day mcdonough interim secretary florida department corrections argued february decided april antiterrorism effective death penalty act aedpa sets limitation period filing state prisoner federal habeas corpus petition running date judgment became final conclusion direct review expiration time seeking review stops clock petitioner properly filed application state postconviction relief pending eleventh circuit precedent challenged tolling period include days petitioner might sought certiorari review challenging denial postconviction relief petitioner day florida sentence affirmed december time seek review final decision expired march day unsuccessfully sought state postconviction relief days later trial judgment affirmed appeal effective december day petitioned federal habeas relief days later january florida answer asserted petition timely filed days untolled time inspecting answer attachments however federal magistrate judge determined state miscalculated tolling time controlling eleventh circuit precedent untolled time actually days rendering petition untimely affording day opportunity show cause petition dismissed failure meet aedpa deadline magistrate judge found petitioner responses inadequate recommended dismissal district adopted recommendation eleventh circuit affirmed concluding state patently erroneous concession timeliness compromise district authority sua sponte dismiss habeas petition untimely held circumstances presented district discretion correct state erroneous computation accordingly dismiss habeas petition untimely aedpa limitation pp statute limitations defense jurisdictional therefore courts obligation raise matter sua sponte cf kontrick ryan general matter defendant forfeits statute limitations defense asserted answer amendment thereto see federal rules civil procedure made applicable federal habeas proceedings rule rules governing proceedings count abuse discretion override state deliberate waiver limitations defense appropriate circumstances district may raise time bar initiative district case confronted intelligent waiver state part evident miscalculation time situation declines adopt either inflexible rule requiring dismissal whenever aedpa clock run opposite extreme rule treating state failure initially plead bar absolute waiver rather holds district discretion decide whether administration justice better served dismissing case statute limitations grounds reaching merits petition resolution aligns statute limitations affirmative defenses habeas petitions notably exhaustion state remedies procedural default nonretroactivity granberry greer held federal appellate courts discretion consider state prisoner failure exhaust available state remedies invoking federal habeas jurisdiction despite state failure interpose exhaustion defense level similarly caspari bohlen held federal may need decline apply nonretroactivity rule announced teague lane state argue make scant sense distinguish aedpa time bar threshold constraints federal habeas petitioners district required state math cf pliler ford rule statute constitutional provision commands judge detects clear computation error suppress knowledge cf fed rule civ proc notes particularly magistrate judge instead acting sua sponte might informed state obvious computation error entertained amendment state answer see fed rule civ proc dispositive difference route one taken pp acting sua sponte must accord parties fair notice opportunity present positions must also assure petitioner significantly prejudiced delayed focus limitation issue determine whether interests justice better served addressing merits dismissing petition time barred see granberry magistrate judge gave day due notice fair opportunity show limitation period yield dismissal notice issued nine months state answer proceedings action occurred interim nothing suggests state strategically withheld defense chose relinquish appears record merely inadvertent error miscalculation plain circuit precedent abuse discretion following granberry caspari affirmed ginsburg delivered opinion roberts kennedy souter alito joined stevens filed opinion dissenting judgment breyer joined scalia filed dissenting opinion thomas breyer joined patrick day petitioner james mcdonough interim secretary florida department corrections writ certiorari appeals eleventh circuit april justice ginsburg delivered opinion case concerns authority district initiative dismiss untimely state prisoner petition writ habeas corpus antiterrorism effective death penalty act aedpa stat sets limitation period filing petitions running date judgment became final conclusion direct review expiration time seeking review clock stopped however time petitioner properly filed application state postconviction relief pending eleventh circuit precedent tolling period include days petitioner might sought certiorari review challenging denial postconviction relief coates byrd case us state answer federal habeas petition agree petition timely filed days untolled time app inspecting pleadings attachments federal magistrate judge determined state miscalculated tolling time circuit precedent untolled time days rendering petition untimely three weeks affording petitioner opportunity show cause petition dismissed failure meet statutory deadline finding petitioner responses inadequate magistrate judge recommended dismissal petition district adopted magistrate judge recommendation appeals affirmed concluding concession timeliness state patently erroneous compromise authority district sua sponte dismiss habeas petition untimely aedpa day crosby question presented whether federal lacks authority initiative dismiss habeas