Bills v. Clark, No. 08-17517

In Bills v. Clark, No. 08-17517, a prosecution for possession of a sharp instrument by a state prisoner, the dismissal of petitioner's habeas petition is reversed where equitable tolling is permissible when a petitioner can show a mental impairment so severe that petitioner was unable personally either to understand the need to timely file or prepare a habeas petition, and that impairment made it impossible under the totality of the circumstances to meet the filing deadline despite petitioner's diligence.

As the court wrote:  "This case requires us to consider when a petitioner's mental condition may constitute an extraordinary circumstance justifying equitable tolling of the untimely filing of a habeas petition. We conclude equitable tolling is permissible when a petitioner can show a mental impairment so severe that the petitioner was unable personally either to understand the need to timely file or prepare a habeas petition, and that impairment made it impossible under the totality of the circumstances to meet the filing deadline despite petitioner's diligence."

Related Resources

• Read the Ninth Circuit's Decision in Bills v. Clark, No. 08-17517