Opinion ID: 779400
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Suppressed Tape Recordings. (Claim I)

Text: 105 The prosecution has a duty to turn over to the defense all exculpatory evidence material to guilt or punishment, including evidence affecting the credibility of witnesses whose testimony may be determinative of the trial outcome. Giglio, 405 U.S. at 154, 92 S.Ct. 763. Williams argues that the prosecution violated its duty by suppressing two tape recordings, one made in 1978 and the other in 1979, that undermine the credibility of Oglesby's trial testimony. Williams contends that the 1978 tape recording of a telephone conversation between Oglesby and prison inmate Leslie White shows them conspiring to fabricate testimony in an unrelated murder case. However, the California Supreme Court found otherwise. 106 After an evidentiary hearing conducted in conjunction with Williams's third state habeas corpus petition, the referee appointed by the California Supreme Court found that Lieutenant Fitzgerald, a member of the Los Angeles Sheriff's Office, made the 1978 tape recording at the request of Oglesby, who did not want to become entangled in White's purported scheme to escape from jail. Williams II, 29 Cal.Rptr.2d 64, 870 P.2d at 1080. White's scheme was to implicate Oglesby in a crime in Ventura so that White, who was in custody in Los Angeles, could be transferred to Ventura to testify against Oglesby and attempt to escape from the Ventura jail. Id. Adopting these factual findings by the referee, the California Supreme Court declared that the 1978 tape recording showed merely that Oglesby contacted Fitzgerald to secure his help when Oglesby thought that he was going to be `used' by, and falsely implicated by, Leslie White. Id. at 1079. Because we must defer to the California Supreme Court's factual findings on the 1978 tape recording, see 28 U.S.C. § 2254(d) (West 1994), 10 we conclude that the recording is not exculpatory evidence that impeaches Oglesby's credibility. See Giglio, 405 U.S. at 154, 92 S.Ct. 763. Accordingly, the prosecution's failure to disclose the 1978 tape recording to the defense did not violate due process. 107 Williams also alleges that the prosecution improperly suppressed a 1979 tape recording of an interview between White and investigators for the Los Angeles district attorney's office, in which White asserts that Oglesby committed perjury when he testified in another, unrelated criminal case. Even assuming that this tape recording is the exculpatory impeachment evidence that Williams claims it to be, 11 the recording is not material to Williams's guilt or punishment. See Bagley, 473 U.S. at 682, 105 S.Ct. 3375. Had the defense used the 1979 tape recording to undermine Oglesby's credibility, this evidence would have been merely cumulative of other evidence that the defense presented to impeach Oglesby. At trial, the defense effectively called into question the truthfulness of Oglesby's testimony through cross-examination. The defense elicited from Oglesby testimony showing, inter alia, that (1) he was an admitted murderer and accused rapist, (2) his plea agreement with the state drastically reduced his possible sentence on the charges against him, (3) he believed that his prior testimony for the state in an unrelated murder case would benefit him at sentencing, (4) he hoped to benefit further from his testimony against Williams, (5) he was a reputed snitch, and (6) other inmates fed him fabricated information so that he would go to the authorities with it. In light of this evidence presented, the district court correctly determined that the 1979 tape recording would not have cast [Oglesby] in a significantly worse light. Williams III, 48 F.Supp.2d at 1013. Because there exists no reasonable probability that, had [the 1979 tape recording] been disclosed to the defense, the result of the proceedings would have been different, Bagley, 473 U.S. at 682, 105 S.Ct. 3375, we decline to remand for an evidentiary hearing, see Laboa, 224 F.3d at 981 n. 7, and affirm the district court's denial of this claim on summary judgment. 108 D. Improper Admission of Testimony of Government Agent George Oglesby. (Claims G & H) 109 In his state post-conviction proceedings, Williams argued that the trial court's admission of Oglesby's testimony violated the Sixth Amendment right to counsel because Oglesby was a government agent who deliberately elicited incriminating information from Williams in contravention of United States v. Henry, 447 U.S. 264, 100 S.Ct. 2183, 65 L.Ed.2d 115 (1980), and Massiah v. United States, 377 U.S. 201, 84 S.Ct. 1199, 12 L.Ed.2d 246 (1964). After two state evidentiary hearings on this claim, the California Supreme Court found that Oglesby did not act as a government agent prior to May 21, 1979, when Oglesby first informed law enforcement authorities about Williams's confession of criminal conduct and escape plans. The California Supreme Court then concluded that any impropriety in admitting evidence that Oglesby obtained from Williams after May 21, 1979 was harmless error because this post-May 21, 1979 evidence was cumulative of the evidence lawfully acquired before May 21, 1979. See Williams II, 29 Cal. Rptr.2d 64, 870 P.2d at 1087-88. The district court denied this claim on summary judgment, deferring to the California Supreme Court's factual findings and affirming its harmless-error analysis. See Williams III, 48 F.Supp.2d at 1003-11. 110 On appeal, Williams argues only that the two state evidentiary hearings on the factual issue of Oglesby's status as a government agent were not full and fair, and that the district court therefore improperly deferred to the California Supreme Court's factual findings. Under pre-AEDPA § 2254(d), we presume that the California Supreme Court's factual determinations are correct unless Williams demonstrates that he did not receive a full, fair, and adequate hearing in the State court proceeding. 28 U.S.C. § 2254(d)(6) (West 1994); Silva, 279 F.3d at 835. Williams claims that the state hearings were not full and fair because (1) the prosecution suppressed material, exculpatory evidence at the first hearing, and (2) the prosecution and the state referee conducting the hearings refused to grant Williams's witnesses use immunity to testify at the second hearing, and these witnesses declined to testify, invoking their Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination. 