Opinion ID: 852583
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Use of a Stun Belt at Trial

Text: Stephenson contends that his appearance in a stun belt before the jury at his trial violated his federal constitutional rights under the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments and also violated state law. This claim is asserted as both a freestanding claim of error and a ground for ineffective assistance of trial counsel. As an initial matter, this Court has ruled that the use of a stun belt is not to be ordered in Indiana courts. Wrinkles v. State, 749 N.E.2d 1179 (Ind.2001). We agree with Stephenson that if this were an appeal from a trial conducted after Wrinkles was decided and Stephenson had objected to the use of the belt at trial, he would be entitled to a new trial as a matter of state law. In addition, Deck v. Missouri, 544 U.S. 622, 125 S.Ct. 2007, 161 L.Ed.2d 953 (2005), decided after Stephenson's trial and appeal, clarified a number of relevant federal constitutional principles governing the use of restraints. However, Stephenson's trial and direct appeal occurred before Wrinkles and Deck were decided, and there was no objection to the use of the belt at Stephenson's trial. This appeal from the denial of post-conviction relief therefore presents the threshold issue of which, if any, of the claims Stephenson now asserts have been procedurally defaulted and how these issues relate to the claim of ineffective assistance of counsel.
We think it useful to set out some settled principles of substantive law before addressing these questions. The Supreme Court of the United States has not ruled on the use of a stun belt as a violation of the Federal Constitution, but the Court has given guidance on a number of relevant points. Requiring a defendant to appear in jail garb has long been held to deny due process. Holbrook v. Flynn, 475 U.S. 560, 567, 106 S.Ct. 1340, 89 L.Ed.2d 525 (1986); Estelle v. Williams, 425 U.S. 501, 503, 96 S.Ct. 1691, 48 L.Ed.2d 126 (1976). An objection to jail garb is required before the compulsion required for a due process violation is found. Estelle, 425 U.S. at 512-13, 96 S.Ct. 1691. In short, jail garb is categorically prohibited by the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments if the defendant objects. Unlike jail garb, shackling may be imposed, but only if the trial court makes a particularized finding of need in the specific case. This rule has long been in place under the common law. Deck, 544 U.S. at 626-27, 125 S.Ct. 2007; Coates v. State, 487 N.E.2d 167, 169 (Ind.Ct.App.1985). For many years courts have thought this to be a requirement of federal due process. Illinois v. Allen, 397 U.S. 337, 90 S.Ct. 1057, 25 L.Ed.2d 353 (1970); see also Deck, 544 U.S. at 629, 125 S.Ct. 2007. Most recently, this doctrine has been held applicable to the penalty phase as well as the guilt phase of a death penalty trial. Deck, 544 U.S. at 627, 125 S.Ct. 2007. Deck also made clear, if there had been any doubt, that this rule has constitutional dimensions and unnecessary shackling constitutes a denial of due process. Id. at 629, 632, 125 S.Ct. 2007. Jail garb and unnecessary shackling are both inherently prejudicial and, if proper objection is made, require reversal unless the State establishes beyond a reasonable doubt that the [shackling] error complained of did not contribute to the verdict. Id. at 635, 125 S.Ct. 2007 (alteration in original) (quoting Chapman v. California, 386 U.S. 18, 24, 87 S.Ct. 824, 17 L.Ed.2d 705 (1967)). As explained in Deck, three reasons underlie the prohibition on unnecessary shackling. First, visible shackling undermines the presumption of innocence and the related fairness of the fact-finding process. Id. at 630, 125 S.Ct. 2007. Second, shackling can interfere with the defendant's ability to communicate with his lawyer and participate in the defense. Id. at 631, 125 S.Ct. 2007. Third, shackles impair the dignity of the judicial process. Id. at 631-32, 125 S.Ct. 2007. We have already noted that Indiana state law no longer permits the use of stun belts in Indiana courts, but that rule had not been announced at the time of Stephenson's trial. The prohibition of stun belts is not based solely on the considerations that underlie the prohibition on jail garb. It is also grounded in the perceived effect on the defendant of the threat of imminent high voltage. It thus is not wholly dependent upon the jury's awareness of the belt, and, like jail garb, is inherently prejudicial. Wrinkles, 749 N.E.2d at 1194.
