Opinion ID: 739728
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Ineffective Assistance of Counsel Arguments

Text: 79 Villafuerte was represented at trial, during both the guilt and sentencing phases, by attorney John Rood. Villafuerte claims several instances of ineffective assistance by Rood. 80 The analytical approach to a claim of ineffective assistance is established by Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 104 S.Ct. 2052, 80 L.Ed.2d 674 (1984). First, Villafuerte must show that his counsel's performance was deficient. Second, he must show that the deficient performance prejudiced him by denying him a fair trial. In making the second showing, Villafuerte must show that there is a reasonable probability that, but for counsel's unprofessional errors, the result of the proceeding would have been different. A reasonable probability is a probability sufficient to undermine confidence in the outcome. Id. at 694, 104 S.Ct. at 2068. We may address prejudice without first deciding if counsel's performance was deficient, because Villafuerte must establish both deficient performance and prejudice before he is entitled to relief. 81
82 Villafuerte contends that Rood was ineffective under the Strickland standard by failing to interview the police officer witnesses prior to trial. We disagree. Even if Rood's representation was deficient in this regard, Villafuerte has failed to show prejudice. Rood had access to the police reports, had an interpreter read them to Villafuerte, and compared Villafuerte's taped statement with Agent Prida's translation. Villafuerte has not specified how Rood's failure to personally interview the police officer witnesses had any prejudicial effect. 83 Villafuerte also contends Rood's investigation was deficient because he did not locate the people who were allegedly at the trailer on the day of the offense. Again, Villafuerte has not demonstrated that Rood's investigation was constitutionally deficient. Rood sent an investigator to the trailer park to look for leads to Robert and Fernando. He also interviewed Detective Oviedo about the two men. His efforts to locate them were hampered by Villafuerte's refusal to furnish their descriptions. 84 Moreover, the state trial court held a two-day evidentiary hearing in August of 1988. Villafuerte presented no evidence that any amount of investigation could have found Robert and Fernando in time for trial nor that further investigation would have produced anything of assistance to the defense. In fact, Robert and Fernando did not testify at the hearing on Villafuerte's state habeas petition, either in person or by deposition. Villafuerte has failed to show prejudice. 85 Villafuerte also argues Rood was ineffective for failing to investigate and develop a defense based on Villafuerte's alleged intoxication at the time of the murder. We disagree. Such a line of defense would have been inconsistent with the theory of defense advanced at trial. 86 Villafuerte's trial defense was that someone else killed Schoville, and if the police had conducted an adequate investigation they would have turned up the real killer. In support of this defense he testified he tied Schoville up to keep her from calling the police, that other people were at the trailer, and that he gave them instructions to release Schoville after he left. For the jury to accept this defense theory, the jury would have had to believe not only that Villafuerte was telling the truth but that he knew what went on in the trailer while he was there, that he knew other people were there and who they were, that he tied up Schoville so she wouldn't call the police, and that he instructed Robert and Fernando to release her after he left. Such detailed testimony of these events would undercut, if not destroy, any defense that Villafuerte was so intoxicated he did not know what he was doing. 87 Moreover, Villafuerte testified he was not so intoxicated that he was unaware of his actions at the time of the offense. Specifically, in response to Rood's question as to whether he was intoxicated at the time he tied up Schoville, Villafuerte testified: 88 No, I did not lose my mind at any one time. I was not as drunk, that is to say I was drunk not that I was falling over drunk, now, well, you know, I had been drinking, you know, the way that you feel when you have been drinking, but I was not dragging around that I didn't know what I was doing, no.
89 Villafuerte contends that Rood was ineffective by failing to offer certain items of evidence which would have corroborated his story. The first item was an unsigned, undated note of unknown authorship, written in Spanish, addressed to Roberto, found in the trailer. Villafuerte has not shown who wrote the note, nor has he demonstrated that it would have been admissible at trial had Rood wanted to offer it. Deficient performance under the Strickland standard has not been shown. 90 The second claim relates to bloody towels found in the trailer but not introduced into evidence. In his amended federal habeas petition, Villafuerte alleged that the bloodstained towels showed that he did not bind the victim, but instead tended her wounds. However, as the district court pointed out, Villafuerte's testimony was that he wiped Schoville's head with a sheet, not towels. The bloody towels did not corroborate his story. 6 91 The third claim relates to a photograph of Robert Grady found in the trailer. Villafuerte argues that this photograph proved Robert Grady existed and would have prevented the prosecutor from arguing that Grady was a figment of Villafuerte's imagination. Even assuming deficient performance, Villafuerte has not demonstrated prejudice. It is not reasonably probable that the jury would have refused to find Villafuerte guilty of the murder based on an alleged photograph of Robert Grady found in the trailer.
