Opinion ID: 2010455
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: fourth postconviction motion

Text: On October 25, 1999, Parmar filed his fourth motion for postconviction relief. In that motion, Parmar again alleged that the district court erred in giving instruction No. 20, that trial counsel was ineffective for failing to object to that instruction, and that counsel on direct appeal was ineffective for failing to assign and argue the above two errors. Parmar also argued, for the second time, that his counsel on direct appeal failed to assign as error the district court's failure to suppress all of the evidence seized from his residence and to argue that the alleged conflict of interest at the Douglas County public defender's office prejudiced his right to a fair trial. Parmar prayed that he be granted an evidentiary hearing for the purpose of setting aside his conviction and sentence. On November 1, the district court dismissed his motion without an evidentiary hearing. On November 23, 1999, the district court vacated its November 1 order and gave Parmar and his court-appointed attorney 30 days to amend his motion. On December 30, postconviction counsel filed an amended motion for postconviction relief. The record does not indicate that any action was taken on that motion, and postconviction counsel filed another amended motion on September 18, 2000. The September 18 motion stated the following seven claims for relief: (1) the district court erred in giving and/or failing to correct instruction No. 20; (2) trial counsel was ineffective for failing to object to instruction No. 20; (3) direct appeal counsel was ineffective for failing to assign and argue that the district court erred in giving and/or failing to correct instruction No. 20; (4) postconviction counsel was ineffective for failing to properly research Parmar's claims and for not requesting leave to amend Parmar's motion for postconviction relief; (5) trial counsel failed to object to a jury instruction that wrongly advised the jury that intent to kill was an element of felony murder, and direct appeal counsel failed to assign the same on appeal; (6) direct appeal counsel failed to assign as error the district court's failure to suppress all of the evidence seized from Parmar's residence; and (7) Parmar's due process rights were violated by a conflict of interest in the Douglas County public defender's office. Parmar prayed for an evidentiary hearing and an order vacating his conviction and sentence. We note that both the original and amended motions for postconviction relief filed in this proceeding refer to the previous motions filed by Parmar in 1995 and 1997, Parmar II and Parmar III, but make no reference to Parmar's first postconviction motion filed in 1992. On September 12, 2000, Parmar appeared before the district court for an evidentiary hearing on his fourth motion for postconviction relief. Parmar offered, and the court took judicial notice of, nine different exhibits, which included the bill of exceptions from Parmar's trial and the transcripts from his three previous appeals. The State offered no evidence. In an order entered on November 20, the district court noted that Parmar had filed two prior motions for post conviction [sic] relief, which were dismissed by the Supreme Court on procedural grounds. The court further stated that while there had been no judicial determination of these prior motions, Parmar's first amended motion filed in this proceeding was without merit and should therefore be denied. Parmar commenced this appeal in which he is represented by appointed counsel.