Opinion ID: 1684901
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 14

Heading: ccrc funding and public records

Text: Griffin also alleges that postconviction counsel was unable to properly investigate and prepare Griffin's postconviction motion due to the workload and funding of the Capital Collateral Regional Counsel (CCRC) and outstanding public records requests. Griffin was originally represented by counsel from CCRC-South. In March 1997, CCRC counsel filed an incomplete postconviction motion in order to toll the time limit in which Griffin had to file his federal habeas corpus petition. Pursuant to an order from this Court, the time period in which Griffin was required to file his postconviction motion in the circuit court was tolled until October 1, 1998. Amendments to Fla. R.Crim. P.-Capital Postconviction Public Records Production (Time Tolling), 719 So.2d 869, 871-72 (Fla. 1998) (tolling time requirements of rules 3.851 and 3.852 in order to accommodate new legislation setting up repository for capital postconviction public records and in order to establish registry of private counsel for appointment and implement new rule 3.852 consistent with this legislation). CCRC counsel filed an amended postconviction motion on Griffin's behalf in October 1998. In response to CCRC's notice that Griffin was in need of counsel for postconviction relief, the circuit court appointed Kenneth Malnik as Griffin's collateral counsel in August 1999. Malnik requested and received several extensions for filing an amended postconviction motion. The amended motion, which is the subject of this appeal, was filed by Malnik in December 1999. Thus, we agree with the circuit court's conclusion that relief is unwarranted on this claim as any funding and workload problems have been adequately addressed and rectified. As to Griffin's claim that his postconviction representation has been hampered by outstanding public records requests, the record does not support this claim. In his motion below, Griffin argued that he needed files from the lead detective and the two detectives who had interrogated his codefendants, in order to support his claims that the codefendants had been coerced into talking to the detectives and that their statements were not accurate. The circuit court summarily denied this claim, finding Griffin's request for relief baseless. On appeal, Griffin argues that the trial court erred in not ordering disclosure of requested Metro-Dade police records [9] and in not giving Griffin an opportunity to amend his motion following disclosure of the records. The record in this appeal contains three volumes of supplemental record, encompassing over 600 pages, relating to Griffin's public records requests. These include numerous requests for extensive records by Griffin and numerous responses from the various agencies and offices. The responses indicate that some records have been supplied, other records have been withheld as either exempt or privileged, some requests could not be fulfilled because the documents did not exist, and other requests were so broad and vague that the offices could not comply. It is difficult to determine what records Griffin has actually received and what, if any, requests are still outstanding. However, even if Griffin has outstanding requests that would reveal information about coercion of his codefendants, this could not be considered newly discovered evidence for purposes of a collateral attack. The record of the suppression hearing before trial is replete with allegations that the police beat and intimidated the codefendants and that their statements should be suppressed on this basis. However, the trial court ruled that the codefendants' statements were voluntary and need not be suppressed. At trial, codefendant Nicholas Tarallo even testified that he was beaten by the police when arrested, but he also testified that his statements about the incident were true in spite of any police coercion. On appeal, this Court found no merit to Griffin's claim that his statements to the police should have been suppressed. Griffin v. State, 639 So.2d at 972 n. 4. Thus, to the extent that the public records claim goes to the voluntariness of the codefendants' statements to the police, this argument has already been made and rejected and is procedurally barred in this postconviction proceeding. Griffin also argues that public records relating to Officer Crespo could support his claim that the police fired first and he only fired in response. However, evidence was presented at trial that Officer Crespo fired two shots into the patrol car door. Any further evidence relating to these shots that might be revealed by public records would not contradict the trial testimony of Officer Crespo and codefendant Tarallo that Griffin fired first. Thus, we affirm the circuit court's summary denial of relief as to this claim.