Schomig

FOR PUBLICATION

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT

STEVE HOUSTON,  No. 06-15523 Petitioner-Appellant, v.  D.C. No.

CV-04-00785-RLH

JAMES M. SCHOMIG,

OPINION

Respondent-Appellee.  Appeal from the United States District Court for the District of Nevada Roger L. Hunt, District Judge, Presiding

Argued and Submitted February 14, 2008—San Francisco, California

Filed July 22, 2008

Before: William C. Canby, Jr., Milan D. Smith, Jr., Circuit Judges, and Stephen G. Larson, District Judge.*

Opinion by Judge Larson; Partial Concurrence and Partial Dissent by Judge Milan D. Smith, Jr.

*The Honorable Stephen G. Larson, United States District Judge for the Central District of California, sitting by designation.

8999 9002 HOUSTON v. SCHOMIG

COUNSEL

Anne R. Traum, Assistant Federal Public Defender, Las Vegas, Nevada, for the petitioner-appellant.

Rene L. Hulse, Las Vegas, Nevada, Senior Deputy Attorney General, for the respondent-appellee. HOUSTON v. SCHOMIG 9003

OPINION

LARSON, District Judge:

Steve Houston, a Nevada state prisoner, appeals from the district…