92 Villafuerte contends Rood was ineffective by failing to challenge the legality of his arrest. In his amended petition filed with the district court, Villafuerte did not raise this specific claim. Consequently, we decline to address the claim on appeal. See United States v. Oregon, 769 F.2d 1410, 1414 (9th Cir.1985).
93 Villafuerte next argues that Rood failed to effectively impeach the police witnesses. Villafuerte argues Rood did not point out significant variations between the officers' testimony and their investigative reports and did not elicit information that would have been helpful to the defense. Villafuerte, however, does not identify the alleged variations or the helpful information. Thus, Villafuerte has demonstrated neither defective assistance nor prejudice.
94 Villafuerte argues Rood rendered ineffective assistance because he did not pursue testing of the semen sample found in Schoville during the autopsy. As discussed above, the passage of time before the body was discovered and the autopsy was performed reduced the chances of successful testing to a near negligible level. Villafuerte has not demonstrated prejudice.
95 Villafuerte also argues Rood distanced himself from Villafuerte by interrupting Villafuerte's testimony with impolite and derogatory comments. As found by the district court, the record does not support this argument. Rood did not distance himself from Villafuerte. Instead, Rood attempted to limit Villafuerte's answers to the questions asked. Villafuerte has not demonstrated Rood's performance was deficient or that any prejudice resulted from Rood's behavior.
96 Villafuerte argues his counsel was ineffective at the voluntariness hearing because he did not effectively argue that Villafuerte's statements after his arrest were involuntary. Villafuerte fails to demonstrate prejudice from this claimed ineffective assistance. As discussed above, the evidence was overwhelming that Villafuerte's statements were voluntary. He was repeatedly advised of his Miranda rights in both Spanish and English, and signed a card so indicating. 97
98 Villafuerte claims Rood was ineffective at sentencing because he did not adequately present mitigating evidence. Villafuerte does not contend Rood failed to present any mitigating evidence. He contends Rood could have presented more effective mitigating evidence if he had been better prepared for the sentencing hearing. 99 Villafuerte presented this claim in his state habeas proceeding. However, he presented no evidence concerning what Rood would have found had he investigated further, nor what lengthier preparation would have accomplished. The state court, in rejecting this claim in the state habeas proceedings, said: [T]o this date and including the evidentiary hearing of August 11 and 12 of 1988, this court has not been offered a single item of mitigating evidence which was available at the time of sentencing and was not used.... It simply has not been shown. Since it is not shown, the court must believe it is not there. We agree. Villafuerte has not shown prejudice.
100 Villafuerte argues Rood provided ineffective assistance because he did not review the presentence report with Villafuerte until one-half hour before sentencing. Consequently, Villafuerte argues, he was unable to refute false information in the report. 101 Assuming that Rood's performance was deficient, Villafuerte has not demonstrated prejudice. During the sentencing phase, Villafuerte told the state trial court that the report contained inaccuracies. Villafuerte then testified and pointed out two alleged inaccuracies. Villafuerte has not identified any inaccuracies he did not point out to the sentencing court. Because he has not identified any such additional discrepancies, he has not demonstrated that, had he had a better opportunity to review the presentence report, the sentence would have been different. 10. Cumulative Effect 102 Finally, Villafuerte argues that the cumulative effect of Rood's alleged errors deprived him of his right to effective assistance. See Cooper v. Fitzharris, 586 F.2d 1325, 1333 (9th Cir.1978) (concluding cumulative effect of alleged errors may demonstrate prejudice), cert. denied, 440 U.S. 974, 99 S.Ct. 1542, 59 L.Ed.2d 793 (1979). As discussed above, Villafuerte has either failed to establish that his counsel's performance was deficient, or if it was, that he suffered prejudice as a result. To the extent any deficient performance by counsel has been established, Villafuerte has failed to demonstrate that he suffered prejudice as a result of any such alleged deficiencies. The combined effect of any deficiencies also did not result in prejudice.