111 Williams's first argument is without merit because at the second state hearing he presented the evidence that he claims the prosecution improperly suppressed. See Williams II, 29 Cal.Rptr.2d 64, 870 P.2d at 1078. The second hearing therefore cured any inadequacy of the first due to the unavailability of the evidence that Williams identifies. Thus, we cannot conclude that any failure by the prosecution to disclose this evidence denied Williams a full, fair, and adequate hearing in state court. See 28 U.S.C. § 2254(d)(6) (West 1994). 112 With respect to Williams's second argument, we note that the prosecution's refusal to grant use immunity to a defense witness denies the defendant a fair trial only when (1) the witness's testimony would have been relevant, and (2) the prosecution refused to grant the witness use immunity with the deliberate intention of distorting the fact-finding process. See United States v. Westerdahl, 945 F.2d 1083, 1086 (9th Cir.1991); United States v. Lord, 711 F.2d 887, 891 (9th Cir.1983). To demonstrate the prosecutorial misconduct of the second prong, Williams must show that the prosecution intentionally caused a defense witness to invoke the Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, or that the prosecution granted immunity to a government witness in order to obtain that witness's testimony, but denied immunity to a defense witness whose testimony would have directly contradicted that of the government witness. See United States v. Duran, 189 F.3d 1071, 1087 (9th Cir.1999). We apply this due process standard to determine whether Williams was denied a full, fair, and adequate hearing in state court under pre-AEDPA § 2254(d)(6). 113 We will assume that Williams satisfies the minimal requirement that his witnesses' testimony would have been relevant to his Sixth Amendment claim. See United States v. Whitehead, 200 F.3d 634, 640 (9th Cir.2000) (To satisfy the relevance prong, a defendant need not show that the testimony sought was either clearly exculpatory or essential to the defense; the testimony need be only relevant.) (internal quotations omitted). In the proceedings before the California Supreme Court, Williams argued that Leslie White would have provided testimony consistent with White's statements on the 1979 tape recording 12 and in a 1989 declaration. See Williams II, 29 Cal.Rptr.2d 64, 870 P.2d at 1090 n. 17. On the 1979 tape recording, White asserted that the Los Angeles police and district attorney's office engaged in illegal tactics to bolster weak prosecution cases. According to White, certain members of the police department and district attorney's office placed jailhouse informants, like White and Oglesby, in cells near a defendant's cell and encouraged them to obtain incriminating information from the defendant. If the defendant did not make any inculpatory statements, White alleged that the police officers or prosecutors forced the jailhouse informants to fabricate a confession of criminal conduct by the defendant. In the 1989 declaration, White claimed that Oglesby, at the behest of the police, fabricated his testimony regarding Williams's admission of responsibility for the Brookhaven Motel murders and robbery and regarding Williams's escape plans. Before the California Supreme Court, Williams also contended that witnesses Ferril Mickens, Larry Montez, and Steven Cisneros would have testified generally about jailhouse-informant practices and specifically about Oglesby's practices. See id. at 1092 n. 20. Assuming that Williams's witnesses would have testified as he claimed in state court, 13 the witnesses' testimony would have been relevant to the factual question of whether and when Oglesby acted as a government agent and deliberately elicited incriminating statements from Williams. 114 Turning to the prosecutorial misconduct required under the second prong, we note that Williams does not contend that the prosecution granted immunity to its witnesses, while denying immunity to his witnesses, and nothing in the record supports an argument that the prosecution attempted to distort the fact-finding process in this manner. Thus, resolution of the second prong turns on whether the prosecution took affirmative steps to prevent Williams's witnesses from testifying. In deciding this matter, we rely upon the California Supreme Court's factual findings, which Williams does not contest, regarding his witnesses' refusals to testify. See 28 U.S.C. § 2254(d) (West 1994). 115 Two days before the rescheduled evidentiary hearing was set to begin, Leslie White was indicted and arrested for providing perjured testimony in past cases. One week later, after Williams called White as a witness, White asserted his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination and declined to testify. See Williams II, 29 Cal.Rptr.2d 64, 870 P.2d at 1090-91. When called to the stand, Ferril Mickens, Larry Montez, and Steven Cisneros also invoked their Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination and refused to testify. Williams's counsel had subpoenaed these three witnesses, but failed to secure protective orders for their transportation and housing during the evidentiary hearing. Mickens did not testify primarily because Williams and his counsel intimidated Mickens. Mickens feared that his testimony might result in bodily harm to himself or his family members. Montez declined to testify because he believed that his testimony would incriminate him and felt intimidated by Williams. Cisneros invoked his Fifth Amendment right for two reasons. First, given White's indictment, Cisneros feared that he might be indicted for perjury if he provided testimony helpful to Williams. Second, Cisneros feared for his safety during transportation and housing in the Los Angeles County jail system. See id. at 1092-93. 