petition untimely state answered petition without contesting timeliness ordinarily civil litigation statutory time limitation forfeited raised defendant answer amendment thereto fed rules civ proc count abuse discretion override state deliberate waiver limitations defense case however federal confronted intelligent waiver state part evident miscalculation elapsed time statute designed impose tight time constraint federal habeas circumstances presented hold federal discretion correct state error accordingly dismiss petition untimely aedpa limitation petitioner patrick day convicted murder sentenced years prison florida trial day unsuccessfully appealed sentence affirmed december day seek review final decision time expired march three hundred days later day unsuccessfully sought state postconviction relief florida trial judgment denying relief affirmed appeal appellate issued mandate december see nyland moore florida law appellate order pending mandate issues days thereafter january day petitioned federal habeas relief asserting several claims ineffective assistance trial counsel magistrate judge finding petition proper form app ordered state file answer responsive pleading state failed raise aedpa limitation defense see supra overlooking controlling eleventh circuit precedent see coates state calculated petition filed days untolled time therefore timely app state answer attachments however revealed state followed eleventh circuit instruction computation elapsed time timeliness concession made circuit precedent one year specifically days untolled time passed finality day conviction filing federal habeas newly assigned magistrate judge noticed state computation error ordered day show cause federal habeas petition dismissed untimely determining day responses overcome time bar magistrate judge recommended dismissal petition app pet cert district adopted recommendation eleventh circuit granted day certificate appealability question hether district erred addressing timeliness day habeas corpus petition state conceded petition timely app decision rendered two years earlier jackson secretary dept corrections eleventh circuit ruled even though statute limitations affirmative defense district may review sua sponte timeliness federal habeas petition adhering jackson satisfied state concession timeliness patently erroneous eleventh circuit affirmed dismissal day petition granted certiorari sub nom day crosby view division among circuits question whether district may dismiss federal habeas petition untimely aedpa despite state failure raise limitation answer petition erroneous concession timeliness issue compare long wilson case scott collins nardi stewart ii statute limitations defense state acknowledges jurisdictional hence courts obligation raise time bar sua sponte see acosta artuz hill braxton davis johnson cf kontrick ryan defendant forfeited untimeliness argument failing raise issue complaint adjudicated merits respect limitations defense resembles threshold barriers exhaustion state remedies procedural default nonretroactivity courts typed nonjurisdictional although recognizing defenses implicat values beyond concerns parties acosta aedpa statute limitation promotes judicial efficiency conservation judicial resources safeguards accuracy state judgments requiring resolution constitutional questions record fresh lends finality state judgments within reasonable exhaustion state remedies doctrine requiring state prisoners invoking federal habeas jurisdiction pursue remedies available state granberry greer pathmarking case held granberry federal appellate courts discretion consider issue exhaustion despite state failure interpose defense level later caspari bohlen similarly held federal may need decline apply nonretroactivity rule announced teague lane state argue see also schiro farley declining address nonretroactivity defense state raised merits brief lthough undoubtedly discretion reach argument issue remains open see trest cain courts appeals unanimously held appropriate circumstances courts initiative may raise petitioner procedural default petitioner failure properly present alleged constitutional error state consequent adequacy independence grounds judgment see brewer marshall rosario sweger chesney yeatts angelone magouirk phillips sowell bradshaw kurzawa jordan king kemna en banc vang nevada wiseman moon head petitioner day relies heavily rule rules governing section cases district courts habeas rules procedural rules governing federal habeas petitions state prisoners urging aedpa limitation may raised federal sua sponte preanswer initial screening stage habeas rule provides district courts must promptly examine state prisoner habeas petitions must dismiss petition plainly appears petitioner entitled relief answer ordered filed day maintains loses authority rule petition untimely sua point according day federal rules civil procedure hold sway see habeas rule federal rules civil procedure extent inconsistent statutory provisions rules may applied proceeding rules civil procedure rules defendant forfeits statute limitations defense see fed rule civ proc asserted answer see rule amendment thereto see rule state hand points statute limitations akin affirmative defenses habeas petitions notably exhaustion state remedies procedural default nonretroactivity indeed statute limitations explicitly aligned defenses current version habeas rule provides state answer habeas petition must state whether claim petition barred failure exhaust state remedies procedural bar statute limitations considerations comity finality expeditious handling habeas proceedings motivated state maintains