Opinion ID: 2465631
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: Kargus

Text: In Kargus, we dealt with a situation similar to this case in that there is no constitutional right to counsel for the purpose of filing a petition for review of an unfavorable Court of Appeals' decision, just as there is no constitutional right to counsel for a postconviction 60-1507 proceeding. Kargus, 284 Kan. at 911-12, 169 P.3d 307; see, e.g., Wainwright v. Torna, 455 U.S. 586, 587-88, 102 S.Ct. 1300, 71 L.Ed.2d 475 (1982) (no Sixth Amendment right to counsel in discretionary appeals); Foy v. State, 17 Kan. App.2d 775, 844 P.2d 744, rev. denied 252 Kan. 1091 (1993) (no constitutional right to counsel in petition for review process allowed by K.S.A. 20-3018[b] seeking this court's discretionary review of an unfavorable decision by the Court of Appeals). Nevertheless, in Kargus we extended Brown and recognized there is a right to effective assistance of counsel, even where the right to counsel is based on a statute, not the Constitution. Kargus, 284 Kan. at 916, 169 P.3d 307 (statutory right to counsel in the direct appeal of a felony conviction extends to all levels of the state appellate process, including the filing of the petition for review and that right includes the right to effective assistance of counsel). That right to effective assistance of counsel did not mean, however, that the Ortiz exceptions applied. In fact, we found that the third Ortiz exception did not apply because the doctrinal basis for it was both constitutionally and statutorily distinct from Kargus' situation in which appointed counsel failed to seek this court's discretionary review of the Court of Appeals' decision. Nevertheless, we concluded it was appropriate to apply the same test the United States Supreme Court had applied in a Sixth Amendment setting to determine if appointed counsel had represented his or her client effectively. Kargus, 284 Kan. at 928, 169 P.3d 307. This test was stated in Roe v. Flores-Ortega, 528 U.S. 470, 120 S.Ct. 1029, 145 L.Ed.2d 985 (2000). In Flores-Ortega, the United States Supreme Court was faced with an ineffective assistance of counsel claim arising after appointed counsel failed to file a direct criminal appeal. The Court concluded that the traditional two-prong test used to determine the merits of an ineffective assistance of counsel claim, which are stated in Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 687, 104 S.Ct. 2052, 80 L.Ed.2d 674, reh. denied 467 U.S. 1267, 104 S.Ct. 3562, 82 L.Ed.2d 864 (1984), applied in a situation where counsel's performance resulted in the forfeiture of a proceeding. Under the Strickland test, it must be established that counsel's conduct (1) fell below an objective standard of reasonableness and (2) resulted in prejudice to the defendant. Strickland, 466 U.S. at 687, 104 S.Ct. 2052; see Chamberlain v. State, 236 Kan. 650, 656-57, 694 P.2d 468 (1985) (adopting the Strickland standard). But the Flores-Ortega Court also determined that the Strickland test had to be applied in a somewhat different way when a procedure had been forfeited. Addressing the first prong, the Court explained: We have long held that a lawyer who disregards specific instructions from the defendant to file a notice of appeal acts in a manner that is professionally unreasonable. See Rodriquez v. United States, 395 U.S. 327, 89 S.Ct. 1715, 23 L.Ed.2d 340 (1969); cf. Peguero v. United States, 526 U.S. 23, 28, 119 S.Ct. 961, 143 L.Ed.2d 18 (1999) ('[W]hen counsel fails to file a requested appeal, a defendant is entitled to [a new] appeal without showing that his appeal would likely have had merit'). This is so because a defendant who instructs counsel to initiate an appeal reasonably relies upon counsel to file the necessary notice. Counsel's failure to do so cannot be considered a strategic decision; filing a notice of appeal is a purely ministerial task, and the failure to file reflects inattention to the defendant's wishes. At the other end of the spectrum, a defendant who explicitly tells his attorney not to file an appeal plainly cannot later complain that, by following his instructions, his counsel performed deficiently. [Citation omitted.] Flores-Ortega, 528 U.S. at 477, 120 S.Ct. 1029. Hence, the Court concluded that when counsel failed to file an appeal, the inquiry of whether counsel's conduct fell below an objective standard did not need to focus on whether the appeal had been filed but on whether counsel discussed the right to appeal with his or her client and whether the client requested an appeal. Likewise, the second prong of the Strickland testdetermining whether the defendant was prejudicedrequired some adjustment. The Flores-Ortega court explained that courts applying Strickland `normally apply a strong presumption of reliability to judicial proceedings and require a defendant to overcome that presumption,' [citations omitted], by `show[ing] how specific errors of counsel undermined the reliability of the finding of guilt.' [Citation omitted.] Thus, in cases involving mere `attorney error,' we require the defendant to demonstrate that the errors `actually had an adverse