116 Based upon these factual findings and other evidence in the record, we conclude that the prosecution did not improperly cause Williams's witnesses to invoke their Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination. Undue prosecutorial interference in a defense witness's decision to testify arises when the prosecution intimidates or harasses the witness to discourage the witness from testifying, for example, by threatening the witness with prosecution for perjury or other offenses. United States v. Angiulo, 897 F.2d 1169, 1192 (1st Cir.1990); see also United States v. Morrison, 535 F.2d 223, 229 (3d Cir.1976) (the prosecutor's repeated statements to the defense witness about the dangers of perjury and self-incrimination and about the witness's right not to testify, culminating in a highly intimidating personal interview, improperly interfered with the witness's choice to testify and violated the defendant's right to due process); Lord, 711 F.2d at 891 (remanding for an evidentiary hearing on whether the prosecutor engaged in misconduct when the prosecutor told the defense witness about the self-incrimination privilege, said that the government would not prosecute the witness if he submitted to an interview and testified truthfully, and stated that any prosecution of the witness depended upon his testimony). The prosecution's conduct must amount to a substantial interference with the defense witness's free and unhampered determination to testify before the conduct violates the defendant's right to due process. United States v. Emuegbunam, 268 F.3d 377, 400 (6th Cir.2001); United States v. Pinto, 850 F.2d 927, 932 (2d Cir.1988). 117 No prosecutorial misconduct tainted White's decision not to testify at the second state hearing. The record does not support a conclusion that the prosecution brought baseless perjury charges against White to harass him and discourage him from testifying at the hearing. To the contrary, the record suggests that the charges were well-founded given White's admissions to the authorities that he had provided perjured testimony on a number of occasions. Moreover, the prosecution does not abuse its discretion when it refuses to grant use immunity to a defense witness who has been indicted or is the subject of a criminal investigation. See United States v. Croft, 124 F.3d 1109, 1117 (9th Cir.1997) (declin[ing] to adopt a rule that would require the government to grant transactional immunity to an indicted co-conspirator, or to a more marginal witness indicted on related charges); United States v. Condo, 741 F.2d 238, 239 (9th Cir.1984) (the denial of immunity for defense witnesses that were themselves the target of prosecutorial investigation did not deprive the defendant of a fair trial); accord Emuegbunam, 268 F.3d at 401; United States v. Cohen, 171 F.3d 796, 802 (3d Cir.1999); United States v. Mitchell, 886 F.2d 667, 669 670 (4th Cir.1989); United States v. Hooks, 848 F.2d 785, 802 (7th Cir.1988); United States v. Drape, 668 F.2d 22, 26 (1st Cir.1982). While a grant of use immunity theoretically does not improve the legal position of the person immunized, in that he still can be prosecuted for his crime, in practice the burden placed on the government to prove that any evidence obtained against the immunized subject is not tainted by the suspect's statement can significantly impair future prosecutions United States v. Thevis, 665 F.2d 616, 640 (5th Cir.1982). Williams sought White's testimony on how White, Oglesby, and other jailhouse informants fabricated testimony in criminal cases, the very subject of the perjury charges against White. Thus, the prosecution's refusal to grant White use immunity that could have jeopardized the state's case against White was not misconduct that rendered the state evidentiary hearing unfair. 118 We also find no indication that the prosecution improperly interfered in a decision by Mickens, Montez, or Cisneros to testify at the state hearing. Williams points to no direct communication between the prosecution and these witnesses on any subject. Compare Morrison, 535 F.2d at 229 (communication between the prosecutor and defense witness discouraged the witness from testifying); Lord, 711 F.2d at 891 (similar prosecutor-witness communication). Moreover, to the extent that White's perjury indictment influenced these witnesses to invoke their Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination, this influence does not amount to prosecutorial misconduct. As already noted, the record does not indicate that White's perjury charges were baseless or pursued with the intent to intimidate or stifle the testimony of Williams's witnesses. Even if we assume that White's indictment was a warning to these witnesses, merely warning a witness of the consequences of perjury does not unduly pressure the witness's choice to testify or violate the defendant's right to due process. Emuegbunam, 268 F.3d at 400 (no prosecutorial interference with the defense witness's decision not to testify when his concern about his exposure to potential criminal liability motivated the decision, not any threats by government officials); Hooks, 848 F.2d at 799-802 (noting that [i]t is not improper per se for a ... prosecuting attorney to advise prospective witnesses of the penalties for testifying falsely, and finding no prosecutorial misconduct when the prosecutor simply informed the court and counsel for the defense witnesses that the witnesses could be prosecuted if they testified falsely, and there was no evidence of threats and intimidation). 119 Williams fails to show that the prosecution denied his witnesses use immunity with the deliberate intention of distorting the fact-finding process. Because Williams does not establish that the second state evidentiary hearing on his Sixth Amendment claim was not full and fair, the district court properly deferred under pre-AEDPA § 2254(d) to the California Supreme Court's factual determinations with respect to this claim. Accordingly, we decline Williams's request for remand for an evidentiary hearing. 14 E. Incompetence To Stand Trial. (Claim A) 120 Williams claims violations to his due process rights because the trial judge failed sua sponte to conduct a competency hearing, and because he was tried while incompetent. We consider each claim in turn. 15 121 1. Procedural-Due-Process Claim. 122 Due process prohibits the criminal prosecution of a defendant who is not competent to stand trial, and the state must provide procedures for determining the defendant's competence. Medina v. California, 505 U.S. 437, 449, 112 S.Ct. 2572, 120 L.Ed.2d 353 (1992) (citing Drope v. Missouri, 420 U.S. 162, 172-73, 95 S.Ct. 896, 43 L.Ed.2d 103 (1975), and Pate v. Robinson, 383 U.S. 375, 386, 86 S.Ct. 836, 15 L.Ed.2d 815 (1966)). A state trial judge must conduct a competency hearing, regardless of whether defense counsel requests one, whenever the evidence before the judge raises a bona fide doubt about the defendant's competence to stand trial. Odle v. Woodford, 238 F.3d 1084, 1087 (9th Cir.2001) (citing de Kaplany v. Enomoto, 540 F.2d 975, 979 (9th Cir.1976) (en banc)); see also Pate, 383 U.S. at 385, 86 S.Ct. 836 (finding the statutory procedure using the  bona fide doubt standard to be constitutionally adequate). A bona fide doubt exists if there is `substantial evidence of incompetence,' Amaya-Ruiz v. Stewart, 121 F.3d 486, 489 (9th Cir.1997) (quoting United States v. Lewis, 991 F.2d 524, 527 (9th Cir.1993)), or substantial evidence that the defendant lacks sufficient present ability to consult with his lawyer with a reasonable degree of rational understanding or a rational as well as factual understanding of the proceedings against him. Dusky v. United States, 362 U.S. 402, 402, 80 S.Ct. 788, 4 L.Ed.2d 824 (1960) (per curiam); see also Torres v. Prunty, 223 F.3d 1103, 1106 (9th Cir.2000). 