Source: http://law.justia.com/cases/oklahoma/court-of-appeals-criminal/1997/60376.html
Timestamp: 2013-12-10 11:22:25
Document Index: 10071527

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 1089', '§ 1080', '§ 1089', '§ 1089', '§ 1089', '§ 1089', '§ 1089']

Robinson v. State - 1997 OK CR 24 :: 1997 :: Oklahoma Court of Appeals - Criminal Decisions :: Oklahoma Case Law :: US Case Law :: US Law :: Justia
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Robinson v. State1997 OK CR 24937 P.2d 101Case Number: PC-96-1224Decided: 04/14/1997WALANZO DEON ROBINSON, Petitioner -vs- STATE OF OKLAHOMA, RespondentOklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals
OPINION DENYING ORIGINAL APPLICATION FOR POST-CONVICTION RELIEF, REQUEST FOR EVIDENTIARY HEARING, EXTENSION OF TIME TO AMEND AND MOTION FOR DISCOVERY
LANE, J.:
[937 P.2d 104]
¶1 Petitioner Walzano Deon Robinson was tried by a jury and convicted of First Degree Malice Murder in Oklahoma County, Case No. CRF-89-4791. In accordance with the jury's recommendation, the Honorable Bana Blasdel, District Judge, sentenced Petitioner to death. Petitioner's conviction was affirmed by this Court following his original direct appeal. Robinson v. State, 900 P.2d 389 (Okl.Cr.1995). ¶2 In accordance with the recent amendments to the Uniform Post-Conviction Procedure Act, 22 O.S.Supp.1995, § 1089(D)(1), Petitioner filed his Original Application for Post-Conviction Relief on October 4, 1996.1 In this first application for post-conviction relief, Petitioner has raised four allegations of error.2 Our consideration of these claims will be strictly limited by the statutory rules which establish our authority in post-conviction matters. 22 O.S.Supp.1995, § 1080, et seq. We reiterate here the narrow scope of review available on collateral appeal. The Post-Conviction Procedure Act was neither designed nor intended to provide petitioners with another direct appeal. Fowler v. State, 896 P.2d 566, 569 (Okl.Cr.1995); Fox v. State, 880 P.2d 383, 384 (Okl.Cr.1994), cert denied, ___U.S.___, 115 S.Ct. 1318, 131 L.Ed.2d 199 (1995). The post-conviction statutes have never provided applicants with more than very limited grounds upon which to attack their final judgments. Accordingly, post-conviction claims which could have been raised in prior [937 P.2d 105] appeals but were not are generally considered waived. Moore v. State, 889 P.2d 1253, 1255-56 (Okl.Cr.), cert.denied, ___U.S.___, 116 S.Ct. 215, 133 L.Ed.2d 146 (1995); Johnson v. State, 823 P.2d 370, 372 (Okl.Cr.1991), cert.denied, 506 U.S. 926, 112 S.Ct. 1984, 118 L.Ed.2d 582 (1992). Post-Conviction claims which were raised and addressed in previous appeals are barred as res judicata. Moore, 889 P.2d at 1255; Walker v. State, 826 P.2d 1002, 1005 (Okl.Cr.), cert.denied, 506 U.S. 898, 113 S.Ct. 280, 121 L.Ed.2d 207 (1992). These procedural bars still apply to claims raised under amended Section 1089. However, under the amended statute, 22 O.S.Supp.1995, § 1089(C)(1), only those capital post-conviction claims that were not and could not have been raised on direct appeal will escape being waived or barred as res judicata. 22 O.S.Supp.1995, § 1089(C)(1). ¶3 The statute specifically and narrowly defines a post-conviction claim which could not have been raised on appeal as either (1) an ineffective assistance of trial or appellate counsel claim that meets the statutory definition of ineffective assistance of direct or appellate counsel3; or where (2) the legal basis of the collaterally asserted claim (a) was not recognized by or could not have been reasonably formulated from a final decision of the United States Supreme Court, a court of appeals of the United States, or a court of appellate jurisdiction of this state... or (b) is a new rule of constitutional law that was given retroactive effect by the United States Supreme Court or a court of appellate jurisdiction of this state....
22 O.S.Supp.1995, § 1089(D)(9)(a) & (b). Assuming a post-conviction claim is not procedurally barred and falls within one of the above referenced categories, Petitioner's claims will only be afforded collateral review if, in addition to meeting the initial criteria, they support a conclusion either that the outcome of the trial would have been different but for the errors or that the Petitioner is factually innocent. 22 O.S.Supp.1995, § 1089(C)(2). Recognizing the legislature's intent to honor and preserve the legal principle of finality of judgment, we will narrowly construe the post-conviction amendments to reflect that intent. ¶4 Petitioner claims at his first proposition of error that Oklahoma's amended Post-Conviction Procedure Act, on its face and as applied, is unconstitutional in that it denies him due process, denies him adequate and equal access to the courts and violates, among other provisions, the Ex Post-Facto Clause of the Oklahoma Constitution. We recently considered and rejected this same argument in Hatch v. State, 924 P.2d 284, 290 (Okl.Cr.1996); Walker v. State, ___P.2d___, 68 OBJ 316, (Okl.Cr.1997). Petitioner's first proposition of error is denied.
¶5 At Proposition II, Petitioner alleges his jury consisted of individuals who engaged in misconduct, harbored prejudices and were not qualified to sit as jurors, all resulting in a violation of his due process rights and denying him a fair trial. In support of the allegation that the jury was prejudiced, Petitioner attaches to his applications numerous affidavits signed by three different individuals (whose connection with this case is unclear as none of the affidavits identifies the affiant) concerning conversations had with Petitioner's trial jurors. This claim is not properly before this Court as it is a claim that could have been raised in Petitioner's direct appeal but was not. 22 O.S.Supp.1995, § 1089(C)(1). Proposition II does not meet the first prerequisite to Post-Conviction review and is therefore denied. Petitioner's claim is deemed waived.
¶6 At Proposition III, Petitioner asserts a claim of factual innocence based on newly discovered evidence. Contained in this argument is the claim that the evidence was discovered only 2 weeks prior to filing Petitioner's Post-Conviction application. Petition