Stephenson contends that his failure to object to the belt at trial did not preclude him from raising that issue on direct appeal because use of the belt constituted fundamental error. The parties dispute whether the use of the belt met that standard. That issue is moot insofar as Stephenson seeks to assert the belt as a freestanding claim in this post-conviction proceeding. Because no objection was raised at trial and the issue was not presented on direct appeal, a challenge to the use of the belt is foreclosed in this post-conviction proceeding as a freestanding claim of error, either fundamental or otherwise. See e.g., Conner v. State, 829 N.E.2d 21, 25 (Ind.2005); Stevens, 770 N.E.2d at 756-57; Sanders v. State, 765 N.E.2d 591, 592 (Ind.2002). Stephenson argues that the State conceded that the use of the belt was properly before the post-conviction court as a freestanding issue. He bases this contention on the State's proposed findings and conclusions in which the State requested the trial court to find no prejudice from failure to object to the belt. The State cited as its reason for lack of prejudice the fact that the issue was before the post-conviction court. Assuming that a proposed finding can under some circumstances preclude a party from contesting its own finding, a concession as to a conclusion of law is not binding on this Court. See Myers v. State, 233 Ind. 66, 67, 116 N.E.2d 839, 839 (1954); Green v. State, 232 Ind. 596, 597, 115 N.E.2d 211, 212 (1953). Whether the issue of the belt's use was available as a freestanding issue is a question of law. The issue is therefore foreclosed if, as here, it was available at trial and no objection was raised.
In a variant of the claim of fundamental error, Stephenson also contends that the use of the belt constituted structural error that per se requires a new trial. He equates the use of the belt with an impartial judge or wrongful denial of his right to a jury trial. He cites Deck v. Missouri, 544 U.S. 622, 633, 125 S.Ct. 2007, 161 L.Ed.2d 953 (2005) for the proposition that unnecessary restraints almost inevitably affect the jury's perception of the defendant and place a thumb on death's side of the scale of justice. [1] These contentions were available at trial and on direct appeal and were not preserved. They are therefore available only to the extent they support a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel for failure to present them.
Stephenson raises the failure to object to the belt as establishing ineffective assistance of trial counsel. Stephenson raised no claim of ineffective assistance in his direct appeal. We agree that this claim is therefore properly presented in post-conviction proceedings as one of ineffective assistance of trial counsel for failure to object at trial. See Timberlake, 753 N.E.2d at 597. Under Strickland v. Washington , a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel requires the defendant to show by a preponderance of the evidence that (1) counsel's performance was below the objective standard of reasonableness based on prevailing professional norms and (2) the defendant was prejudiced by counsel's substandard performance, i.e. there is a reasonable probability that, but for counsel's errors or omissions, the outcome of the trial would have been different. 466 U.S. 668, 687, 694, 104 S.Ct. 2052, 80 L.Ed.2d 674 (1984); French v. State, 778 N.E.2d 816, 824 (Ind.2002); Stevens, 770 N.E.2d at 746; Lowery v. State, 640 N.E.2d 1031, 1041 (Ind.1994). The issues raised by Stephenson's claim of ineffective assistance, therefore, in broad terms are: 1) Was it substandard performance to fail to object to the use of the belt? 2) Was it substandard to fail to object to the absence of an individualized hearing on the need for any restraint? 3) Is a showing that the failure to object produced an inherently prejudicial condition of trial sufficient in itself to establish the prejudice prong of Strickland? 4) If an inherently prejudicial condition is shown but is not a per se ground for reversal, does the defendant bear the burden of showing prejudice by the condition or must the State establish lack of prejudice? 5) What standard of proof is required of the party with the burden as to prejudice, and was that standard met?
The trial record makes no reference to the belt or to the need for restraint. There is no clear statement of the trial court's policy requiring restraint. There is no evidence that Stephenson was obstreperous or disruptive. In short, the record shows nothing to support an individualized determination that Stephenson required any form of restraint at trial, and there is no explanation in the trial record for use of the stun belt or any other restraint. The belt was not mentioned by the parties or the court in Stephenson's direct appeal.