123 In reviewing whether a state trial judge should have sua sponte conducted a competency hearing, a federal court may consider only the evidence that was before the trial judge. United States v. Lewis, 991 F.2d 524, 527 (9th Cir.1993). Although no particular facts signal a defendant's incompetence, suggestive evidence includes the defendant's demeanor before the trial judge, irrational behavior of the defendant, and available medical evaluations of the defendant's competence to stand trial. Drope, 420 U.S. at 180, 95 S.Ct. 896; Amaya-Ruiz, 121 F.3d at 489; Moran v. Godinez, 57 F.3d 690, 695 (9th Cir.1994). 124 To support his procedural-due-process claim, Williams relies upon a portion of a preliminary-hearing transcript that shows him failing to respond to questioning by the trial judge. The transcript reads as follows: 125 THE COURT: And I think that you personally do not have the money, Mr. Williams, to hire an attorney; is that right? You don't have a bank account where you can go out and pour out the dough, right? 126 THE DEFENDANT: (The defendant shakes his head negatively.) 127 THE COURT: You better say no so the lady can put it down. Do you want to speak up? Mr. Williams? Did you understand what I'm saying, Mr. Williams? THE DEFENDANT: (No audible response.) 128 THE COURT: Does he get in these moods frequently, Mr. Holiwell, where he won't speak? 129 MR. HOLIWELL: Well, he's been on PCP. And ever since then, he really been [sic] — since then he just haven't [sic] been on alert. He go [sic] into strange moods. 130 THE COURT: All right. Well, I am aware that at least he's alert and looking at me. And he's not choosing to respond to my words. But I can't say he's understanding what I say. 131 MR. HOLIWELL: Can I speak to him? 132 THE COURT: Yes. Go ahead. 133 MR. HOLIWELL: Stan, you have to say something to tell the lady what you want to do. Tell the judge what you want to do. 134 DEFENDANT: What was the question? 135 THE COURT: You do not have the money personally to hire your own attorney? 136 THE DEFENDANT: Unh-unh. 137 THE COURT: Okay. Thank you, Mr. Williams. Thank you, Mr. Holiwell. 138 After this colloquy, Fred Holiwell, Williams's stepfather, notified the trial judge that Williams needed some psychiatric help. The trial judge responded that he would appoint psychiatrists to examine Williams. Subsequently, the trial judge ordered two psychiatrists, Dr. Alfred Coodley and Dr. Michael Coburn, to interview Williams and report to the court on his competence to stand trial and on the validity of his insanity plea, which Williams later withdrew. 16 139 After conducting a psychiatric interview with Williams, and after reviewing the police report and the transcripts of the preliminary hearings, Dr. Coodley concluded that Williams was neither incompetent to stand trial nor insane at the time of the alleged offenses. Dr. Coodley reported to the trial judge that Williams is presently able to understand the nature and purpose of the proceedings taken against him. He is presently able to cooperate in a relatively rational manner with counsel in presenting a defense. Dr. Coodley also informed the court that he [did] not feel there is sufficient evidence to state that the defendant was insane by the A.L.I. rule at the time of commission of the alleged offenses. 140 Dr. Coburn likewise reviewed the police report and the preliminary-hearing transcripts, but conducted only a limited interview with Williams. Unbeknownst to Dr. Coburn at the time of the interview, Williams had recently withdrawn his insanity plea. Thus, Williams declined to speak with Dr. Coburn about the alleged offenses, as he had with Dr. Coodley, until he consulted with his attorney. However, Williams did provide Dr. Coburn with some background history. Dr. Coburn reported to the trial judge that, although he did not have sufficient data to draw conclusions with reasonable certainty, his preliminary impression was that there was little support for an insanity or diminished-mental-capacity defense. 141 Given these psychiatric evaluations by Drs. Coodley and Coburn, we conclude that the trial judge's decision not to hold a competency hearing was not unreasonable. These evaluations could properly dispel any doubt that the judge had at the preliminary hearing regarding Williams's competence to stand trial. Although Dr. Coburn did not provide a medical opinion that Williams was competent, as had Dr. Coodley, Williams's unwillingness to discuss the alleged offenses with Dr. Coburn after the withdrawal of his insanity plea, and without first consulting with his attorney, showed that Williams had a rational and factual understanding of the proceedings against him. Williams's comprehension of the legal significance of the withdrawal of his insanity plea also indicated that he had the ability to consult with his attorney with a reasonable degree of rational understanding. See Dusky, 362 U.S. at 402, 80 S.Ct. 788 (competence is a rational and factual understanding of the proceedings and an ability to consult with defense counsel in a reasonably rational manner). 