Opinion ID: 159589
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Dr. Garcia's letter

Text: 36 Mr. James argues his trial counsel's failure at the sentencing phase to present a letter from Dr. Garcia, which indicated Mr. James would not be a continuing threat to society, constituted ineffective assistance of counsel. Mr. James first raised this claim in a post-conviction proceeding, and the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals determined it was procedurally barred. See James, 818 P.2d at 920. 37 As a matter of state law, Oklahoma generally bars review in postconviction proceedings of ineffective assistance of trial counsel claims not raised on direct appeal. Hooks v. Ward, 184 F.3d 1206, 1213 (10th Cir. 1999) (citing Okla. Stat. Ann. tit. 22, 1086). This particular state procedural bar is adequate to preclude habeas review here because Mr. James had different attorneys at trial and on direct appeal and his ineffective assistance claim could have been reviewed from the trial record alone. See English v. Cody, 146 F.3d 1257, 1264 (10th Cir. 1998). We will therefore consider this claim only if Mr. James demonstrates cause and prejudice or a fundamental miscarriage of justice. See id. at 1259. 38 Without elaboration, Mr. James urges us to remand to the district court to allow him to raise ineffective assistance of appellate counsel as cause excusing this default. 6 Even if this request were somehow sufficient to show cause, Mr. James has not shown prejudice by trial counsel's failure to introduce the letter as evidence. Introduction of the letter would have permitted the State to call Dr. Garcia as a witness. Counsel did not want Dr. Garcia to testify at sentencing because he believed Dr. Garcia would have made a strong statement there was nothing wrong with Mr. James. This testimony would have conflicted with the thrust of Mr. James' defense at both stages of the proceedings that his emotional problems, turbulent childhood, history of drug abuse, and voluntary intoxication on the night of the murder diminished his culpability. The failure to introduce the letter was thus sound, although unsuccessful, strategy. To counteract the natural tendency to fault an unsuccessful defense, a court reviewing a claim of ineffective assistance must 'indulge a strong presumption that counsel's conduct falls within the wide range of reasonable professional assistance.' Nix v. Whiteside, 475 U.S. 157, 165 (1986) (quoting Strickland, 466 U.S. at 689). Mr. James does not overcome this presumption. The jury was presented with ample evidence to support the continuing threat aggravator. We cannot say that counsel's tactical decision not to admit the letter would have changed the outcome. Because Mr. James has failed to show a fundamental miscarriage of justice, we conclude this claim is procedurally barred. 39