counsel excessively rigid formal approach affirmative defenses listed habeas rule citing granberry instructive case state urges express recognition intermediate approach brief respondent internal quotation marks omitted see also lieu inflexible rule requiring dismissal whenever aedpa clock run opposite extreme rule treating state failure initially plead bar absolute waiver state reads statutes rules decisions point permit exercise discretion case decide whether administration justice better served dismissing case statute limitations grounds reaching merits petition employing intermediate approach particular case state argues petition deemed timely simply government attorney calculated days petitions incorrectly agree noting particularly magistrate judge instead acting sua sponte might informed state obvious computation error entertained amendment state answer see fed rule civ proc leave amend shall freely given justice requires see also state response habeas petition may amended leave cf long district raised statute limitations sua sponte state agreed disposition appeals treated agreement constructive amendment state answer recognizing amendment state answer might obviated see dispositive difference route one taken see brief respondent state respond show cause order concession timeliness based erroneous calculation agreed petition dismissed untimely cf slack mcdaniel admonishing interpretation procedural prescriptions federal habeas cases trap unwary pro se prisoner quoting rose lundy sum hold district courts permitted obliged consider sua sponte timeliness state prisoner habeas petition hold noting make scant sense distinguish regard aedpa time bar threshold constraints federal habeas petitioners see supra habeas rule placing statute limitations defense par failure exhaust state remedies procedural bar long aedpa statute limitations advances concerns advanced doctrines exhaustion procedural default must treated stress district required state math held istrict judges obligation act counsel paralegal pro se litigants pliler ford token surely obligation assist attorneys representing state nevertheless judge detect clear computation error rule statute constitutional provision commands judge suppress knowledge cf fed rule civ proc clerical errors record arising oversight omission may corrected time initiative motion party course acting initiative must accord parties fair notice opportunity present positions see acosta mcmillan jarvis must assure petitioner significantly prejudiced delayed focus limitation issue determine whether interests justice better served addressing merits dismissing petition time barred see granberry magistrate judge gave day due notice fair opportunity show limitation period yield dismissal petition notice issued nine months state answered petition proceedings action occurred interim nothing record suggests state strategically withheld defense chose relinquish appears record merely inadvertent error miscalculation plain circuit precedent abuse discretion following lead granberry caspari described supra reasons stated judgment appeals affirmed patrick day petitioner james mcdonough interim secretary florida department corrections writ certiorari appeals eleventh circuit april justice stevens justice breyer joins dissenting judgment although justice breyer disagree proper answer question granted certiorari view justice ginsburg opinion correctly decides question justice breyer joined justice scalia dissenting opinion agree proper disposition case view announce opinion postpone entry judgment pending decision lawrence florida cert granted mar justice ginsburg notes question whether appeals correctly concluded day habeas corpus petition barred statute limitations answered decision lawrence see ante seems improvident affirm possibly erroneous appeals judgment dismissed day habeas petition without evaluation merits already granted certiorari address issue appeals may erred course appeals may avoid miscarriage justice keeping case docket decide lawrence better practice us accordingly respectfully dissent entry judgment time patrick day petitioner james mcdonough interim secretary florida department corrections writ certiorari appeals eleventh circuit april justice scalia justice thomas justice breyer join dissenting today disregards federal rules civil procedure civil rules habeas corpus cases chiefly believes departure make difference see ante even true join novel presumption applying civil rules civil rules govern procedure district courts suits civil nature rule includes proceedings habeas corpus rule extent practice proceedings set forth statutes rules governing section cases habeas rules civil rule see also habeas rule thus federal rules civil procedure apply context habeas suits extent inconsistent habeas corpus rules woodford garceau contradict undermine provisions habeas corpus statute gonzalez crosby slip notes civil rules adopt traditional forfeiture rule unpleaded limitations defenses see ante citing rules identify inconsisten cy forfeiture rule statute rules historical practice habeas proceedings none forfeiture limitations defense demonstrably inconsistent traditional habeas practice acknowledges habeas practice included statute limitations ante see also infra forfeiture perfectly consistent habeas rule provides state answer must state whether claim petition barred statute limitations emphasis added forfeiture also consistent indeed arguably suggested habeas rule rule provides sua sponte screening dismissal habeas petitions prior filing state responsive importantly applying forfeiture rule limitations period contradict undermine provision