effect on the defense.' [Citations omitted.] Flores-Ortega, 528 U.S. at 482, 120 S.Ct. 1029. This presumption and the requisite showing of a different outcome could not be applied, the Flores-Ortega court concluded, when counsel failed to file an appeal. The Court explained: Today's case is unusual in that counsel's alleged deficient performance arguably led not to a judicial proceeding of disputed reliability, but rather to the forfeiture of a proceeding itself. According to respondent, counsel's deficient performance deprived him of a notice of appeal and, hence, an appeal altogether. Assuming those allegations are true, counsel's deficient performance has deprived respondent of more than a fair judicial proceeding; that deficiency deprived respondent of the appellate proceeding altogether.... [T]he complete denial of counsel during a critical stage of a judicial proceeding mandates a presumption of prejudice because `the adversary process itself' has been rendered `presumptively unreliable.' [Citation omitted.] The even more serious denial of the entire judicial proceeding itself, which a defendant wanted at the time and to which he had a right, similarly demands a presumption of prejudice. Put simply, we cannot accord any `presumption of reliability,' [citation omitted], to judicial proceedings that never took place. Flores-Ortega, 528 U.S. at 483, 120 S.Ct. 1029. As a result, the Court reasoned, a presumption of prejudice should be applied to situations where a defendant demonstrate[s] that there is a reasonable probability that, but for counsel's deficient failure to consult with him about an appeal, he would have timely appealed. Flores-Ortega, 528 U.S. at 484, 120 S.Ct. 1029. In Kargus, we adapted the Flores-Ortega standard to the situation where appointed counsel failed to file a petition for review. Kargus, 284 Kan. at 928, 169 P.3d 307. The Flores-Ortega approach was adopted, without need for adaptation, in Patton as the standard for applying the third Ortiz exception. Patton, 287 Kan. at 224-25, 195 P.3d 753. Hence, although the Patton analysis was premised on a Sixth Amendment right to counsel and Kargus on a statutory right to counsel, both recognized that, if the law grants a right to counsel, then effective assistance of counsel must be provided. As Brown concluded, no reason exists to carve out a weaker right to counsel in a 60-1507 action, which, as interpreted in Supreme Court Rule 183, may include the right to appellate counsel in certain circumstances. Rather, if a district court appoints counsel to represent a 60-1507 movant after finding the motion presents substantial questions of law or triable issues of fact and the movant is indigent, the movant has a right to receive effective assistance of counsel. Brown, 278 Kan. at 483-84, 101 P.3d 1201. Further, as analyzed in Patton and Kargus, regardless of whether that right is based on the constitution, statute, or both, if it is alleged that appointed counsel's deficiencies resulted in the loss of the ability to pursue a procedure, the Flores-Ortega standard is to be applied. Under that standard, as modified for a 60-1507 proceeding: (1) If the movant requested that an appeal be filed and it was either not filed at all or was not timely filed, appointed counsel was ineffective and the untimely appeal should be allowed; (2) a movant who explicitly told his or her appointed counsel not to file an appeal cannot later complain that, by following instructions, counsel performed deficiently; or (3) in other situations, such as where appointed counsel has not consulted with the movant or the movant's directions are unclear, the movant must demonstrate a reasonable probability that, but for appointed counsel's deficient failure to either consult with the movant or act on the movant's wishes, an appeal would have been filed. The movant need not show that a different result would have been achieved but for appointed counsel's performance. Applying a similar test in Kargus, we remanded to the district court for a determination of which of these circumstances applied and whether an out-of-time filing of a petition for review would be an available remedy. Here, a remand to the district court is not necessary because, recognizing the potential that the reasoning of Kargus might apply, the State, in its appellate brief, indicated its willing[ness] to stipulate for the purposes of this appeal that (a) Albright was furnished an attorney for the purpose of an appeal, (b) the attorney failed to perform, and (c) but for counsel's failure, Albright would have taken a timely appeal. Given this stipulation, we can conclude Albright's appointed counsel performed deficiently in failing to file a 60-1507 appeal. As in Kargus, we recognize that the remedy for appointed counsel's deficient performance is to accept subject matter jurisdiction of Albright's appeal. Consequently, we reverse the Court of Appeals' order denying jurisdiction and remand to the Court of Appeals for consideration of the merits of Albright's appeal of the district court's denial of his K.S.A. 60-1507 motion. Reversed and remanded with directions to the Court of Appeals. BUSER, J., assigned.