Opinion ID: 1709946
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: analysis of issues on postconviction appeal

Text: Mendoza asserts that he received ineffective assistance of counsel at both the guilt and penalty phases of his trial. Mendoza asserts that his counsel was ineffective because his counsel relied on inconsistent theories as to the identity of the shooter in opening and closing statements; failed to call Lazaro Cuellar to testify; deficiently prepared the sole defense witness at trial; did not hire an investigator; failed to investigate and present mitigating evidence; improperly opened the door to otherwise inadmissible evidence; and called an improper witness at the penalty phase. To establish a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel, a defendant must first show that counsel's performance was deficient. Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 687, 104 S.Ct. 2052, 80 L.Ed.2d 674 (1984). Second, the defendant must show that counsel's deficiency prejudiced the defendant, which occurs when there is a reasonable probability that, but for counsel's unprofessional errors, the result of the proceeding would have been different. A reasonable probability is a probability sufficient to undermine confidence in the outcome. Id. at 694, 104 S.Ct. 2052. In considering a circuit court's denial of an ineffective assistance of counsel claim, we apply a mixed standard of review and therefore defer to the circuit court's factual findings, but review its legal conclusions de novo. Sochor v. State, 883 So.2d 766, 772 (Fla.2004). Despite the six days of evidentiary hearings and extensive presentation of testimony, the circuit court's order essentially summarily denied Mendoza's postconviction claims. We expressly remanded the circuit court's previous summary denial of the postconviction motion for an evidentiary hearing on the ineffective assistance of counsel claims. As noted, evidentiary hearings were held, but following these extensive hearings, the circuit court neither stated on the record nor rendered an order detailing its factual findings and the reasons for its decision on the postconviction motion. [6] A complete circuit court order enables this Court to review any factual and credibility questions with the appropriate standard of review. The evidentiary record here presents factual conflicts which must be resolved by the circuit court in findings of fact. Likewise, the circuit court's determination as to the credibility of expert testimony presented at the evidentiary hearing needs to be set forth in an order. Such factual and credibility determinations are not available in the instant case due to the brief and incomplete order of the circuit court. Circumstances exist in this case which prevent our remanding to the circuit court for further explanation of the postconviction judge's decision on the basis of the evidence presented at the evidentiary hearings. [7] Instead, we must remand for a new evidentiary hearing so that the ineffective assistance of counsel claims can be properly considered and determined on the evidence presented to the new postconviction judge. Without the circuit court's determination in the instant case of the facts demonstrated at the evidentiary hearing or the credibility of the witnesses, we are unable to have a meaningful and appropriate appellate review. For instance, one of Mendoza's claims is that trial counsel was ineffective for failing to call Lazaro Cuellar to testify at the guilt phase of trial. Arnaldo Suri and Barry Wax represented Mendoza at trial, and both testified at the evidentiary hearing. Neither Suri nor Wax could remember why they did not call Lazaro to testify at trial but maintained that their reason was part of the defense strategy. A determination including an evaluation of the credibility of the witnesses is necessary on this claim. Mendoza also claims that his trial counsel was ineffective in preparing and presenting exculpatory evidence of gunshot residue. At trial, the defense presented only one witness: Gopinath Rao, a criminalist for the Miami-Dade County Police Department who testified as an expert in particle analysis. Part of Rao's testimony was demonstrated by the State to be inaccurate because he reported the wrong time that gunshot residue swabs were taken from Lazaro and Humberto. This inaccurate testimony was highlighted by the State in its closing argument. Without a postconviction order setting forth factual findings in respect to this claim, we cannot determine on appeal the merits of the claim that counsel were ineffective in preparing their witness at trial. See Freeman v. State, 761 So.2d 1055, 1065 n. 9 (Fla.2000) (without an evidentiary hearing and finding of fact by circuit court, it was unclear why defense counsel did not present certain evidence). Mendoza raised numerous other guilt and penalty phase claims that require an evaluation of the evidence and factual determinations. Since the new evidentiary hearing will proceed under the clean slate rule in accordance with Preston v. State, 607 So.2d 404, 407 (Fla.1992), we will not further discuss here claims that should have had an evidence evaluation and factual findings. Each of Mendoza's claims and factual presentations must be made again. This case again demonstrates how this Court's appellate review of postconviction death penalty cases depends upon thorough and complete orders by the circuit court.