habeas statute quite contrary natural reading statute calls forfeiture rule aedpa expressly enacted without qualification period limitation habeas applications persons custody pursuant judgments state courts emphasis added repeatedly stated enactment periods without elaboration produces defenses nonjurisdictional thus subject waiver forfeiture see zipes trans world airlines see also eberhart per curiam slip kontrick ryan absent affirmative incompatibility habeas practice reason habeas limitations period different imposing unqualified period limitation background understanding defense tions must raised answer see civil rules statute implies usual forfeiture rule applicable instead identifying inconsistency habeas corpus practice usual civil forfeiture rule urges make scant sense distinguish regard aedpa time bar threshold constraints federal habeas petitioners may raised sua sponte ante namely exhaustion state remedies procedural default nonretroactivity prior aedpa abuse writ see granberry greer exhaustion caspari bohlen nonretroactivity unlike aedpa statute limitations defenses created habeas courts exercise traditional equitable discretion see withrow williams scalia concurring part dissenting part seen necessary protect interests comity finality federal collateral review state criminal proceedings necessarily implicates see mccleskey zant abuse writ wainwright sykes procedural default teague lane nonretroactivity rose lundy exhaustion state remedies unlike defenses time limitation even equitable laches imposed vindicate comity finality aedpa limitations period entirely recent creature statute see ante comity finality compel time limitation follows fortiori compel making legislatively created forfeitable time limitation nonforfeitable fact prior enactment aedpa affirmatively rejected notion habeas courts traditionally broad discretionary powers support imposition time bar historically wa statute limitations governing federal habeas laches recognized wa affects state ability defend claims raised habeas imposed rule brecht abrahamson see also smith wright miller cooper federal practice procedure ed hereinafter wright miller repeatedly asserted passage time alone extinguish habeas corpus rights person subject unconstitutional incarceration see pennsylvania ex rel herman claudy chessman teets better worse doctrine well entrenched lower courts regularly entertained petitions filed even extraordinary delays see hawkins bennett years hamilton watkins least years hannon maschner least years enactment former habeas rule introduce first time element laches habeas corpus wright miller adopting rule refers ante even limited doctrine treated subject pleading requirements forfeiture rule rejects today stricter limitations period see smith secretary new mexico dept corrections see also mcdonnell estelle therefore support notion traditional equitable discretion governed habeas proceedings permitted dismissal habeas petitions sole ground untimeliness whether see collins byrd scalia dissenting reliance equitable doctrines like procedural default nonretroactivity therefore utterly misplaced nothing tradition refusing dismiss habeas petitions untimely justifies decision beef presumptively forfeitable limitations period making subject sua sponte dismissal appears chief ground decision also observes magistrate judge instead acting sua sponte might informed state obvious computation error entertained amendment state answer civil rule ante although amendment state answer might obviated controversy concedes see dispositive difference route one taken ibid consideration cuts opposite direction truly dispositive difference following disregarding rules congress enacted natural conclusion compelling reason disregard civil legislatively enacted rules surely entitled respect apparent presumption nothing substantial hangs point apply written unlike novel regime adopts today apparently require development new rules scratch already exists body law govern district courts exercise discretion rule see wright miller ed supp ockham offended today decision even one else fact least two notable differences civil rules sua sponte regime cases granberry caspari involve sufficiently significant departures ordinary civil practice require clear authorization statute rules historical habeas practice first granberry regime allows forfeited procedural defense raised first time appeal either state appellate sua sponte see ordinary civil practice allow forfeited affirmative defense whose underlying facts developed raised first time appeal see weinberger salfi metropolitan housing development arlington heights ability raise even constitutional errors criminal trials first time appeal narrowly circumscribed see fed rule crim proc olano comity finality justified departure ordinary practice historically rooted equitable defenses exhaustion see granberry supra limitations defense also granberry like raise possibility courts impose procedural defense state affirmative decision waive defense takes care point case ante invites cases future principal justification allowing defenses raised sua sponte values beyond concerns parties including efficiency conservation judicial expeditious handling habeas proceedings ante quoting acosta artuz many reasons state may wish disregard statute limitations including simple belief unfair impose limitations defense particular defendant reasoning district abuse discretion overriding state conscious waiver defense order protect beyond concerns parties ante civil rules contrast amending party pleading objection constitute clear abuse trial discretion sum applying ordinary rule forfeiture aedpa