ALAN F. COMBS,
Petitioner and Appellant,
v.
STATE OF MONTANA,
Respondent and Appellee.
APPEAL FROM: District Court of the Eleventh Judicial District,
In and For the County of Flathead, Cause No. DV 12-502C
Honorable Stewart E. Stadler, Presiding Judge
COUNSEL OF RECORD:
For Appellant:
Alan F. Combs (self-represented), Deer Lodge, Montana
For Appellee:
Timothy C. Fox, Montana Attorney General; Katie F. Schultz, Assistant
Attorney General, Helena, Montana
Ed Corrigan, Flathead County Attorney, Kalispell, Montana
Submitted on Briefs: May 8, 2013
Decided: May 28, 2013
Filed:
__________________________________________
Clerk
Chief Justice Mike McGrath delivered the Opinion of the Court.
¶1 Pursuant to Section I, Paragraph 3(d), Montana Supreme Court Internal Operating
Rules, this case is decided by memorandum opinion and shall not be cited and does not serve
as precedent. Its case title, cause number, and disposition shall be included in this Court’s
quarterly list of noncitable cases published in the Pacific Reporter and Montana Reports.
¶2 Alan Combs appeals from the District Court’s Order of May 21, 2012, denying his
March 29, 2012, petition for postconviction relief. We affirm.
¶3 In 2005 Combs entered a no contest plea to charges of aggravated burglary and felony
assault with a weapon. The District Court convicted Combs and sentenced him to
consecutive terms of 30 and 20 years. Combs appealed and this Court affirmed. State v.
Combs,
. In 2007 Combs moved to withdraw his plea; the District Court denied
the motion; and Combs appealed. On appeal, this Court classified the proceeding as a
petition for postconviction relief and affirmed the District Court. State v. Combs,
. In April 2009, Combs petitioned this Court for a writ of habeas corpus. This Court
denied relief in an order of June 23, 2009.
¶4 The present petition for postconviction relief alleges that the prosecution failed to
disclose fingerprint evidence to Combs, and that he became aware of this evidence in 2008.
The District Court dismissed the petition as untimely under § 46-21-102, MCA. Subsection
(1) of that section requires petitions for postconviction relief to be filed within one year of
the date the conviction becomes final. Combs was convicted in 2007. Subsection (2) of that
section allows consideration of a petition for postconviction relief based upon newly
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discovered evidence, if it is filed within one year of the date the defendant discovers the
existence of the evidence. Combs states that he knew about the subject fingerprint evidence
in 2008. Under the facts, Combs’ petition was barred by subsections (1) and (2) of § 46-21-
102, MCA.
¶5 Therefore, we conclude that the District Court properly applied § 46-21-102, MCA,
and dismissed the petition.
¶6 We have determined to decide this case pursuant to Section I, Paragraph 3(d) of our
Internal Operating Rules, which provides for memorandum opinions. The issues in this case
are legal and are controlled by settled Montana law, which the District Court correctly
applied.
¶7 Affirmed.
/S/ MIKE McGRATH
We concur:
/S/ LAURIE McKINNON
/S/ MICHAEL E WHEAT
/S/ BETH BAKER
/S/ BRIAN MORRIS
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