Opinion ID: 1561776
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 10

Heading: Counsel's Preparation of Beasley to Testify During Trial

Text: Beasley asserts that counsel interfered with his right to testify by failing to adequately prepare him for examination, which caused him to waive his right to testify in his own defense. A criminal defendant has a fundamental right to testify on his own behalf during his trial. See Morris v. State, 931 So.2d 821, 833 (Fla. 2006); see also United States v. Teague, 953 F.2d 1525, 1530 (11th Cir.1992) (stating the Fifth Amendment, the Sixth Amendment, and the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment support the defendant's right to testify). A defendant must express a knowing, intelligent, and voluntary waiver of this personal right. See Deaton v. Dugger, 635 So.2d 4, 8 (Fla. 1993); Torres-Arboledo v. State, 524 So.2d 403, 410-11 (Fla.1988). As discussed by the federal appellate court for this circuit: Defense counsel bears the primary responsibility for advising the defendant of his right to testify or not to testify, the strategic implications of each choice, and that it is ultimately for the defendant himself to decide. This advice is crucial because there can be no effective waiver of a fundamental constitutional right unless there is an intentional relinquishment or abandonment of a known right or privilege. Johnson v. Zerbst, 304 U.S. 458, 464, 58 S.Ct. 1019, 82 L.Ed. 1461 (1938) (emphasis added). Moreover, if counsel believes that it would be unwise for the defendant to testify, counsel may, and indeed should, advise the client in the strongest possible terms not to testify. The defendant can then make the choice of whether to take the stand with the advice of competent counsel. Teague, 953 F.2d at 1533 (footnotes omitted) (parallel citations omitted). While defense counsel has an obligation to inform the defendant of the right to testify, see Morris, 931 So.2d at 833, there is no bright-line rule concerning the minimum amount of time that is necessary to constitute adequate preparation of a defendant to testify during trial: Where the defendant claims a violation of his right to testify by defense counsel, the essence of the claim is that the action or inaction of the attorney deprived the defendant of the ability to choose whether or not to testify in his own behalf. In other words, by not protecting the defendant's right to testify, defense counsel's performance fell below the constitutional minimum, thereby violating the first prong of the Strickland test. For example, . . . if defense counsel never informed the defendant of the right to testify, and that the ultimate decision belongs to the defendant, counsel would have neglected the vital professional responsibility of ensuring that the defendant's right to testify is protected and that any waiver of that right is knowing[, intelligent,] and voluntary. Under such circumstances, defense counsel has not acted `within the range of competence demanded of attorneys in criminal cases,' and the defendant clearly has not received reasonably effective assistance of counsel. See Strickland, 466 U.S. at 687, 104 S.Ct. 2052 (quoting McMann v. Richardson, 397 U.S. 759, 770-71, 90 S.Ct. 1441, 25 L.Ed.2d 763 (1970)). Teague, 953 F.2d at 1534 (parallel citations omitted). Here, Beasley does not assert that trial counsel failed to inform him of his right to testify. The attack here focuses exclusively on the quantity of time counsel expended to inform him of his right to testify and to prepare him for examination. Thus, to prevail on a claim that ineffectiveness here interfered with his right to testify, Beasley must demonstrate that trial counsel's preparation for his testimony was deficient such that it deprived Beasley of the ability to choose whether to testify on his own behalf and that this deficiency prejudiced Beasley. During the evidentiary hearing, Beasley did not testify that counsel failed to adequately inform him of his right to testify, or that he would have testified during the trial if counsel had spent more time preparing him. Beasley's postconviction counsel alluded to jail records, which allegedly established that defense counsel spent only thirty minutes preparing Beasley on the evening before Beasley was supposed to testify. However, Beasley did not introduce those records into evidence, and neither defense trial counsel remembered the specific length of time allowed by the jail. In the absence of evidence to support this claim, our review is limited to the actual testimony with regard to the strategy and performance of counsel. A strategic decision does not constitute ineffective assistance if alternative courses have been considered and rejected and counsel's decision was reasonable under the norms of professional conduct. Occhicone, 768 So.2d at 1048. Placing a defendant on the