Opinion ID: 1604129
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Whether Scott Received Ineffective Assistance of Counsel under the Sixth Amendment.

Text: ¶ 43. The Court of Appeals held that this issue would be better brought by motion for post-conviction relief. We have held that it is unusual for this Court to consider a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel when the claim is made on direct appeal. Wilcher v. State, 863 So.2d 776, 825 (Miss.2003). This Court previously has held that when an ineffective-assistance-of-counsel claim cannot be supported, this Court will refrain from granting relief and preserve the issue for post-conviction relief. Id. (citing Read v. State, 436 So.2d 832, 837 (Miss.1987)). ¶ 44. However, in Hodges, this Court has clarified when an issue may be brought on direct appeal, referring to our revision to Rule 22 of the Mississippi Rules of Appellate Procedure. Hodges v. State, 949 So.2d 706, 713 (Miss.2006) (citing Miss. R.App. P. 22). `[I]ssues which may be raised in post-conviction proceedings may also be raised on direct appeal' if such issues are based on facts fully apparent from the record. M.R.A.P. 22[(b)]. Id. (emphasis in original). Id. Because this issue has been brought to us by Scott on grounds that could have been decided by the trial court, this Court has the power to determine whether or not Scott received ineffective assistance of counsel under Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 104 S.Ct. 2052, 80 L.Ed.2d 674 (1984). ¶ 45. While we have held it to be a rare case in which this Court will rule on ineffective-assistance-of-counsel claims on direct appeal, here we see no evidence in the record to support a viable claim for ineffective assistance of counsel that would meet the two-prong test set forth in Strickland, 466 U.S. at 668, 104 S.Ct. 2052. ¶ 46. Under Strickland in order to find ineffective assistance of counsel, this Court must find that counsel's conduct so undermined the proper functioning of the adversarial process that the trial cannot be relied on as having produced a just result. Strickland, 466 U.S. at 686, 104 S.Ct. 2052. In other words, counsel's performance must have been so deficient that there would have been a different verdict were it not for that deficiency. Givens v. State, 967 So.2d 1, 9-10 (Miss.2007). ¶ 47. Scott claims ineffective assistance of counsel based on false arrest, failure to interview alibi witnesses, failure to view alleged evidence, and failure to object to the prosecutor's closing argument. Each of these issues can be addressed on direct appeal, because each of these claims of error could have been decided by the trial court. There is a strong but rebuttable presumption that counsel's conduct falls within the wide range of reasonable professional assistance. Only where it is reasonably probable that but for the attorney's errors, the outcome of the trial would have been different, will we find that counsel's performance was deficient. Id. at 5 citing Walker v. State, 863 So.2d 1, 22 (Miss.2003) (further citing Russell v. State, 849 So.2d 95, 122 (Miss.2003) (quoting Holly v. State, 716 So.2d 979, 989 (Miss.1998))). ¶ 48. The record indicates that Scott was arrested in Marietta, Georgia, under an outstanding warrant for his arrest, which warrant was never disputed. Scott's counsel delineated the effort made to locate the purported alibi witnesses provided by Scott, witnesses who never could be located. In addition, Scott's roommate did not corroborate Scott's contention that he was asleep at home. Whether or not Scott's counsel viewed a videotape of an individual purchasing cigarettes from a convenience store after the murder and armed robbery is a question of strategy left to Scott's counsel. Cole v. State, 666 So.2d 767, 777 (Miss.1995) ( citing Murray v. Maggio, 736 F.2d 279 (5th Cir.1984) (holding that counsel may choose whether or not to file motions, interview witnesses, or make objections as a part of their trial strategy)). ¶ 49. Finally, Scott claims error for his counsel's failure to object to the prosecutor's comments that Scott was a con man and a shyster. All of these issues fall squarely within the purview of trial strategy and unless clearly deficient, the burden is not met. Id. ¶ 50. We hold that the prosecutor's comments were entirely acceptable given Scott's testimony that confirmed he had been convicted of theft and conspiracy to embezzle, among other crimes. Therefore, we find nothing in the record to support a claim for ineffective assistance of counsel on any ground brought by Scott. ¶ 51. Although we need not address whether the outcome would have been different, since the first prong of Strickland has not been met, this Court notes ample evidence was available to the jury to supports its guilty verdict. This Court reverses and vacates the Court of Appeals' judgment and affirms and reinstates the jury verdict.