Opinion ID: 465293
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: facts

Text: 1 Appellant David Thompson stabbed a seventeen year-old co-worker in the back and chest with a large knife before numerous witnesses in the restaurant where they worked. Some of the witnesses, appellant's co-workers, had heard him threaten to get even with the victim because he had apparently struck appellant during an altercation the previous day. The police apprehended appellant, with the bloody knife in his pocket, a short distance from the restaurant. On several instances while in custody, appellant spontaneously and vehemently expressed his ardent desire that the victim was dead. 2 Appellant pleaded guilty to a charge of first-degree murder in Florida state court and was sentenced to life imprisonment. He did not appeal his sentence nor did he pursue post-conviction relief for nearly eight years. After exhausting his state remedies, appellant sought federal habeas corpus relief, claiming his guilty plea was involuntary due to ineffective assistance of counsel. The magistrate held an evidentiary hearing on appellant's petition. At this hearing, appellant testified he met with his counsel only twice, each time for less than five minutes. Appellant also testified that his counsel told him he would probably get the electric chair if he did not plead guilty. Moreover, appellant stated his counsel never discussed with him the testimony that would be presented against him or his version of the incident, and did not discuss plea bargaining or explain the sentence he would receive if he pleaded guilty. As a result, appellant claimed he was completely ignorant of the consequences of his guilty plea. Even after he reviewed the transcript of the change of plea/sentencing hearing, appellant insisted the trial judge only asked him how he got along with his counsel before pronouncing sentence. The transcript belied this statement and the magistrate obviously discredited appellant's testimony. 3 Trial defense counsel Jeffrey Myers testified concerning his work on appellant's case. Regarding his investigation of a possible insanity defense, Myers stated that he or his office investigators contacted appellant's family, obtained reports from Traverse City State Hospital and arranged for examination by two psychiatrists. The first psychiatrist found appellant was schizophrenic but competent to stand trial and knew the difference between right and wrong; the second psychiatrist did not file a report because appellant refused to cooperate with him. Myers recalled at least five meetings with appellant. He stated that he discussed with appellant the facts of the case, the testimony that the prosecution would offer and the strength of the state's case against him. In addition, he testified that he explained the degrees of murder and the evidence regarding premeditation. He also testified that he advised appellant the death penalty was a potential and realistic possibility if he was convicted, but that he did not discuss the specific aggravating and mitigating circumstances that might be found. Finally, Myers stated that he discussed the consequences of the plea arrangement with appellant, who appeared to understand them. When questioned about his own understanding of the Florida death sentence statute, enacted shortly before this case commenced, Myers testified that this was his first capital case under the new statute but he was familiar with the statutory changes and that it was his professional opinion that appellant would receive the death sentence if he went to trial. He further testified that he met with the prosecuting attorneys several times, felt the state had a strong case and believed the plea agreement was in appellant's best interest. 4 The final witness at the evidentiary hearing was the prosecuting attorney. He testified that the state's case against appellant was superb, he felt there was 100% likelihood of conviction and a sufficient likelihood of the death penalty to go to trial. In fact, at the time, he personally would have preferred to try the case and expose appellant to the death penalty. The prosecutor testified he did not make the final decision to accept appellant's guilty plea and that he had made known his opposition to the plea negotiations. With the benefit of hindsight and experience, however, he guessed a death sentence in this case would not have withstood appeal. He also believed appellant understood the plea at the change of plea hearing. 5 The magistrate later issued his report and recommendation that appellant's petition be denied because appellant entered a voluntary plea upon advice of competent counsel. The district court adopted this report and recommendation and denied the petition.