Opinion ID: 2527692
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Short's Challenge to the Validity of His Waiver

Text: {¶ 58} Short argues that his waiver of mitigation was not knowing and voluntary, because his subsequent actions were inconsistent with waiving mitigation, thus demonstrating that he did not really want to waive it, and because defense counsel had failed to investigate mitigation before the waiver. Short also argues that the trial court should have inquired more deeply into his competence to waive mitigation and his reasons for doing so. The state argues that the trial court was not required to conduct any inquiry in the first place, because Short actually did present mitigating evidence, albeit not in the penalty phase. {¶ 59} This court has held that the right to present mitigating evidence is not a fundamental right that must be personally waived by the defendant. State v. Keith (1997), 79 Ohio St.3d 514, 530, 684 N.E.2d 47. Moreover, the Supreme Court of the United States has stated: We have never imposed an `informed and knowing' requirement upon a defendant's decision not to introduce evidence.    [W]e have never required a specific colloquy to ensure that a defendant knowingly and intentionally refused to present mitigating evidence. Schriro v. Landrigan (2007), 550 U.S. 465, 479, 127 S.Ct. 1933, 167 L.Ed.2d 836. For this reason, the trial court has no constitutional duty to secure from the defendant an on-the-record waiver of the right to present mitigating evidence. Keith at 530, 684 N.E.2d 47.