The law is clear that counsel's performance is presumed effective. [T]he defendant must overcome the strongest presumption of adequate assistance, and judicial scrutiny is highly deferential. Ben-Yisrayl v. State, 738 N.E.2d 253, 261 (Ind.2000); see Conner, 711 N.E.2d at 1252. Moreover, as is frequently pointed out: There is a strong presumption that counsel rendered adequate assistance and made all significant decisions in the exercise of reasonable professional judgment. Counsel is afforded considerable discretion in choosing strategy and tactics, and these decisions are entitled to deferential review. Isolated mistakes, poor strategy, inexperience, and instances of bad judgment do not necessarily render representation ineffective. Stevens, 770 N.E.2d at 746 (citing Strickland, 466 U.S. at 689-690, 104 S.Ct. 2052; Timberlake, 753 N.E.2d at 603; Perez v. State, 748 N.E.2d 853, 854 (Ind.2001)). The State contends that trial counsel made a tactical decision to allow Stephenson to wear a stun belt. The record does not support this contention. At post-conviction, Anthony Long, one of Stephenson's trial counsel, explicitly stated that he made a conscious decision to allow Stephenson to appear before the jury in a stun belt: I understood our choices were either [the stun belt] or shackles and that was certainly not an acceptable alternative. Similarly, trial counsel Dennis Vowels testified: Q: Do you recall any discussions with Anthony Long about the benefits of a stun belt as opposed to being shackled? A: I don't recall them, but we probably talked about it. I know we were not going to let him be shackled in front of a jury. I knew that. Q: Would you agree that a stun belt worn under the clothes would be preferable in front of a jury to the handcuffs, the waist and the leg irons? A: Yes. At the time of Stephenson's trial in 1996 and 1997, no Indiana ruling had addressed the use of stun belts. As in Wrinkles, counsel cannot be faulted for selecting the belt over more visible shackles, given that the case law addressing the issue had largely focused on the visibility of the restraint, and not, as Wrinkles later pointed out, on the belt's potential effect on the defendant's demeanor and ability to participate in the defense. Wrinkles, 749 N.E.2d at 1194. Although counsel explained their preference for the belt over shackles, they did not explain why they conceded that any restraint was appropriate and failed to require any finding on the record as to the need for restraint. As explained above, at the time of Stephenson's trial it was well-settled as a matter of both state law and the requirements of federal due process that no form of visible restraint was permissible without an individualized finding that the defendant presented a risk of escape, violence, or disruption of the trial. Deck, 544 U.S. at 626-27, 125 S.Ct. 2007; Coates, 487 N.E.2d at 169. Counsel's unquestioning acceptance of the need for any form of restraint cannot be justified as a tactical decision where the decision was made without awareness of the applicable law favorable to the defendant. Dixon v. Snyder, 266 F.3d 693, 703 (7th Cir.2001) (If counsel was unaware of the statute, then his decision not to cross-examine Carlisle cannot be accorded the same presumption of reasonableness as is accorded most strategic decisions because it was not based on strategy but rather on a `startling ignorance of the law.' (quoting Kimmelman v. Morrison, 477 U.S. 365, 385, 106 S.Ct. 2574, 91 L.Ed.2d 305 (1986))). Finally, the State's claim of a tactical decision does not enjoy the same support it had in Wrinkles. In Wrinkles's case, the penalty, not guilt or innocence, was the only real issue. The decision to challenge the belt arguably fell into the tactical range, balancing the likelihood of success against the risk of alienating the judge by challenging an announced policy. In Stephenson's case, unlike Wrinkles, guilt was vigorously disputed, so that justification for counsel's omission is weakened, and in any event no such tactical consideration was advanced by counsel in post-conviction.