142 We also find relevant that the transcripts of the police interview with Williams and the proceedings before the trial court do not evidence any bizarre or irrational behavior by Williams. See Drope, 420 U.S. at 180, 95 S.Ct. 896 (a defendant's irrational behavior is a factor to be considered in assessing competence); compare Chavez v. United States, 656 F.2d 512, 519 (9th Cir.1981) (a bona fide doubt existed as to the defendant's competence when he fired his attorneys, had emotional outbursts resulting in his forcible removal from the courtroom, and did not attempt to plea bargain); United States v. Auen, 846 F.2d 872, 878 (2nd Cir.1988) (a bona fide doubt existed when the defendant exhibited bizarre behavior and beliefs in his pre-arrest correspondence with the government, in his post-arrest statements, and when before the court). Moreover, Williams's defense counsel at no point raised the issue of Williams's competence to stand trial. We have previously noted that defense counsel [is] in the best position to evaluate [a defendant's] competence and ability to render assistance. Torres, 223 F.3d at 1109 (citing Medina, 505 U.S. at 450, 112 S.Ct. 2572); see also Hernandez v. Ylst, 930 F.2d 714, 718 (9th Cir.1991) (We deem significant the fact that the trial judge, government counsel, and [the defendant's] own attorney did not perceive a reasonable cause to believe[the defendant] was incompetent.). 143 Williams argues that the trial court erred in failing to conduct a competency hearing, pointing to evidence that he seemed dazed and generally inattentive after his arrest and during trial. Much of the evidence that Williams cites was not before the trial judge, and so we do not consider it in deciding Williams's procedural-due-process claim. See Lewis, 991 F.2d at 527 (only the evidence before the trial judge is relevant). To the extent that Williams's dazed or inattentive demeanor was before the trial judge, we agree with the Eleventh Circuit that there is no constitutional prohibition against the trial and conviction of a defendant who fails to pay attention in court — whether out of indifference, fear, confusion, boredom, or sleepiness — unless that defendant cannot understand the nature of the proceedings against him or adequately assist counsel in conducting a defense. Watts v. Singletary, 87 F.3d 1282, 1287 (11th Cir.1996) (no bona fide doubt as to a defendant's competence, even though he slept through approximately 70% of his murder trial, because he was able to provide lucid and rational answers when awake that demonstrated his understanding of the proceedings against him, and defense counsel never suggested that the defendant was incompetent). The trial transcript does not indicate that Williams lacked understanding of the proceedings or was unable to assist in his defense. To the contrary, the transcript shows that Williams informed the court that he did not want to testify at the penalty phase, and that he conferred with defense counsel regarding whether to call other witnesses at the penalty phase. The transcript also reflects that Williams was able to use somewhat technical legal terms appropriately ( i.e., Could I have [an attorney] appointed for right now?, I'd like to move for a continuance at this time because the attorney of my choice, he's at this moment downtown fighting a murder trial.). Thus, we conclude that any lack of attentiveness by Williams before the trial judge did not create a bona fide doubt about his competence. 144 Williams also contends that the trial judge unreasonably relied upon the psychiatric reports of Drs. Coodley and Coburn, asserting that neither doctor had the necessary family or background information to prepare a complete mental-status evaluation. We disagree. Although Dr. Coburn's opinion was admittedly tentative due to his limited interview with Williams, Dr. Coodley conducted a fairly comprehensive interview, questioning Williams about the alleged offenses, his childhood, family, medical history, schooling, drug use, and other subjects. Thus, the trial judge reasonably relied upon Dr. Coodley's medical opinion that Williams was competent to stand trial. We decline to consider the 1995 declarations of Drs. Coodley and Coburn, and other evidence that Williams amassed during his habeas corpus proceedings to cast doubt on the validity of the doctors' 1979 psychiatric reports, because this evidence was not available to the trial judge. See Lewis, 991 F.2d at 527 (we consider only the evidence that was before the trial court). 145 In sum, the trial judge afforded all the process due to make reasonably certain that Williams was competent to stand trial. The evidence before the trial judge did not require a formal competency hearing. However, whether Williams was in fact competent is a separate question, to which we now turn. 146 2. Substantive-Due-Process Claim. 147 On appeal, Williams challenges the scope of the district court's evidentiary hearing on his claim that he was unconstitutionally tried while incompetent, and also the district court's conclusion that Williams did not meet his burden of establishing his incompetence. See Williams IV, 41 F.Supp.2d at 1060. 148
149 After reviewing Williams's evidence that he was tried while incompetent, the district court was inclined to grant the state's motion for summary judgment on the claim. See Williams III, 48 F.Supp.2d at 993. However, because the court had ordered an evidentiary hearing on the issue of Williams's mental state in conjunction with his ineffective-assistance-of-counsel claims, the district court denied the state's motion, permitting further exploration of Williams's substantive-due-process claim at the hearing already scheduled. See id. 150 At this hearing, the district court received direct testimony via narrative statement and also live testimony from Williams's trial attorney, another attorney who represented Williams at the preliminary hearings, and a trial juror. See Williams IV, 41 F.Supp.2d at 1046. Although the parties moved the court to present the oral testimony of mental-health experts on the issue of Williams's mental state, the district court instead ordered the parties to cross-examine the experts' declarations by deposition and then file briefs detailing areas of possible impeachment. See id. Based upon the live testimony presented at the hearing and the declarations, depositions, and briefs filed by the parties, the district court denied Williams's substantive-due-process claim. See id. at 1060. 151 Williams argues that the district court abused its discretion when it limited the scope of the evidentiary hearing on his incompetence claim in the above-described manner. Particularly, Williams contends that the hearing was inadequate without the oral testimony of expert witnesses, and that the court impermissibly resolved credibility questions and the merits of his claim on the basis of a predominantly written record. 152 As we discussed in the context of the hearing on Williams's shackling claim, a district court in a habeas corpus proceeding has the discretion to conduct an evidentiary hearing by choosing a middle path that includes documentary evidence, but excludes oral testimony. See Watts, 841 F.2d at 277. A district court must only give the petitioner full opportunity to present the relevant facts. Id. Because Williams fails to identify any relevant facts that he was unable to present due to his inability to elicit oral testimony, we conclude that the district court did not abuse its discretion in restricting, as it did, the scope of the evidentiary hearing on his substantive-due-process claim. 153
