Opinion ID: 161857
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: introduction

Text: Robert Leroy Bryan was convicted in Oklahoma state court of first degree malice murder and sentenced to death. See Bryan v. State (Bryan I), 935 P.2d 338 (Okla. Crim. App. 1997). After the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals denied his state petition for post-conviction relief, see Bryan v. State (Bryan II), 948 P.2d 1230 (Okla. Crim. App. 1997), Bryan filed the instant 28 U.S.C. § 2254 habeas petition in federal district court, alleging, inter alia: (1) the state failed to adduce sufficient evidence to support his conviction for first degree malice murder; (2) counsel labored under a conflict of interest; (3) counsel was ineffective at both the guilt and penalty phases of his trial because counsel failed to present mental health evidence; and (4) he was incompetent to stand trial. The district court denied relief. A panel of this court unanimously concluded that Bryan was not entitled to relief on his evidence-sufficiency, conflict of interest, and competency claims. See Bryan v. Gibson (Bryan III), 276 F.3d 1163, 116668, 1172-75, 1168-72 (10th Cir. 2001); id. at 1179, 1180 (Henry, J., concurring in part and dissenting in part). The panel, although divided, further held that trial counsel had not rendered ineffective assistance during either the guilt or penalty phase of the trial by failing to present mental health evidence. Compare id. at -2- 1172-79 (panel majority), with id. at 1182-85 (Henry, J., concurring in part and dissenting in part). 1 A majority of the active judges of this court ordered the case reheard en banc and requested that the parties brief whether trial counsel rendered constitutionally ineffective assistance when he failed to present evidence of Bryan’s mental illness “during either the guilt or penalty phases of the trial.” 2 Upon consideration of the parties’ briefs and submissions, we vacate that portion of the panel opinion addressing Bryan’s claim of ineffective assistance of trial counsel, see id. at 1175-79, and affirm the denial of habeas relief for the reasons set out below. We do not reconsider as an en banc court the panel’s denial of habeas relief as to Bryan’s evidence-sufficiency, competency, or conflict of interest claims. See id. at 1166-68, 1168-72, 1172-75. Accordingly, all remaining portions of the panel opinion remain undisturbed. 1 As to Bryan’s argument that his counsel rendered ineffective assistance during the guilt phase of the trial, Judge Henry simply indicated as follows: “I believe that counsel was ineffective in the guilt phase, but I will concentrate on Mr. Bryan’s best argument: that he received unreasonably ineffective assistance in the all-important ‘second’ or ‘sentencing phase.’” Bryan III, 276 F.3d at 1180 (Henry, J., concurring in part and dissenting in part). 2 In his supplemental brief before the en banc court, Bryan focuses exclusively on the question whether his trial counsel was ineffective in failing to present potentially mitigating mental health evidence during the penalty phase of the trial. He does not address at all whether counsel was constitutionally ineffective during the guilt phase of the trial. -3-