Does a state's interpretation of its laws or rules provide a basis for federal habeas corpus relief?

MultiRegion, United States of America

The following excerpt is from Hernandez v. Paramo, Case No. 13cv1217-BEN (BLM) (S.D. Cal. 2014):

A state's interpretation of its laws or rules does not provide a basis for federal habeas corpus relief when no federal constitutional question arises. Estelle v. McGuire, 502 U.S. 62, 68

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(1991). "Incorrect state court evidentiary rulings cannot serve as a basis for habeas relief unless federal constitutional rights are affected." Whelchel v. Washington, 232 F.3d 1197, 1211 (9th Cir. 2000) (internal citation and quotations omitted). With respect to an incorrect evidentiary ruling, in order to establish a constitutional violation, a petition on habeas review must show that the evidentiary ruling was so prejudicial that it rendered the trial "fundamentally unfair." Ortiz-Sandoval, 81 F.3d at 897.

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