Even if failure to object to the belt was not justified as a tactical decision, the issue remains whether it was below professional norms to fail to object to the use of any restraint or to the absence of any finding of necessity for restraint. The law regarding use of stun belts was not settled at the time of Stephenson's trial, and counsel are not ordinarily found deficient for failure to anticipate a change in the law. Smylie v. State, 823 N.E.2d 679, 690 (Ind.2005); Fulmer v. State, 523 N.E.2d 754, 757-58 (Ind.1988). Under the law at the time of Stephenson's trial, an ineffective assistance claim based on failure to object to restraints required the restraints to be visible. Failure to object to restraints is not substandard performance where the jury is unaware of the restraints. [2] But the Seventh Circuit has held that failure to object to restraints that are readily visible is substandard performance of counsel. Roche v. Davis, 291 F.3d 473, 483 (7th Cir.2002) (quoting Fountain v. United States, 211 F.3d 429, 435 (7th Cir.2000)). The Seventh Circuit found unreasonable [3] our conclusion that counsel was not ineffective for failure to object to shackling and failure to take steps to prevent the jury from viewing the shackles. Id. Although Roche addressed shackling, we think its reasoning is equally applicable to a stun belt. The use of a stun belt, if perceived by the jury, produces all of the results that shackling does. It sends a signal that the defendant may be dangerous and thereby impairs the presumption of innocence; it interferes with the defendant's communication with his attorney; and it has the same effect on the dignity of the process. Indeed, some courts have concluded that a stun belt, if perceived by the jury, may be even more prejudicial than handcuffs or leg irons because it implies that unique force is necessary to control the defendant. United States v. Durham, 287 F.3d 1297, 1305 (11th Cir.2002) (quoting State v. Flieger, 91 Wash.App. 236, 955 P.2d 872, 874 (1998)). Even if the jury is unaware of the belt, there remain the concerns that a stun belt could disrupt a different set of a defendant's constitutionally guaranteed rights. Id. First, [a] stun belt seemingly poses a far more substantial risk of interfering with a defendant's Sixth Amendment right to confer with counsel than do leg shackles. Id. Second, the device poses a greater threat to the defendant's Sixth Amendment and due process rights to be present and participate in his defense because [i]t is reasonable to assume that much of a defendant's focus and attention when wearing one of these devices is occupied by anxiety over the possible triggering of the belt. Id. at 1305-06. These are in substance the same points emphasized by the majority in Wrinkles in banning the belt under Indiana state law. 749 N.E.2d at 1194. In sum, in the absence of an explanation for counsel's failure to object to a stun belt that is readily visible, that failure is substandard performance.
Whether the belt was readily visible is critical to this branch of the inquiry. Roche, 291 F.3d at 483 (quoting Fountain, 211 F.3d at 435). Some courts have used the term visible to make the point that shackles or jail garb must be perceived by the jury. See, e.g., id.; Deck, 544 U.S. at 631-32, 125 S.Ct. 2007. The broader notion is that it is prejudicial for jurors to be aware that a defendant is being restrained or appearing in jail garb. Fountain, 211 F.3d at 435. We see little significance to whether the jurors learned of the belt by seeing the restraint or by being informed of it. In either case the defendant is branded a dangerous individual. The post-conviction court made no specific finding as to the jurors' awareness of the belt. However, the post-conviction record demonstrates that several jurors knew that Stephenson wore the belt during trial and recognized it for what it was. According to one juror's affidavit: During the trial, I became aware that John Stephenson was wearing a stun belt. I could see he had what appeared to be a rectangle shaped box attached to his lower back, underneath his shirt. I had seen a television show sometime previously to being selected for this jury that described what a stun belt was and what its purpose was. I have been hit by 220 volts and know what effect that amount of power has on a person. I believed the stun belt was to control John Stephenson's behavior. Some apparently learned of the restraint from other jurors. A second juror stated in her affidavit: I was aware that John Stephenson was wearing a device that would prevent him from running out of the courtroom. During the trial one of the male jurors mentioned to me that Mr. Stephenson was wearing this device. I was aware that he was wearing something that controlled his behavior. Similarly, a third juror affirmed, During the trial, I recall that Mr. Stephenson had some type of restraining device on him. I do not recall what the device looked like, or when or where I realized he [was] wearing one. A fourth juror was asked in deposition by Petitioner's counsel, Did you know that John Stephenson had worn a stun belt through his trial? The juror responded: I would say, yes, that I did because he wasn't handcuffed, and naturally I assumed that he had that on because there was like a, you know, he wore like a loose shirt, basically like what you have on, loose, and there was a bulge back there in the back, so that's how I knew that. It was not clear that all jurors were aware of the belt. One testified in deposition offered in post-conviction proceeding: Q: Were you aware that John Stephenson was wearing a stun belt? Do you know what I mean by that, first of all? A: I was aware of that, and I'm not sure at what time, you know, what point I was aware of that. Q: But you know what I mean  A: Yes. Q:  by a stun belt? A: Yes, I do. Q: Okay, so go ahead if you hadn't finished your answer. A: Well, I'm not really sure exactly if it was after the trial that, that I heard about that or  I'm thinking it was afterwards, but I'm not really sure. Q: Did you notice it when you  A: No. Q:  walked by, walked past from the rear? A: No, I never did notice it. Even if at least one juror did not observe or recall the belt, on this record we think Stephenson has established by a preponderance of the evidence that the belt was readily visible to the jury.