154 To establish a violation of his right not to be tried and convicted while incompetent, Williams must show that at the time of trial he lacked either sufficient ability to consult with his lawyer with a reasonable degree of rational understanding, or a rational and factual understanding of the proceedings against him. See Dusky, 362 U.S. at 402, 80 S.Ct. 788. In deciding Williams's claim of actual incompetence, we may consider facts and evidence that were not available to the state trial court before and during trial. See Watts, 87 F.3d at 1290; Boag v. Raines, 769 F.2d 1341, 1343 (9th Cir.1985). However, we disfavor retrospective determinations of incompetence, and give considerable weight to the lack of contemporaneous evidence of a petitioner's incompetence to stand trial. Moran, 57 F.3d at 696. 155 In evaluating Williams's substantive-due-process claim after the state's motion for summary judgment and again after the evidentiary hearing on Williams's mental state, the district court set forth in its opinions very thorough and detailed descriptions of the evidence that Williams presented in support of his claim. See Williams III, 48 F.Supp.2d at 990-93; Williams IV, 41 F.Supp.2d at 1052-59. We incorporate these descriptions by reference into our opinion. We review the district court's credibility determinations for clear error, Fisher v. Roe, 263 F.3d 906, 912 (9th Cir.2001), and the district court's competency determination de novo. Boag, 769 F.2d at 1343. We agree with the district court that Williams fails to establish his incompetence at the time of trial. 156 We find especially relevant defense counsel's opinion that Williams was competent to stand trial. See Medina, 505 U.S. at 450, 112 S.Ct. 2572 (defense counsel will often have the best-informed view of the defendant's ability to participate in his defense); Hernandez, 930 F.2d at 718 (the fact that defense counsel considered the defendant competent to stand trial was significant evidence that the defendant was competent). At the evidentiary hearing on Williams's mental state, Joseph Ingber, Williams's trial attorney, testified that Williams fully understood the nature of the proceedings against him and appropriately assisted with and made decisions regarding his defense. For example, Williams contributed to his alibi defense by providing Ingber with the names of the persons that he had been with at the time of the alleged offenses. Williams also indicated that he comprehended the ramifications of his decision not to call witnesses to provide mitigating evidence at the penalty phase. Ingber testified that Williams's response to the proceedings against him was not at all unusual, that Williams exhibited no traits suggestive of mental illness, and that Williams engaged in normal conversations about subjects unrelated to the case that interested him, such as sports and weight-lifting. Ingber roundly rejected the suggestion that Williams was incompetent at trial, stating that there isn't one scintilla of evidence anywhere during the course of this trial that indicates that Stanley Williams was not competent, if he wanted to, to assist in the preparation of this case. 157 Ingber's opinion regarding Williams's competence is consistent with the evidence of Williams's demeanor before the state trial court and the medical evaluations given to that court, which we have already discussed in conjunction with Williams's procedural-due-process claim. Ingber's opinion also corresponds with Dr. Ronald Siegel's 1979 mental-health report provided to defense counsel, which we may properly consider in resolving Williams's claim of actual incompetence. See Boag, 769 F.2d at 1343. Dr. Siegel, as a psychophar-macologist, specialized in the study of how drugs affect the mind. He reviewed the police report, preliminary-hearing transcripts, and evaluations of Drs. Coodley and Coburn, and also conducted a four-hour examination of Williams. Dr. Siegel found that Williams exhibit[ed] none of the characteristic changes in perception and body imagery associated with chronic PCP users, suggesting that his use of this compound has been somewhat exaggerated or involves very low dosages. Dr. Siegel reported no indication of psychotic or schizophrenic thinking and no underlying psychopathology although [Williams] is extremely violent and assaultive. Dr. Siegel concluded that Williams was neither insane, unconscious, nor severely diminished in capacity at the time of the alleged offense. He was capable of knowing and understanding the nature and quality of his acts and the consequences. We accord substantial weight to Dr. Siegel's contemporaneous opinion that Williams did not suffer from a mental defect, and to the other evidence before the state trial court that suggested Williams was competent to stand trial. See Moran, 57 F.3d at 696 (noting that medical reports contemporaneous to the time of the initial hearing greatly increase the chance for an accurate retrospective evaluation of a defendant's competence). 158 We give little weight to the declarations of the mental-health experts that Williams submitted in his habeas corpus proceedings. The district court found that the declarations were not very credible, and this credibility determination is not clearly erroneous. The district court correctly noted that the declarations fail to support sufficiently their retrospective assessments of Williams's mental state by tying them to the facts of the case. See Williams IV, 41 F.Supp.2d at 1059 (Petitioner's experts did not adequately explain the effect of his impairments on his thoughts or actions, and failed to adequately explain how he could appear lucid during the crimes yet be unable to form the intent to kill). The declarations do not describe how Williams's probable mental impairment interfered with his understanding of the proceedings against him or with his ability to assist counsel in presenting a defense. With the exception of the incident at the preliminary hearing where Williams stood mute when questioned by the court, an incident that might simply have been a lapse in attention, the declarations do not point to any manifestation of Williams's incompetence in the trial-court record. The declarations likewise fail to explain Williams's rational responses to police questioning, his sensible decision not to speak with Dr. Coburn about the charged offenses after withdrawing his insanity plea, and his logical requests that the court appoint interim counsel and also continue the proceedings until his attorney was present, requests that reflect an understanding of the judicial proceedings. We agree with the district court that the declarations prepared by the mental-health experts for Williams's habeas corpus proceedings are not entirely credible. 