Opinion ID: 2670174
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Failure to Investigate Texas Murder Case

Text: Mr. Knittel contends his counsel was deficient because he failed to investigate facts surrounding the murder investigation in Texas that ultimately led to Mr. Knittel’s arrest. Mr. Knittel appears to argue that the affidavit supporting the Texas arrest warrant was falsified based on information from a confidential informant. He contends his counsel should have investigated this issue and filed pre-trial motions on Fourth Amendment grounds, ostensibly to obtain a Franks hearing. We agree with the district court that even if Mr. Knittel’s counsel’s performance was deficient, Mr. Knittel has not demonstrated that he was prejudiced by his counsel’s failure to investigate the facts surrounding the murder investigation in Texas. As the district court noted, the facts of the Texas murder case were irrelevant to Mr. Knittel’s - 11 - federal prosecution for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. See Dist. Ct. Order at 4. In addition, Mr. Knittel fails to show either (1) that he would have been granted a Franks hearing if his counsel had inquired into the Texas murder investigation or (2) that he would have been successful in a Franks hearing in any case. In these circumstances, reasonable jurists could not debate the district court’s conclusion that Mr. Knittel “has wholly failed to show that the result would have been different” but for his counsel’s errors, Dist. Ct. Order at 4, as he is required to do to establish prejudice under Strickland, 466 U.S. at 694. We therefore deny COA on this issue.