statute limitations creates inconsistency habeas rules contrary unwarranted expansion timeliness rule enacted congress inconsistent statute habeas rules civil rules traditional practice hold ordinary forfeiture rule codified civil rules applies limitations period respectfully dissent footnotes aedpa took effect statute limitations applied habeas petitions see mayle felix slip courts invoked doctrine prejudicial delay screen unreasonably late filings see generally hertz liebman federal habeas corpus practice procedure ed aedpa congress prescribed uniform rule period limitation shall apply application writ habeas corpus person custody pursuant judgment state day urges find petition timely asserts eleventh circuit misinterpreted holding aedpa time limitation tolled period petitioned review denial motion state postconviction relief see brief petitioner question set petition certiorari fairly included therein therefore consider rule note however recently granted certiorari lawrence florida cert granted mar presents question whether aedpa time limitation tolled pendency petition certiorari judgment denying state postconviction relief instant opinion emphasize addresses authority district raise aedpa time bar correctness decision limitation period run day reads eleventh circuit opinion case rendering mandatory district sua sponte application aedpa limitation even respondent elects waive limitation oppose petition solely merits see tr oral arg points sentence eleventh circuit brief per curiam opinion stating federal sits collateral review criminal judgment state obligation enforce federal statute limitations read eleventh circuit summary disposition line description controlling precedent ruled though statute limitations affirmative defense district may review sua sponte timeliness federal habeas petition ibid referring jackson secretary dept corrections emphasis added see also state patently erroneous concession timeliness compromise authority district sua sponte dismiss habeas petition untimely aedpa limitation emphasis added aedpa enacted nearly decade granberry congress expressly provided state shall deemed waived exhaustion requirement estopped reliance upon requirement unless state counsel expressly waives requirement trest held appeals obliged raise procedural default initiative declined decide whether courts discretion accept day position courts never least hardly ever positioned raise aedpa time bar sua sponte recognized pliler ford information essential time calculation often absent case state filed along answer copies documents proceedings habeas rules amended proceedings cite current version parties agree amendments rules effective december wrought relevant substantive change see rhines weber aedpa time bar quite plainly serves interest finality state judgments reduces potential delay road finality quoting duncan walker unanimous point see post scalia dissenting procedural hindrance pliler petitioner failure exhaust state remedies case declined rule propriety procedure enable habeas petitioner remain federal exhausting unexhausted claims state later decision rhines held district discretion stay mixed petition one includes exhausted unexhausted claims allow habeas petitioner present unexhausted claims state first instance return federal review perfected petition district discretion confined within limits earlier noted state intelligently choose waive statute limitations defense district liberty disregard choice see supra see post scalia dissenting footnotes observes ere accept day position courts never least hardly ever positioned raise aedpa antiterrorism effective death penalty act time bar sua sponte information essential time calculation often absent rule prescreening stage ante distressed phenomenon beg question assume courts positioned raise aedpa time bar sua sponte precisely question us agree today decision little impact outcome district proceedings particular agree district judge detect clear computation error rule statute constitutional provision commands judge suppress knowledge ante rather judge may call timeliness issue state attention invite motion amend pleadings civil rule leave shall freely given justice requires fact providing leave whenever justice requires rule civil rules fully accommodate comity finality interests thinks require departure civil rules see ante requiring state take affirmative step amending pleading least observes formalities adversary system nontrivial value see burke scalia concurring judgment order avoid seemingly unavoidable conclusion asserts without relevant citation reasoning state intelligently choose waive statute limitations defense district liberty disregard choice ante assertion contrary statement granberry greer case view makes scant sense distinguish ante appellate may dismiss unexhausted petition sua sponte cases state fails whether inadvertently otherwise raise arguably meritorious nonexhaustion defense emphasis added support assertion cites nothing earlier statement ordinarily civil litigation statutory time limit forfeited raised defendant answer amendment thereto fed rules civ proc count abuse discretion override state deliberate waiver limitations defense ante statement shows ordinary inability override state intelligent waiver coupled ordinary automatic forfeit defense timely raised say makes sense statute limitation reject first part ordinary practice automatic forfeiture embracing second inability override intelligent waiver reason rejecting first part surely applies well second section supposedly values beyond concerns parties including efficiency judicial resources expeditious handling habeas proceedings ante