Opinion ID: 162328
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Stipulation to the Continuing Threat and Prior Violent Felony Aggravators

Text: 43 In his state application for post-conviction relief, Mr. Hooker first raised his argument that counsel was ineffective for stipulating to the continuing threat and prior violent felony aggravators. The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals declined to consider the issue, concluding: Because this claim could have been raised on direct appeal but was not, it is now waived. Hooker v. State, 934 P.2d 352, 355 (Okla. Crim.App.1997). The State, however, does not argue procedural bar here. Accordingly, we proceed to the merits. See Hooks, 184 F.3d at 1216 (requiring State to assert affirmative defense of procedural bar). 44 Mr. Hooker argues counsel's stipulation to the continuing threat and prior violent felony aggravators constituted deficient performance for two reasons: (1) the violent felony convictions were constitutionally invalid because Mr. Hooker committed them as a juvenile and, at the time of the stipulation, he had not been properly certified as an adult, and (2) stipulating to the aggravators was not a reasonable strategic decision, as the factual circumstances underlying the felonies were mitigating. 13 We address each of these arguments in turn.
45 Mr. Hooker argues trial counsel should not have stipulated to the continuing threat and prior violent felony aggravators because the basis for the stipulations were two unconstitutionally obtained juvenile convictions. Mr. Hooker was convicted for manslaughter and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon with intent to kill when he was seventeen years old. At the time of Mr. Hooker's prior convictions, Oklahoma, under statutory authority, tried sixteen-and seventeen-year-old males as adults, but tried females of the same age as juveniles, unless certified to stand trial as adults. We held this sex-based distinction violated the Equal Protection Clause. See Lamb v. Brown, 456 F.2d 18, 20 (10th Cir.1972); see also Radcliff v. Anderson, 509 F.2d 1093, 1096 (10th Cir.1974) (holding Lamb applies retroactively). Mr. Hooker claims, because he was convicted without being certified to stand trial as an adult, his convictions should not serve as the basis for the aggravators. 46 Although Mr. Hooker did not bring an ineffective assistance of counsel claim on direct appeal, he did argue the State obtained his prior felony convictions under a juvenile system subsequently found unconstitutional by the Tenth Circuit. Recognizing Mr. Hooker's prior convictions were infected by an unconstitutional Oklahoma statute, the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals remanded the case to the trial court for a retroactive adult certification hearing to determine whether Oklahoma would have certified Mr. Hooker as an adult at the time of his prior convictions. Hooker, 887 P.2d at 1362; see also Bromley v. Crisp, 561 F.2d 1351, 1356-57 & n. 6 (10th Cir.1977) (holding conviction need not be set aside if an evidentiary hearing establishes juvenile court would have certified defendant as adult). At the retroactive adult certification hearing, the State bore the burden of proving certification would have occurred. See Kelley v. Kaiser, 992 F.2d 1509, 1514 (10th Cir.1993). To meet its burden, the State introduced the record and preliminary hearing transcript from his prior convictions. After the hearing, the trial court entered an order concluding Mr. Hooker would have been certified as an adult if a hearing had been held. The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed. See Hooker, 887 P.2d at 1363. 47 Mr. Hooker argues he was denied due process and a fair hearing because the State's use of the preliminary hearing transcript precluded him from confronting witnesses. We disagree. In a retroactive adult certification hearing, due process requires a hearing, counsel, access to the materials considered by the court, and a statement of reasons. See Kent v. United States, 383 U.S. 541, 554, 557, 561, 86 S.Ct. 1045, 16 L.Ed.2d 84 (1966) (discussing due process rights generally); Green v. Reynolds, 57 F.3d 956, 960-61 (10th Cir.1995) (holding due process rights apply to Oklahoma retroactive adult certification hearings). The hearing, however, need not conform to the requirements of a criminal trial or the usual administrative hearing. Kent, 383 U.S. at 562, 86 S.Ct. 1045. On direct appeal, Mr. Hooker made a similar due process argument. The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals rejected Mr. Hooker's argument because [a]t the ... preliminary hearing, [Mr.] Hooker was present, he was represented by counsel and he had the opportunity to cross-examine the State's witnesses. Hooker, 887 P.2d at 1363 n. 31. We agree Mr. Hooker's right to confrontation was satisfied. Accordingly, the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals' determination Mr. Hooker received due process is not contrary to, or an unreasonable application of, federal law. See 28 U.S.C. § 2254(d)(1). 