The record at post-conviction did not explore more fully counsel's reasoning in accepting the belt without question. For the reasons explained below in discussing the prejudice prong of the ineffective assistance claim, it may have been that counsel recognized the futility of an objection and, as in Wrinkles, avoided confronting the trial judge on an issue they deemed ultimately unsuccessful. On this record, however, failure to object to the belt cannot be justified as a tactical decision in Stephenson's case because the explanation offered by counsel for their decision boiled down to a failure to know the applicable law. Equally importantly, counsel failed to insist upon a finding as to the need for restraint. Prevailing norms at the time of Stephenson's trial required counsel to object to visible restraints where there is no evidence suggesting escape, violence, or disruptive behavior. We agree with Roche that failure to object to the belt without a showing of justification fails to meet prevailing norms. No justification for the omission is established in this record. We therefore conclude that Stephenson's counsel's failure to object to the belt meets the first prong of Strickland.
We turn now to the issues of burden of proof and standard of proof of prejudice from failure to object to the belt.
Strickland established that prejudice from substandard performance of counsel requires a showing by the petitioner that there was a reasonable probability of a different result if counsel had met professional norms. We sometimes express the standard for prejudice from the failure to object as requiring a reasonable probability that the objection would have been sustained. See, e.g., Wrinkles, 749 N.E.2d at 1192 (citing Timberlake, 690 N.E.2d at 259). The standard is more precisely stated as prejudicial failure to raise an objection that the trial court would have been required to sustain. Otherwise stated, if the trial court overruled the objection, it would have committed error, and the error would have had a prejudicial effect. See, e.g., Spinks v. McBride, 858 F.Supp. 865, 877 (N.D.Ind.1994) (In order to establish ineffective assistance of counsel for failure to object, it must be shown that the trial court would have been required to sustain the objection had it been made. (citing Hill v. State, 442 N.E.2d 1049 (Ind.1982))); Kimble v. State, 451 N.E.2d 302, 306 (Ind. 1983) (Before trial counsel's failure to enter an objection may be regarded as ineffective representation, the petitioner must show that had a proper objection been made, the trial court would have had no choice but to sustain it.). In most cases there is no practical difference between these two formulations.
Wrinkles, like Stephenson, asserted that trial counsel were ineffective for not objecting to the court's ordering him to wear a stun belt at trial. Wrinkles contended that there was no reason to require restraint. Wrinkles, 749 N.E.2d at 1192. We recognized that a defendant has the right to appear before a jury unrestrained unless restraint is necessary for a trial without incident. Id. at 1193 (citing Bivins v. State, 642 N.E.2d 928, 936 (Ind. 1994)). We also acknowledged that this right springs from the basic principle of American jurisprudence that a person accused of a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and that in order for the presumption to be effective, a defendant must appear unrestrained to avoid the appearance that guilt was a foregone conclusion. Id. We reiterated that the reasons for requiring a defendant to be restrained before a jury must be placed on the trial record. Id. (citing Roche v. State, 690 N.E.2d 1115, 1123 (Ind.1997); Coates v. State, 487 N.E.2d 167, 169 (Ind.Ct.App.1985), overruled on other grounds by Hahn v. State, 533 N.E.2d 618 (Ind.Ct.App.1989)). Deck has now made clear that the Fourteenth Amendment imposes the same requirement. The majority in Wrinkles acknowledged that a policy requiring all defendants to wear restraints would not likely withstand appellate scrutiny if the issue were presented. 749 N.E.2d at 1195. We nonetheless held in Wrinkles that counsel's failure to object to the stun belt's use did not constitute ineffective assistance in that case. We based that ruling on a lack of prejudice, without addressing whether counsel's performance was substandard. Id. at 1195, 1196. The reason for that holding was that the trial court's policy dictated use of restraint and any objection to the belt would not have prevailed. Id. The failure to require an individualized determination was not asserted as a ground of ineffective assistance in Wrinkles. We agree with the State that Stephenson's case presents many similarities to Wrinkles. The two are not identical, however, because this record shows no inflexible policy of the trial court. Trial counsel Long testified that in his experience, the trial judge typically deferred to the sheriff's security decisions. The sheriff, in turn, cited concerns in transporting defendants