Opinion ID: 2069959
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 17

Heading: Alleged Failure to Present Mitigation Evidence

Text: Johnson contends that trial counsel was ineffective for failing to conduct a reasonable investigation of his life history, mental health, drug and alcohol abuse, and other avenues of mitigation. At the PCRA hearing, trial counsel testified that he obtained a detailed family history, prepared by the sister of Johnson, school records, and medical records. However, neither Johnson nor his family provided any information about alleged suicide attempts or head trauma that Johnson now alleges he suffered. Trial counsel stated at the PCRA hearing that Johnson did not show any signs of mental infirmity or an inability to communicate. PCRA N.T., 5/11/01, page 198. Trial counsel testified that [Johnson] said that [drug and alcohol abuse] was not an issue. There wasn't a degree of alcohol [and] he was not under the influence of a controlled substance. That is why that particular issue was not pursued. Id. at 183. Trial counsel also stated that he did not present much evidence on drug and alcohol abuse in mitigation as one of the [Commonwealth's] aggravating factors was, to paraphrase, homicide during the course of a drug transaction involving drug activity. Id. at 184. It was reasonable for trial counsel to attempt to avoid portraying Johnson as someone heavily involved in the drug scene, which could have the effect of solidifying in the minds of the jurors the existence of the (d)(14) drug activity aggravator. Our review of the original sentencing phase transcript indicates that trial counsel presented the evidence that he gleaned from his communications with the family of Johnson and Johnson himself. The only avenues of mitigation that the family or Johnson advised trial counsel of prior to the penalty phase were: (1) Johnson's age at the time of the murders; (2) his drug and alcohol abuse; and (3) his troubled family household. Trial counsel sought as a mitigating circumstance the age of Johnson. Counsel did present some evidence of Johnson's drug and alcohol abuse and, as discussed above, had a reasonable basis for not presenting more. Counsel also introduced the testimony of the family members of Johnson to show that he came from a family with problems and that they had high expectations of him. As the PCRA court correctly found, [u]nder the facts and circumstances of this case, trial counsel cannot be held ineffective for what he did not know and was not made aware of by [Johnson] or his family. Opinion of the PCRA Court, October 2, 2001, page 22. Counsel conducted a reasonably thorough review and sought relevant information for the penalty phase. He presented his findings in a manner reasonably designed to highlight the positives of Johnson without bringing too much attention to the negatives. Any deficiencies in the presentation of counsel stem not from his performance as counsel, but from Johnson's own failure to advise.