Opinion ID: 1694713
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Whether the Circuit Court of Copiah County erred in denying Appellant's motion for an out-of-time appeal.

Text: Dickey contends: he requested that his attorney file an appeal; his attorney advised that costs of the appeal must be paid; his attorney failed to advise that the case could be appealed in forma pauperis; and his attorney never sought to withdraw from representation. The State responds that Dickey failed to present evidence that any agreement regarding an appeal had been reached between Dickey and his attorney. Additionally, the State argues that Dickey has failed to make even a perfunctory showing of a meritorious issue for appeal.
To prove his right to an out-of-time appeal, the movant must show by a preponderance of the evidence that he asked his attorney to appeal within the time allowed for giving notice of an appeal. Moreover, the movant must show that the attorney failed to perfect the appeal and that such failure was through no fault of the movant. Harris v. State, 624 So.2d 100, 101 (Miss. 1993) (citing Miss. Code Ann. § 99-39-23(7) (Supp. 1992); Minnifield v. State, 585 So.2d 723, 724 (Miss. 1991)). This Court has said that an evidentiary hearing is warranted on the question of whether an appeal was requested where affidavits of the appellant and the attorney are contradictory. Harris, 624 So.2d at 102 (citing Wright v. State, 577 So.2d 387 (Miss. 1991)). In Harris, this Court reversed and remanded for an evidentiary hearing because the record before the Court was devoid of any response from the attorney involved. Harris, 624 So.2d at 102. However, this Court noted that an evidentiary hearing was not necessary in each case where contradictory affidavits are presented. In order for a contested fact to require an evidentiary hearing it must be material. Moreover, where an affidavit is belied by unimpeachable documentary evidence in the record such as, for example, a transcript or written statements of the affiant to the contrary, to the extent that the court can conclude that the affidavit is a sham, no hearing is required. Id., 624 So.2d at 102 (quoting Harris v. State, 578 So.2d 617, 620 (Miss. 1991)). It appears that Dickey has failed to meet his burden of proof. Although the record contains an affidavit by Dickey claiming that he asked his attorney to appeal, the letters in the record authored by Dickey's attorney reveal otherwise. Dickey failed to show that he asked his attorney to appeal and, moreover, failed to show that the attorney failed to perfect an appeal through no fault of Dickey. Instead, it seems that the attorney urged Dickey and his family to agree to an appeal, but that no agreement regarding an appeal was ever reached. Although there is no response from the attorney in the record before this Court, it does not seem that an evidentiary hearing is required in this case as the letters authored by Dickey's attorney provide documentary evidence sufficient for this Court to conclude that Dickey's affidavit is a sham. See Harris, 624 So.2d at 102 (quoting Harris v. State, 578 So.2d 617, 620 (Miss. 1991)). B. Whether Appellant was denied effective assistance of counsel.