from jail to the courtroom as the basis for requiring restraint. These concerns did not seem to relate directly to use of the belt at trial as opposed to its use in transit, but that issue was not explored at the post-conviction hearing. [4] The officers in charge of security at the trial testified that they had no knowledge of any incidents that would demonstrate a need for Stephenson to wear a stun belt. Sheriff Bruce Hargrave; Charlie McCracken, the sergeant in charge of security at Stephenson's trial; Jerry Ash, the deputy of security; police officer Robert Irvin; and Jonetta Baker, jail commander for the Warrick County Police Department, all testified at post-conviction that to their knowledge Stephenson posed no security threat and had exhibited no behavior that would demonstrate a specific need for a restraining device at trial. There was also extensive post-conviction testimony from the sheriff's office and others that Stephenson conducted himself as a gentleman throughout the arrest and trial. He had turned himself in in response to reports that law enforcement was looking for him in connection with the murders and made no effort to escape either before or during trial. From the sheriff's testimony, it appears that no one gave careful consideration to the need for any restraint while Stephenson was in the courtroom at his trial. Rather, the need was assumed, and the only concern voiced by the sheriff was whether the jury would see the restraint. Although the record shows that the trial judge followed the recommendation of the sheriff, it does not indicate that either had an inflexible policy of requiring restraint, or, if so, to what cases it applied.
As already explained, Roche found prejudice from failure to object to restraints, and Wrinkles rejected it. Both cases used the Strickland standard of a reasonable probability of a different result. Deck now teaches that prejudice from shackling is governed by the inherently prejudicial standard for constitutional error under Chapman v. California, 386 U.S. 18, 24, 87 S.Ct. 824, 17 L.Ed.2d 705 (1967). 544 U.S. at 635, 125 S.Ct. 2007. Rather than placing the burden on the defendant-petitioner to show a reasonable probability of a different result, an inherently prejudicial error requires the State to establish, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the error has no effect on the ultimate resolution of the trial. Deck, therefore, establishes a stronger presumption of reversible error from failure to object to shackling than the Seventh Circuit applied in Roche or we applied in Wrinkles. We think, however, that Deck does not relieve the petitioner in post-conviction proceedings from the burden of establishing both the substandard performance and prejudice prongs of an ineffective assistance claim. Before Deck was decided, most claims of ineffective assistance of counsel for failure to object to shackles or jail garb were rejected based on lack of prejudice, even though the court explicitly or implicitly assumed substandard performance. We find only one published opinion that has addressed this issue after Deck. [5] The Eleventh Circuit, in Marquard v. Secretary for Department of Corrections, 429 F.3d 1278 (11th Cir.2005), addressed a post-conviction claim of ineffective assistance for failure to object to shackling at the penalty phase of a Florida death penalty case. There was no shackling at the guilt phase, but the defendant appeared in shackles at the penalty phase, and there was no inquiry establishing the necessity of shackles. The trial and direct appeal had occurred before Deck was handed down. In 2002, the Florida Supreme Court denied post-conviction relief. Like most pre- Deck decisions, that ruling addressed the claim of ineffective assistance for failure to object to shackling solely by finding no prejudice. Marquard v. State, 850 So.2d 417, 431 (Fla.2002). The primary issue in federal habeas, therefore, was the retroactivity of Deck's holdings that (1) unnecessary shackling at the penalty phase violated the Fourteenth Amendment and (2) its harmlessness must be established beyond a reasonable doubt. The Eleventh Circuit rejected Marquard's claim of ineffective assistance for three reasons. The first two grounds  Deck is not retroactive and counsel were not ineffective for failure to anticipate Deck's extension of the shackling ban to the penalty phase  do not resolve Stephenson's claim because Stephenson appeared in the stun belt at the guilt phase of his trial. The Eleventh Circuit also offered a third ground. The habeas court concluded that in a direct appeal Deck shifted the burden to the state to prove harmlessness of shackling without a specific-needs inquiry, but Deck did not address, much less alter, the burden and different required prejudice showing on Marquard's IAC shackling claim. Marquard, 429 F.3d at 1313. As a result, the defendant had the burden to establish prejudice under the Strickland standard. The law at the time of Marquard's direct