159 We also accord little weight to the competency assessments of Williams's habeas corpus experts because they are based not upon medical reports contemporaneous to the time of the preliminary hearings or trial, but upon declarations submitted by Williams's friends and family and neuropsychological testing conducted more than ten years after trial. We have previously held that retrospective competency determinations, although disfavored, are permissible when it is possible to make an accurate retrospective evaluation, for example, by consulting contemporaneous medical reports. See Moran, 57 F.3d at 696. Without the benefit of such contemporaneous reports, the passage of time and the difficulties inherent in evaluating the defendant's competence from a written record reduce the likelihood of an accurate retrospective determination. See Pate, 383 U.S. at 387, 86 S.Ct. 836 (concluding that no meaningful retrospective competency determination could be made six years after trial). Because we doubt the accuracy of the retrospective competency determinations of Williams's habeas corpus experts, we conclude that the determinations are not especially probative of whether Williams actually was incompetent at the time of his trial. 160 Given the significant contemporaneous evidence of Williams's competence at trial, supported by defense counsel's firm belief that Williams was competent, and the absence of persuasive evidence to the contrary, Williams fails to establish a violation of his right not to be tried and convicted while incompetent. We affirm the district court's denial of both Williams's procedural-due-process and substantive-due-process claims. 161 F. Ineffective Assistance of Counsel. (Claim D) 162 Williams argues that the district court erred in denying on summary judgment his claim that defense counsel was ineffective at the guilt phase of trial. See Williams III, 48 F.Supp.2d at 1000. To prevail on his claim, Williams must first show that defense counsel's representation fell below an objective standard of reasonableness under prevailing professional norms. Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 688, 104 S.Ct. 2052, 80 L.Ed.2d 674 (1984). Williams faults Ingber for insufficient investigation of a mental-state defense and for his decision not to pursue the defense at the guilt phase. [C]ounsel has a duty to make reasonable investigations or to make a reasonable decision that makes particular investigations unnecessary. Id. at 691, 104 S.Ct. 2052. [S]trategic choices made after less than complete investigation are reasonable precisely to the extent that reasonable professional judgments support the limitations on investigation. Id. at 690-91, 104 S.Ct. 2052. In assessing the reasonableness of Ingber's representation, we must be highly deferential, avoid the distorting effects of hindsight, and indulge a strong presumption that [his] conduct falls within the wide range of reasonable professional assistance. Id. at 689, 104 S.Ct. 2052. 163 In a declaration submitted in the state habeas corpus proceedings, Ingber explained that he did not present a mentalstate defense because he had no credible evidence of mental disability or brain damage to support such a defense. When Ingber inherited Williams's case from prior counsel, three mental-health experts had already interviewed Williams and reviewed the police report and preliminary-hearing transcripts. As already discussed in the context of Williams's competency claims, Dr. Siegel provided his considered opinion that Williams was neither insane, unconscious, nor severely diminished in capacity at the time of the alleged offense. Dr. Coburn's preliminary impressions based on the materials at hand and [his] examination of[Williams did] not indicate any support for [a] defense position of insanity or diminished capacity, unless virtually all of the witness statements regarding both [Williams's] behavior and his post-offense statements [were] discounted completely. Dr. Coburn reported that [t]here [was] really nothing in the data itself to support the likelihood that [Williams's] behavior or thought patterns were materially affected by any PCP usage. Dr. Coodley concluded that Williams was sane, but noted the possib[ility] that [his] mental capacity to form the specific intent to kill, rob and kidnap at the time of the commission of the alleged offenses was diminished because of PCP (angel dust) use. However, Dr. Coodley stated that he did not have sufficient tangible evidence to support that conclusion [of diminished mental capacity]. 164 In general, an attorney is entitled to rely on the opinions of mental health experts in deciding whether to pursue an insanity or diminished capacity defense. Hendricks v. Calderon, 70 F.3d 1032, 1038 (9th Cir.1995); see also Harris v. Vasquez, 949 F.2d 1497, 1525 (9th Cir.1990) (It is certainly within the `wide range of professionally competent assistance' for an attorney to rely on properly selected experts.). We have previously held that defense counsel reasonably declined to pursue a mental-state defense when two experts opined that the defendant was neither insane nor diminished in mental capacity, and a third expert could not reach a conclusion. Morgan v. Bunnell, 24 F.3d 49, 52 (9th Cir.1994); see also Hendricks, 70 F.3d at 1038 (defense counsel was not deficient in deciding not to present a mental-state defense when two mental-health experts had found no evidence that the defendant was insane or diminished in mental capacity). Moreover, it is acceptable trial strategy to choose not to call psychiatrists to testify when they can be subjected to cross-examination based on equally persuasive psychiatric opinions that reach a different conclusion. Harris, 949 F.2d at 1525. Given that the mental-health experts' evaluations of Williams did not support a mental-state defense, Ingber's decision not to investigate further or ultimately pursue the defense was a reasonable strategic choice. See Strickland, 466 U.S. at 690-91, 104 S.Ct. 2052. 