinion prisoner decides proceed exhausted claims deliberately sets aside unexhausted claims risks dismissal subsequent federal petitions understanding second successive rule confirmed two terms ago wrote follows none cases ever suggested prisoner whose habeas petition dismissed failure exhaust state remedies exhaust remedies returned federal action filing successive petition petition filed adjudicate claims standard govern made first petition stewart supra adhere analysis petition filed mixed petition dismissed rose lundy district adjudicated claims treated first petition second successive petition state contends prisoner upon return federal restricted claims made initial petition neither rose lundy require result limit prisoner claims made pleading often uncounseled pending federal state identifies one unexhausted claim proposed rule bar prisoner raising nonfrivolous claims developed subsequent state exhaustion proceedings contemplated rose dismissal even though federal yet review single constitutional claim result contrary admonition complete exhaustion rule trap unwary pro se prisoner rose internal quotation marks omitted instead appropriate treat initial mixed petition though filed subject whatever conditions attaches dismissal rose lundy dictated whatever particular claims petition contained none considered federal slack petition dismissed procedure established rose lundy claim made slack petition adjudicated three months pending federal petition dismissed grounds second successive reasoning contrary found appeals farmer decision rendered incorrect see also turner refusing apply rules governing second successive petitions petitioner whose prior habeas petition dismissed failure exhaust view established practice demonstrates slack petition second successive confirmed well opinions courts appeals addressed point similar circumstances carlson pitcher join every consider question hold habeas petition filed previous petition dismissed exhaustion grounds second successive petition turner supra christy horn dickinson maine camarano irvin state complains rule unfair filing mixed petition federal requires appear plead failure exhaust petition dismissed without prejudice allowing prisoner make return trip state courts exhaust new claims state expresses concern upon exhaustion prisoner return federal file mixed petition causing process repeat manner state contends vexatious litigant inject undue delay collateral review process extent tactic become problem however countered without upsetting established meaning second successive petition first state remains free impose proper procedural bars restrict repeated returns state postconviction proceedings second provisions aedpa may bear upon question cases act applies aedpa demonstrates congress may address matters relating exhaustion mixed petitions means rules governing second successive petitions third rules civil procedure applicable general matter habeas cases vest federal courts due flexibility prevent vexatious litigation slack concedes habeas corpus context appropriate order dismissing mixed petition instruct applicant upon return federal bring exhausted claims see fed rules civ proc petitioner made aware exhaustion requirement reason exists exhaust potential claims returning federal failure comply order grounds dismissal prejudice fed rule civ proc case however initial petition dismissed without condition without prejudice reject state argument refusing give new meaning established term second successive opens door abuses described iv slack demonstrated reasonable jurists conclude district abuse writ holding wrong determined habeas petition filed initial petition dismissed rose lundy without adjudication merits second successive petition whether slack otherwise entitled issuance coa question resolved first upon remand decision appeals reversed case remanded proceedings consistent opinion ordered antonio tonton slack petitioner eldon mcdaniel warden et al writ certiorari appeals ninth circuit april justice stevens justice souter justice breyer join concurring part concurring judgment respect issue resolved part ii opinion agree courts appeals held version governs right appeal respect appeal noticed effective date aedpa habeas corpus proceeding commenced prior date see fuller roe crowell walsh cadc tejeda dubois berrios kunzman skandier hardwick singletary vacated part grounds arredondo carter see tiedeman benson however join balance opinion judgment antonio tonton slack petitioner eldon mcdaniel warden et al writ certiorari appeals ninth circuit april justice scalia justice thomas joins concurring part dissenting part join opinion except discussion parts iii iv whether slack postexhaustion petition second successive believe produces produced different respect stewart see scalia dissenting distortion natural meaning term second successive opinion relies together rose lundy conclude prisoner whose federal petition dismissed allow exhaustion may return federal without later petition treated second successive regardless claims contains neither holdings even language opinions suggest proposition holdings even involve issue exhaustion bearing upon present case narrow holding rose lundy habeas petition containing exhausted unexhausted claims must dismissed fairly said embraced proposition petitioner return claims exhausted latter proposition thought rest upon theory petition dismissed lack exhaustion petition never existed later petition second successive thought rest upon theory later refiling original claims exhausted renewal first petition implicitly authorized dismissal permit exhaustion former theory counterfactual latter quite plausible language quotes rose also justify theory quotation rose says prisoners submit mixed petitions entitled exhaust remainder claims ante quoting rose supra emphasis added suggest entitled add new claims return without accomplishing exhaustion dismissed petition allow quotation indicates prisoner whose habeas petition dismissed failure exhaust state remedies exhaust refile federal adjudicate claims standard govern made first petition ante quoting supra emphasis added require treating later filed petition first petition regardless whether bears resemblance petition initially filed fact clearly recognized potential significance raising new claim rather merely renewing old one held petition raising claim incompetence executed previously dismissed premature second successive expressly distinguished left open situation claim raised earlier petition see state understandably fears consequences approach allow federal petitions repeatedly filed dismissed lack exhaustion requiring state repeatedly appear expend resources help sight supposed limitations second successive petitions reassuringly observes problem countered ways without upsetting established meaning second successive petition ante discussed established first petition ceases first petition dismissed permit exhaustion though problem repetitive filings dismissals lack exhaustion course countered ways problem repetitive filings reasons happens whole purpose second successive provision solve precisely problem directly checking vexatious litigant rather hoping courts use patchwork provisions achieve end disagree district courts may able limit repeated filings appropriate orders pursuant fed rules civ proc burden district courts necessary however remanded reliance upon discretion district judges limitation second successive petitions given natural meaning believe petitioner inclusion new unexhausted claims postexhaustion petition rendered second successive entitled certificate appealability affirm decision appeals