stand to testify is always a tactical decision because the State can ask the defendant about prior felony convictions. In choosing whether to testify, a defendant must weigh the benefits and detriments of allowing this information to be supplied to the jury. Pangburn v. State, 661 So.2d 1182, 1190 (Fla.1995). Trial counsel here strongly believed that Beasley should testify in his defense and informed him of this right. Counsel was of the view that the State presented an entirely circumstantial case; therefore, it was necessary for Beasley to take the stand, look [the jury] in the eye, and assert his innocence. In counsel's opinion, it was also necessary for Beasley to explain to the jury that he did not leave town under suspicious circumstances and to address other aspects of the State's case. The evidence demonstrates that counsel discussed both the positive and negative aspects of testifying with Beasley. Counsel presumed that Beasley's strategic reasons for declining to testify were probably (1) to avoid presenting a negative image to the jury through possible impeachment by his prior convictions for worthless checks, and (2) a belief that his testimony was unnecessary because counsel had adequately rebutted the State's case. Beasley believed that defense counsel had done so much damage to the State's circumstantial case that if he testified in his own defense, and the jury discovered his criminal history, it would undo much of this successful effort by the defense. Beasley never indicated to trial counsel that his decision to not testify was based on lack of preparation. Trial counsel did not recall Beasley alerting them that he needed more time to prepare to testify after his discussion with counsel. There is no evidence that Beasley even hesitated with regard to testifying or that he expressed a concern that he needed more preparation to testify. The record establishes that if Beasley had expressed that concern, counsel would have requested a recess to undertake whatever discussions Beasley desired. The trial court was always solicitous in providing the defense with as much time as they needed for discussions with their client. Specifically, after the State rested, the trial court allowed the defense a fairly significant amount of time to discuss with Beasley the strategic decision to testify. The trial transcript also reveals that defense counsel informed the trial court that discussions extended five hours with Beasley the previous night in preparation for his testimony, not the thirty minutes alleged by postconviction counsel during the evidentiary hearing. Furthermore, Beasley's last-minute decision to not testify required counsel to entirely re-work the closing argument that had been previously prepared based on the assumption that Beasley would testify. Consequently, the trial court granted the defense team time to regroup. The trial court also conducted a colloquy with Beasley to determine whether he knowingly, intelligently, and voluntarily waived his right to testify: THE COURT: Okay. I have been informed by counsel that they intend to rest at this time and that you intend to not testify. Is that correct? BEASLEY: That's true. THE COURT: What I want to make sure you understand is the right to remain silent, or, for that matter, the right to testify, although we always put it in the reverse, is your right. That's not [counsel's] right, . . . it's not my right or the State's right. That is your right to make that decision. Are you clear about that? BEASLEY: Very clear, yes ma'am. THE COURT: And as I understand, you've sought advice of counsel. But have you independently made a decision whether to testify or not? BEASLEY: I think I independently made the decision without counsel, and then we discussed it and then we all came to the same conclusion. THE COURT: And that conclusion was? BEASLEY: Not to testify. THE COURT: Anything else in that regard; do you have any inquiry about it or need any further time with counsel? BEASLEY: No ma'am, everything's fine. THE COURT: Okay. So I understand, you understand that's your right, and you have waived that right not to testify, and you have exercised the right to remain silent, or not to testify? BEASLEY: That's true, yes ma'am. (Emphasis supplied.) Thus, the trial court specifically asked Beasley if he needed further time with counsel, and Beasley declined that opportunity. This opportunity, combined with the representation that counsel spent five hours with Beasley in preparation, provides competent, substantial evidence to support the postconviction court's determination that trial counsel was not deficient in preparing Beasley to testify. Additionally, Beasley failed to present any evidence during the postconviction hearing to support a determination that he was prejudiced by the performance here. We affirm the postconviction court's denial of this subclaim.