Opinion ID: 1826004
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Preservation of issues for direct appeal.

Text: ¶ 59. Manning argues trial counsel failed to preserve several issues, including his assertion that the prosecutor violated Batson v. Kentucky, 476 U.S. 79, 106 S.Ct. 1712, 90 L.Ed.2d 69 (1986), in striking blacks from the jury pool where his reasons were pretextual. Likewise, Manning argues trial counsel's performance was deficient for failing to object when Hathorn testified to Manning's prior bad acts and character. Manning also argues defense counsel promised, in his opening statement, to produce testimony that someone else had confessed to the crime. When the defense counsel did not follow through by presenting this testimony, the prosecutor noted it in his closing argument. Thus, according to Manning, the defense attorney's unkept promise of such testimony was detrimental to his defense. Finally, Manning asserts defense counsel was ineffective for failing to object when the prosecutor referred to Manning as a monster and likened the case to the O.J. Simpson case. ¶ 60. The State argues Manning is wrong to assert that defense counsel did not preserve Batson claims. The defense attorney did raise a claim under Batson, and the trial court required the State to give race-neutral reasons for its peremptory challenges. Those reasons were then reviewed by this Court on appeal. Manning, 726 So.2d at 1183-86. Next, the State argues Manning's claim that defense counsel was ineffective for failing to object to Hathorn's testimony cannot be sustained where the underlying substantive issue was raised on direct appeal and decided against Manning. ¶ 61. The State correctly points out that the issue of Hathorn's testimony and whether or not trial counsel was ineffective was litigated on direct appeal, and is now procedurally barred. As for the merits of this claim, we find Manning's claims do not rise to the level of Strickland, and we thus, alternatively, deny this issue on its merits.