165 Ingber's conclusion that an alibi defense was both viable and preferable to a mental-state defense also cannot be criticized. In response to questioning by the police, Williams had insisted that he was not present at either of the two robbery-shootings, and had disputed the statements of the government informants that he had admitted responsibility for the crimes. Williams had similarly denied involvement in the crimes during his mental-health consultations with Drs. Coodley and Siegel. In an interview with the police, Holiwell, Williams's stepfather, had stated that he saw Williams at a bar right before the Brookhaven Motel crimes occurred, thereby indicating that Williams could not have been the perpetrator. Williams provided Ingber with the names of other witnesses, like Beverly McGowan and Eugene Riley, who were able to substantiate Williams's alibi defense by testifying that he was with them at the time of the alleged offenses. The credibility of the prosecution's witnesses that placed Williams at the crime scenes was suspect because they each had inducements to testify. Ingber could through cross-examination bring out their motivations to lie. Given this factual support for the alibi defense, [i]t was clearly within the `wide range of professionally competent assistance' for [Ingber] to choose not to present a psychiatric defense theory that could conflict with [the] alibi defense .... Harris, 949 F.2d at 1525. 166 Having reasonably selected an alibi defense as the primary defense theory, Ingber no longer had a duty to investigate a conflicting mental-state defense. See Bean v. Calderon, 163 F.3d 1073, 1081-82 (9th Cir.1998) (counsel's reasonable choice of an alibi defense ended counsel's duty to investigate a conflicting defense of diminished mental capacity); Turk v. White, 116 F.3d 1264, 1266-67 (9th Cir.1997) (defense counsel's reasonable selection of a self-defense theory obviated counsel's need to investigate a conflicting defense of incompetency); Correll v. Stewart, 137 F.3d 1404, 1411 (9th Cir.1998) (defense counsel was not ineffective for failing to present psychiatric evidence that would have contradicted the primary defense theory of misidentification); Fritchie v. McCarthy, 664 F.2d 208, 215 (9th Cir.1981) (same). 167 Williams argues that Ingber's decision to pursue an alibi rather than a mental-state defense was not a considered choice, and that Ingber simply tossed out whatever came to hand, irrespective of merit. to support this inference, Williams points to aspects of Ingber's pre-trial representation, for example, that Ingber informed the prosecutor of his intention to present an alibi defense only the day before trial began; that Ingber denied on the record that Holiwell, Williams's stepfather, definitively would be a defense witness when later he was the first alibi witness called for the defense; and that Ingber refused, in advance of trial, to request or reject jury instructions on diminished mental capacity, and then failed to inform the prosecutor whether this refusal was inadvertence or trial tactics. 168 Our review of the record reveals that the inference that Williams argues — that Ingber's reticence to disclose information about the defense strategy evidences Ingber's lack of preparation and ill-considered choice of defense strategy — is not supportable. Ingber informed the prosecutor on the day before trial of his intent to present an alibi defense only to comply with California Penal Code § 1051 (1981), which Ingber understood to require such notice and to allow the prosecutor to seek a continuance if the state did not receive the necessary notice. Ingber did divulge the names of some defense witnesses before trial in order to allow the court to rule on the admissibility of the witnesses' prior convictions. Ingber also revealed the identity of some defense witnesses prior to trial when he made arrangements to have various inmates released from custody so that they could testify in court. When the prosecutor sought the names of all the witnesses that the defense planned to call, Ingber refused, arguing to the trial court: [I]f I were to reveal the names of alibi witnesses, I would be subject [to sanctions] for inadequacy of counsel and incompetency and possibly malpractice. When Ingber declined to express a preference regarding jury instructions on diminished mental capacity in advance of trial, the prosecutor attributed this conduct to trial tactics, not inadvertence. Referring to an award recently presented to Ingber for his outstanding work as a trial attorney, the prosecutor said: I would assume that the record should reflect that that is being done as a means of trial tactics by what is certainly known in this area as a very prestigious and competent attorney, Mr. Joseph Ingber, the recipient of the Jerry Geisler Award by the Criminal Courts Bar Association. In light of this record, we conclude that the inference that Williams asserts, namely that Ingber arbitrarily chose a defense strategy without regard to merit, is not a reasonable one. The conduct that Williams highlights suggests only that Ingber was being cagey about disclosing his defense strategy to the prosecution. 169 Because Ingber made a reasonable strategic decision to present an alibi defense and not a mental-state defense, Williams fails to establish that Ingber's representation was deficient. See Strickland, 466 U.S. at 687, 104 S.Ct. 2052. We affirm the district court's grant of summary judgment on the basis that defense counsel was effective at the guilt phase of trial. 17 170 G. Cumulative Error. 171 Although no single alleged error may warrant habeas corpus relief, the cumulative effect of errors may deprive a petitioner of the due process right to a fair trial. Karis, 283 F.3d at 1132. That is not the case here. Williams has not shown that the cumulative prejudicial effect of the alleged errors at his trial puts the case in such a different light as to undermine confidence in its outcome. See Kyles v. Whitley, 514 U.S. 419, 434-35, 115 S.Ct. 1555, 131 L.Ed.2d 490 (1995). 172