Opinion ID: 1697443
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Nixon/Cronic at Opening Statement

Text: Gamble next claims that the trial court erred in denying relief on his claim that defense counsel conceded guilt to first-degree murder at trial without his knowledge or consent. In his opening statement to the jury, Gamble's trial counsel argued that at the time of the killing Gamble did not actually intend to kill his landlord, but that he did perpetrate an act imminently dangerous to another evincing a depraved mind regardless of human life but without a premeditated design to kill. During his closing argument, defense counsel told the jury that they would conclude that Mr. Gamble [was] guilty of second or third degree murder but not first degree murder. The court below concluded that trial counsel did not concede guilt to the crime charged, and that Gamble agreed to the strategy counsel utilized. This case is one where the defense was faced with significant evidence of the defendant's participation in the criminal episode that resulted in the victim's death. Just after Gamble was arrested, he gave a statement to police, saying that he and his codefendant Mike Love hit the victim with a hammer, and that after the victim went down, Love took the victim's keys and wallet and gave them to Gamble. Defense counsel moved to suppress the statement, arguing that it was not made voluntarily. However, Gamble refused to testify at the suppression hearing and counsel was forced to withdraw the motion. Thus, the confession was available to the State for use at trial. In addition to the confession, Gamble's girlfriend testified that Gamble planned to take out the victim, and that the night before the murder, Gamble practiced strangulation on her using a cord from the window blind. The State also introduced evidence that Gamble's clothes were stained with the victim's blood. At trial, defense counsel relied on the theory of second- or third-degree murder. He attempted to argue that Gamble had no intention of being involved in a murder. He argued that Mike Love initiated the killing and it caught Gamble off guard. Defense counsel was willing to admit that, although Gamble had no intent to kill the victim, after the death, he did participate in the theft. When asked at the evidentiary hearing how such a theory could be viable with all the evidence that the murder and robbery were planned ahead of time, trial counsel answered that the evidence, as it was, had to be dealt with. He attempted to show the jury that what had actually occurred is not what Gamble had planned. He argued to the jury that Gamble had been taken by surprise when Love hit the victim with a hammer. He wanted to convince the jury that at the time Gamble and Love approached their landlord, Gamble had no intent to kill him or rob him. Gamble's trial counsel stated that he chose to make certain concessions in his opening statement because he thought it was important to show that Gamble was responsible to a certain extent and should be punished to some degree, but that Gamble did not commit first-degree murder and should not get the death penalty. Thus, the issue to be decided is whether Gamble's trial counsel's performance was deficient when he decided to tell the jury in his opening statement that Gamble was guilty of a lesser included offense. As we said in Atwater v. State, 788 So.2d 223 (Fla.2001), Not all decisions of counsel are reviewable under Strickland as constituting ineffective assistance of counsel. [A]ny specific discretionary or judgmental act or position of trial counsel, whether tactical or strategic, on an inquiry as to effectiveness of counsel will not be considered under Strickland. McNeal v. State, 409 So.2d 528, 529 (Fla. 5th DCA 1982). Sometimes concession of guilt to some of the prosecutor's claims is good trial strategy and within defense counsel's discretion in order to gain credibility and acceptance of the jury. When faced with the duty of attempting to avoid the consequences of overwhelming evidence of the commission of an atrocious crime, such as a deliberate, considered killing without the remotest legal justification or excuse, it is commonly considered a good trial strategy for a defense counsel to make some halfway concessions to the truth in order to give the appearance of reasonableness and candor and to thereby gain credibility and jury acceptance of some more important position. Id. at 529. Atwater, 788 So.2d at 230. In his opening statement, defense counsel told the jury that although Gamble was involved, he did not kill the victim or intend to kill the victim. Counsel told the jury that Mike Love actually did the killing and took the victim's wallet and money. Since this rendition of the facts did not contradict the confession Gamble made, it was a viable alternative theory to the State's position. Gamble's post-conviction claim offers no real alternative theory for the defense, except to question trial counsel's decision to present an opening statement. To that alternative, trial counsel responded that he always realizes he has the option of not making an opening statement, but he generally does not waive opening statement because the jury would then hear only the State's theory and the defendant would have no opportunity to rebut any of the State's arguments. Thus, it was a strategic decision to make a defense opening statement. [S]trategic decisions do not constitute ineffective assistance of counsel if alternative courses have been considered and rejected and counsel's decision was reasonable under the norms of professional conduct. Occhicone v. State, 768 So.2d 1037, 1048 (Fla.2000); accord Shere v. State, 742 So.2d 215, 220 (Fla.1999); State v. Bolender, 503 So.2d 1247, 1250 (Fla.1987). The evidence in this case demonstrates that trial counsel considered and rejected alternative courses; his decision to proceed in the manner chosen was a strategic one and does not amount to ineffective assistance. Moreover, if the defendant consents to counsel's strategy, there is no merit to a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel. See Nixon v. Singletary, 758 So.2d 618, 623 (Fla.2000). At the post-conviction hearing, trial counsel was asked whether he discussed his trial strategy with Gamble. Counsel stated that either he or co-counsel discussed strategy with Gamble and explained to him that, in their opinion, in order to maintain credibility with the jury they had to argue that Gamble's conduct amounted to second- or third-degree murder. Defense counsel testified that Gamble agreed to proceed as counsel thought necessary. Gamble also testified at the post-conviction hearing. Although Gamble stated that he did not agree to the exact opening statement, he admitted that it was possible that he discussed with his attorneys the strategy to concede second- or third-degree murder and that as far as [he] understood it, it was okay with him. Gamble now argues that trial counsel's concessions amounted to a concession of felony murder and that he did not understand this at the time he agreed to the strategy. Gamble also argues that he could not have consented if he did not understand the effect this concession would have on his case. Essentially, Gamble argues that he would not have consented if he had understood that the strategy was flawed. Strickland stresses that [a] fair assessment of attorney performance requires that every effort be made to eliminate the distorting effects of hindsight, to reconstruct the circumstances of counsel's challenged conduct, and to evaluate the conduct from counsel's perspective at the time. Strickland, 466 U.S. at 689, 104 S.Ct. 2052; see also Cherry v. State, 659 So.2d 1069, 1073 (Fla.1995). Both Gamble and trial counsel had the same understanding of the trial strategy employed. Gamble cannot argue in post-conviction that his consent is now invalid because he did not understand the consequences of his consent if the strategy did not result in an acquittal of first-degree murder. Gamble testified at the post-conviction hearing that he was aware of counsel's trial strategy and was okay with conceding to second- or third-degree murder. The trial court relied on this testimony and specifically found: On cross examination, Defendant stated that he had indeed given his consent to the strategy of admitting to second or third degree murder. (Hr'g Tr. at 120-21). Defendant, himself, maintained no hopes of going free and was even prepared, had the Office of the State Attorney been willing, to plea to a life sentence. Id. Gamble confirmed at the evidentiary hearing that he was aware of and consented to the trial strategy employed by defense counsel. Thus, there is competent, substantial evidence in the post-conviction record to support the trial court's finding that Gamble agreed to concede certain facts at trial. Gamble has failed to demonstrate ineffective assistance of counsel based on this claim.