Opinion ID: 792092
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Johnson's ineffective-assistance-of-counsel claim

Text: 41 In order to prevail on a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel, Johnson must show that (1) his counsel performed deficiently, and (2) his counsel's deficient performance prejudiced him. Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 687, 104 S.Ct. 2052, 80 L.Ed.2d 674 (1984) [A] court must indulge a strong presumption that counsel's conduct falls within the wide range of reasonable professional assistance; that is, the defendant must overcome the presumption that, under the circumstances, the challenged action `might be considered sound trial strategy.' Id. at 689, 104 S.Ct. 2052 (citation omitted). In order to show prejudice, [t]he defendant must show that 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. 42 In Johnson's direct appeal of his convictions, he argued that he had been deprived of the effective assistance of counsel. The Michigan Court of Appeals applied the Strickland standard and found that counsel's voir dire decisions were based on valid strategic choices. Johnson, 631 N.W.2d at 11. It also concluded that there was no reasonable probability that a challenge to Juror 457 would have resulted in the outcome of the case being any different. Id. 43 Johnson again presents his ineffective-assistance-of-counsel claim as an alternative ground for relief in this habeas action. Applying the AEDPA standard for habeas review, we hold that the state court's decision was a reasonable application of the Strickland standard. Juror 457 repeatedly assured the trial court that she could be impartial. Based on those assurances, the state court could reasonably conclude that defense counsel's decision to not inquire further into Juror 457's background was a strategic choice thought to be beneficial to his client. 44 The state-court decision that Johnson was not prejudiced by his attorney's failure to further inquire was likewise reasonable. In order to show prejudice arising out of his attorney's failure to strike a biased juror, Johnson must show that Juror 457 was actually biased against him. Hughes v. United States, 258 F.3d 453, 458 (6th Cir.2001) (Petitioner's claim of ineffective assistance of counsel is grounded in the claim that counsel failed to strike a biased juror. To maintain a claim that a biased juror prejudiced him, however, [Petitioner] must show that the juror was actually biased against him.) (quotation marks omitted). But see United States v. Frost, 125 F.3d 346, 379 (6th Cir.1997 (discussing the doctrine of implied juror bias in the context of a direct appeal from a mail fraud conviction). 45 The Michigan trial court accepted Juror 457's assurances that she could be impartial. Based on these assurances, the Michigan Court of Appeals found no reasonable probability that the outcome of the case would have been different. Johnson, 631 N.W.2d at 11. Johnson failed to present any evidence of Juror 457's actual bias, instead relying on the doctrine of implied bias in this habeas action. But because the factual circumstances here do not justify a finding of implied bias, we need not decide whether such a showing would be legally sufficient to establish a Strickland violation. Compare Hughes, 258 F.3d at 458, with Frost, 125 F.3d at 379. Johnson, in sum, has failed to show that the state-court decision holding that he was not deprived of his Sixth Amendment right to the effective assistance of counsel was contrary to, or involved an unreasonable application of, clearly established federal law as determined by the Supreme Court.