appeal would not have supported either his claim of error for unnecessary shackling at the penalty phase or a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel for failure to object to shackling at the penalty phase. It is clear that lack of retroactivity does not bar Stephenson's ineffective assistance claim at the guilt phase. The novel proposition in Deck was that shackling during the death penalty phase violates the Fourteenth Amendment. At the time of Stephenson's trial, the points relevant to the guilt phase were already established law: unnecessarily shackling at the guilt phase of trial (or at trial in a non-death case) violates the Fourteenth Amendment; jail garb is inherently prejudicial; and the State bears the burden of proving beyond a reasonable doubt that an inherently prejudicial practice had no effect on the determination of guilt or the penalty. In short, the principles set forth in Deck that are relevant to Stephenson's case were all established by earlier precedent. Marquard therefore did not directly address the situation we have before us, where Stephenson's stun belt at the guilt phase required a specific-needs inquiry under the law in place at the time of his trial and direct appeal. We nevertheless think Marquard is correct that Strickland governs the prejudice prong of Stephenson's claim of ineffective assistance for failure to object to shackling.
If the issue of shackling at the guilt phase had been preserved at trial and raised on direct appeal, we would have been compelled to address that claim under the standard of Chapman v. California, 386 U.S. 18, 87 S.Ct. 824, 17 L.Ed.2d 705 (1967), and the burden would have been on the State to establish lack of prejudice beyond a reasonable doubt. But Strickland v. Washington places the burden of establishing prejudice on the petitioner in an ineffective assistance claim. The critical issue is therefore whether Stephenson established a reasonable probability that his counsel's failure to object to Stephenson's stun belt affected the result in either the guilt or penalty phase. The State principally relies on Stevens v. State, 770 N.E.2d 739 (Ind.2002), as establishing lack of prejudice from Stephenson wearing the belt at trial. That case, however, is inapplicable here because at least several of Stephenson's jurors were aware of the belt. In Stevens, we found no ineffective assistance for counsel's failure to object to the defendant's wearing a stun belt. The defendant had conceded that none of the jurors were aware that he was wearing the stun belt but argued that their perception of him was affected by his behavior and appearance as a result of the restraint. Id. at 757. The defendant argued that he appeared withdrawn, subdued, and unusually silent, which may have influenced [the jury] to recommend the death penalty. Id. Applying a pre- Deck standard of review, we affirmed the post-conviction court's finding that under the facts of that case the outcome would not have been different if there had been an objection. Id. In French v. State, supra , we held that a defendant who wore handcuffs, shackles, and jail clothing at his habitual offender proceeding could not show he was prejudiced by counsel's failure to object because it seem[ed] clear that the result of the proceeding was not affected by counsel's performance. 778 N.E.2d 816, 826. The issue in the habitual offender proceeding was whether the defendant had two prior felony convictions. He had already been convicted by the same jury of the underlying offenses, so it was no surprise that he was incarcerated. Moreover, as to the only issue  his two prior convictions  the evidence was clear. Id. at 826. Unlike French, Stephenson's failure to prove a reasonable probability of a different result does not rest on essentially indisputable evidence that establishes the merits of his conviction and sentence. [6] Rather, Stephenson has shown no prejudice because he has not shown a reasonable probability that an objection, if made, would have been successful in the trial court, or would have produced the basis for a successful appeal. Stephenson contends that wearing the stun belt interfered with his right to communicate with counsel and participate in his own defense. The arguments of the parties and the post-conviction court's findings with respect to the stun belt were focused on this Court's opinion in Wrinkles. The findings with respect to the belt in their entirety were: At the time of the trial of this matter, it was not impermissible for the electronic restraint belt to be worn by Stephenson during the trial. The belt was never activated while on Stephenson, he was not prevented from assisting counsel while wearing the belt, and the same was a suitable and discreet alternative to other methods of restraint for Stephenson while he was on trial on multiple counts, including three counts of murder, in this case. The use of the belt was accepted by Stephenson and his counsel without argument or objection on the record