Opinion ID: 162328
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Validity of Juvenile Convictions

Text: 45 Mr. Hooker argues trial counsel should not have stipulated to the continuing threat and prior violent felony aggravators because the basis for the stipulations were two unconstitutionally obtained juvenile convictions. Mr. Hooker was convicted for manslaughter and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon with intent to kill when he was seventeen years old. At the time of Mr. Hooker's prior convictions, Oklahoma, under statutory authority, tried sixteen-and seventeen-year-old males as adults, but tried females of the same age as juveniles, unless certified to stand trial as adults. We held this sex-based distinction violated the Equal Protection Clause. See Lamb v. Brown, 456 F.2d 18, 20 (10th Cir.1972); see also Radcliff v. Anderson, 509 F.2d 1093, 1096 (10th Cir.1974) (holding Lamb applies retroactively). Mr. Hooker claims, because he was convicted without being certified to stand trial as an adult, his convictions should not serve as the basis for the aggravators. 46 Although Mr. Hooker did not bring an ineffective assistance of counsel claim on direct appeal, he did argue the State obtained his prior felony convictions under a juvenile system subsequently found unconstitutional by the Tenth Circuit. Recognizing Mr. Hooker's prior convictions were infected by an unconstitutional Oklahoma statute, the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals remanded the case to the trial court for a retroactive adult certification hearing to determine whether Oklahoma would have certified Mr. Hooker as an adult at the time of his prior convictions. Hooker, 887 P.2d at 1362; see also Bromley v. Crisp, 561 F.2d 1351, 1356-57 & n. 6 (10th Cir.1977) (holding conviction need not be set aside if an evidentiary hearing establishes juvenile court would have certified defendant as adult). At the retroactive adult certification hearing, the State bore the burden of proving certification would have occurred. See Kelley v. Kaiser, 992 F.2d 1509, 1514 (10th Cir.1993). To meet its burden, the State introduced the record and preliminary hearing transcript from his prior convictions. After the hearing, the trial court entered an order concluding Mr. Hooker would have been certified as an adult if a hearing had been held. The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed. See Hooker, 887 P.2d at 1363. 47 Mr. Hooker argues he was denied due process and a fair hearing because the State's use of the preliminary hearing transcript precluded him from confronting witnesses. We disagree. In a retroactive adult certification hearing, due process requires a hearing, counsel, access to the materials considered by the court, and a statement of reasons. See Kent v. United States, 383 U.S. 541, 554, 557, 561, 86 S.Ct. 1045, 16 L.Ed.2d 84 (1966) (discussing due process rights generally); Green v. Reynolds, 57 F.3d 956, 960-61 (10th Cir.1995) (holding due process rights apply to Oklahoma retroactive adult certification hearings). The hearing, however, need not conform to the requirements of a criminal trial or the usual administrative hearing. Kent, 383 U.S. at 562, 86 S.Ct. 1045. On direct appeal, Mr. Hooker made a similar due process argument. The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals rejected Mr. Hooker's argument because [a]t the ... preliminary hearing, [Mr.] Hooker was present, he was represented by counsel and he had the opportunity to cross-examine the State's witnesses. Hooker, 887 P.2d at 1363 n. 31. We agree Mr. Hooker's right to confrontation was satisfied. Accordingly, the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals' determination Mr. Hooker received due process is not contrary to, or an unreasonable application of, federal law. See 28 U.S.C. § 2254(d)(1). 48 Mr. Hooker also argues the Oklahoma appellate court failed to apply the eight factors set forth in Kelley, 992 F.2d at 1513 n. 5, 1514, when determining whether to retroactively certify Mr. Hooker as an adult. This argument is without merit. Although the state appellate court did not discuss each factor, it did cite to Kelley, as well as the Oklahoma trial court's extensive and complete findings of fact and conclusions of law. Hooker, 887 P.2d at 1362-63, 1363 n. 33. The trial court's order painstakingly analyzed each of the Kelley factors. We will not fault the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals for declining to restate all the information in the trial court's order. 49 Whether Mr. Hooker would have been certified to stand trial as an adult is a fact question. Kelley, 992 F.2d at 1514. Mr. Hooker has not rebutted by clear and convincing evidence the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals' finding he would have been certified to stand trial as an adult at the time of his prior convictions. See 28 U.S.C. § 2254(e)(1). Consequently, we cannot conclude the court's determination was based on an unreasonable determination of the facts. See 28 U.S.C. § 2254(d)(2). 14 50 Mr. Hooker's prior convictions were constitutionally obtained. Therefore, Mr. Hooker's argument counsel were ineffective because they stipulated to aggravators based on unconstitutional convictions must fail. 51