48 Mr. Hooker also argues the Oklahoma appellate court failed to apply the eight factors set forth in Kelley, 992 F.2d at 1513 n. 5, 1514, when determining whether to retroactively certify Mr. Hooker as an adult. This argument is without merit. Although the state appellate court did not discuss each factor, it did cite to Kelley, as well as the Oklahoma trial court's extensive and complete findings of fact and conclusions of law. Hooker, 887 P.2d at 1362-63, 1363 n. 33. The trial court's order painstakingly analyzed each of the Kelley factors. We will not fault the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals for declining to restate all the information in the trial court's order. 49 Whether Mr. Hooker would have been certified to stand trial as an adult is a fact question. Kelley, 992 F.2d at 1514. Mr. Hooker has not rebutted by clear and convincing evidence the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals' finding he would have been certified to stand trial as an adult at the time of his prior convictions. See 28 U.S.C. § 2254(e)(1). Consequently, we cannot conclude the court's determination was based on an unreasonable determination of the facts. See 28 U.S.C. § 2254(d)(2). 14 50 Mr. Hooker's prior convictions were constitutionally obtained. Therefore, Mr. Hooker's argument counsel were ineffective because they stipulated to aggravators based on unconstitutional convictions must fail. 51
52 Mr. Hooker next argues trial counsel's decision to stipulate to the prior violent felony and continuing threat aggravators was not reasonable because the factual circumstances underlying the felonies were mitigating. Specifically, Mr. Hooker contends the shootings resulting in his manslaughter and assault and battery convictions were accidental. 53 Mr. Hooker further argues counsels' closing arguments erased any tactical advantage of not discussing the factual circumstances of the prior convictions: 54 John Hooker's killed in the past. We've conceded that. Look at the prison records there and you'll see in there that he tells the parole summary board that he shot his best friend. That's the way it happened and that's no excuse for pulling a gun out and firing into a crowd. It's no excuse. 55 Those prison records aren't written up two weeks ago or three weeks ago. They're from 1970. He went in when he was sixteen years old for killing his best friend. Killing his best friend. Can you imagine what that — I, too, believe in the sanctity of human life as [the prosecutor] said. 56 We do not agree with Mr. Hooker's arguments. 57 Mr. Hooker has not established his counsel's performance was deficient. In light of Strickland's direction to deferentially scrutinize counsel's performance and not second guess counsel's strategy after an adverse decision, 466 U.S. at 689, 104 S.Ct. 2052, we cannot say counsel performed below prevailing professional norms in stipulating to the two aggravators. Without the stipulation, the State would have presented the factual evidence of the circumstances resulting in the juvenile convictions. While Mr. Hooker now states the shootings were accidental, he pled guilty to both charges. Rather than stipulating to the aggravators, Mr. Hooker argues his counsel should have called a witness to testify his juvenile convictions were based on accidental shootings. We cannot conclude counsel were ineffective for stipulating to the aggravators, even though there was some mitigating evidence, when Mr. Hooker pled guilty to the prior charges. 15 Here, counsel made a strategic decision Mr. Hooker's admission of guilt to the prior charges would outweigh any mitigating testimony. This decision was within the parameters of reasonable professional competence. 58 Moreover, we conclude the jury would have found these two aggravating circumstances regardless of the stipulations. See Brown v. Dixon, 891 F.2d 490, 500-01 (4th Cir.1989) (making similar determination where counsel indicated to jury he thought jury would find two aggravators). See also Smith v. Dixon, 766 F.Supp. 1370, 1392-93 (E.D.N.C.1991) (finding no ineffective assistance where counsel's statement that there were aggravators was merely a statement of the obvious), rev'd on other grounds, 14 F.3d 956 (4th Cir.1994) (en banc). Accordingly, counsel retained credibility with the jury by stipulating to the aggravators. Counsel's stipulations, therefore, were an entirely understandable strategic decision. Fox, 200 F.3d at 1295. 59 Further, we do not believe counsel were ineffective for referring to some of the negative aspects of Mr. Hooker's prior convictions in closing argument. In its closing arguments, the State argued [t]he defendant before you today has caused the death now of three people. One person in 1971, and now two people in 1988. He assaulted another in '71 with the intent to kill. In response to this argument, counsel for Mr. Hooker attempted to persuade the jury Mr. Hooker did not deserve the death penalty. Mr. Hooker's counsel asked the jurors to consider his record as an outstanding prisoner. Knowing the potentially mitigating prison records also contained information about Mr. Hooker's prior convictions, Mr. Hooker's counsel chose to acknowledge Mr. Hooker previously killed his best friend. Like the decision to stipulate to the aggravators, this decision was reasonably designed to retain credibility with the jurors. Fox, 200 F.3d at 1295. Consequently, we conclude Mr. Hooker's counsel were not ineffective. Because we conclude counsel were not ineffective in stipulating to the continuing threat and prior violent felony aggravators, we need not address whether Mr. Hooker was prejudiced by these stipulations. See Strickland, 466 U.S. at 697, 104 S.Ct. 2052. 60