during the trial proceedings. Insofar as ineffective assistance claims were based on the belt, the post-conviction court found: As previously included in other findings of fact, it was the Warrick County Sheriff's Department who obtained and placed the electronic restraint on Stephenson and beneath his clothing. Judge Campbell did not order this to be done, and trial counsel did not argue or object to this restraint, as compared to other forms of restraint which may have been required otherwise. At the time the Defendant was required to wear the electronic restraint, he was on trial for triple murder, and facing a death penalty request by the State of Indiana. The law had not yet ruled the use of such devices on a criminal Defendant to be improper or violative of a Defendant's rights. In view of all the circumstances surrounding this case and this Defendant, including the extremely violent nature of the murders committed, the use of the electronic restraint belt was warranted, reasonable and necessary under these circumstances. The post-conviction court concluded that counsel for Defendant was not ineffective because of failure to object to the use by the sheriff of the electronic restraint device on Stephenson during trial. We take these findings and conclusions as a finding that the trial court would have overruled any objection to the belt that counsel had raised. These three murders were contended by both the defendant and the prosecution to have been related to organized drug activity. The murders appeared to have been premeditated and had characteristics of an assassination. There was testimony that the defendant had threatened to kill a critical witness. Under all these circumstances, the post-conviction court's finding is not clearly erroneous. Indeed, given the state of the law in 1996, we think it plain that the trial judge would have followed the sheriff's recommendation and ordered that the belt be deployed at the guilt phase even if defendant's counsel had objected and required a hearing and findings as to the need for its use. Because at the time shackling at the penalty phase was less controversial, the same result would have obtained at the penalty phase. Given the fact-sensitive nature of that order, under the circumstances the issue would not have presented a persuasive ground for appeal. The standard of review on appeal would have been abuse of discretion. Bivins v. State, 642 N.E.2d 928, 936 (Ind.1994); Evans v. State, 571 N.E.2d 1231, 1238 (Ind.1991). Accordingly, Stephenson has not established a reasonable probability of a different result from counsel's performance with respect to the belt at the guilt phase. C. Appellate Counsel's Failure To Raise an Issue over the Belt Although Stephenson asserts claims of ineffective assistance of appellate counsel, the failure to raise any issue of the belt on direct appeal is not among them. Stephenson contends that appellate counsel were unaware of the belt and correctly points out that there is no mention of the belt in the trial record. He claims that had appellate counsel known of the belt's use the issue would have been raised on appeal. We think that this circumstance raises no issue of appellate ineffectiveness. The performance of appellate counsel is not substandard for failure to assert an issue on appeal if the issue is not revealed by the record and there is no evidence suggesting that appellate counsel were otherwise made aware of it. We have observed that the Supreme Court of the United States has never suggested that [appellate] counsel must look outside the record for possible claims of error for the performance to be constitutionally effective. Woods v. State, 701 N.E.2d 1208, 1221 (Ind.1998). We agree with those courts that have refused to impose such a burden on appellate counsel. Id. at 1221-22 (citing Kitt v. Clarke, 931 F.2d 1246, 1249-50 (8th Cir.1991)). Thus, we concluded in Woods that [b]ecause there is no constitutional requirement for appellate counsel to search outside the record for error, an ineffective assistance of appellate counsel claim that is in substance a trial counsel claim requiring extrinsic evidence may be dead on arrival. Id. at 1222. A corollary of this conclusion is that it is incumbent upon trial counsel to communicate to appellate counsel any matters outside the record that are appropriate for direct appeal. If supplementation of the record is required, Indiana procedure allows for it, [7] but we think the performance of trial counsel, not appellate counsel, is the only issue when nothing in the record suggests the issue. In sum, to the extent Stephenson presents a claim for post-conviction relief based on the use of the stun belt at trial, that claim is one of ineffective assistance of trial counsel for failure to object, failure to preserve the issue for appeal, and failure to communicate the circumstance to appellate counsel. All of these omissions lead to the same result: they had no effect on the ultimate result of the trial.