Opinion ID: 2444929
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Scott's Eleventh Claim

Text: Scott's penultimate claim is that his appellate counsel was ineffective for failing to appeal the trial court's denial of his Motion for Judgment of Acquittal. Scott contends that the State's evidence relating to Kelly and Ester Oster's injuries so overwhelmed the jury that it could not properly consider his defense of extreme emotional distress, thereby prejudicing him. Essentially, Scott argues that the trial court erred in admitting the medical and police reports relating to Kelly and Ester Oster's injuries. Scott's claim fails for several reasons. First, as noted in our discussion of Scott's first claim, the jury acquitted Scott of both the first-degree murder charge and the two assault charges. Therefore, Scott cannot argue that he was actually prejudiced by the evidence of the Osters' injuries, because he was acquitted of those charges. Second, the evidence is sufficient to support the jury's verdict of second-degree murder. In appellate counsel's own words, the evidence uncontroverted[ly] and overwhelming[ly] demonstrates that Scott attacked Edna Crown and stabbed her to death. Scott cannot show that he was actually prejudiced by the admission of the evidence relating to the Osters' injuries. Third, Scott's trial counsel did, in fact, move to reduce the first-degree murder charge to second-degree murder on the basis of insufficient evidence of intent. Because his trial counsel succeeded on his motion for acquittal of first-degree murder, it is unclear what exactly Scott desired his counsel to argue on direct appeal. Having been acquitted of the first-degree murder charge and two assault charges, Scott has failed to demonstrate that his appellate counsel performed deficiently, or that he suffered any actual prejudice from counsel's performance. The trial court did not err or abuse its discretion in denying Scott's ineffective assistance claim.