Opinion ID: 77042
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: State Post-Conviction

Text: 260 In 1990, the defendant filed a motion for post-conviction relief pursuant to Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.850. 11 In 1996, the defendant filed a second amended 3.850 motion for post-conviction relief. In his 171-page motion, the defendant raised the following claims regarding his convictions: (1) the lack of funding prohibited defense counsel from fully investigating and preparing his post-conviction motion, in violation of the Constitution; (2) the state withheld certain files and records pertaining to the defendant's case, namely taped statements by numerous witnesses; (3) the state committed Brady and Giglio violations; (4) ineffective assistance of appellate counsel, both in the appeal from the motion to suppress as well as in his state direct appeal, namely that the record on appeal was incomplete in both instances; (5) the trial court's statement that he would have to lock up the jurors if they did not reach a verdict by the end of the day violated the defendant's constitutional rights (hereinafter referred to as the lock-up statement); 12 (6) ineffective assistance of trial counsel for: (a) failing to pursue a defense centered around Jon LeCroy as the murderer; (b) failing to pursue a defense centered around self-defense; (c) failing to litigate the issue concerning the districting procedure in Palm Beach County; (d) improperly waiving jury instructions regarding affirmative defenses; and (e) not pursuing Brady and Giglio violations and failing to obtain various documents that could have been used at trial; 13 (7) the trial court's exclusion of Jon LeCroy's allegedly inculpatory statements violated the Constitution; (8) the state engaged in various instances of prosecutorial misconduct; 14 (9) the state's introduction of shocking and gruesome photographs violated the Constitution and trial counsel was ineffective for failing to object to them; (10) the defendant's constitutional rights were violated by Florida's Rules of Professional Conduct that prevent lawyers, or their associates, from speaking with jurors after a trial; (11) the trial court erroneously instructed the jury regarding expert testimony; and (12) the cumulative procedural and substantive errors during the defendant's trial violated the Constitution.
261 The defendant's 3.850 motion was originally scheduled for an evidentiary hearing. 15 However, after the case was transferred, the new judge summarily determined that an evidentiary hearing was unnecessary. 262 Although the State 3.850 Court did not hold an evidentiary hearing on the defendant's amended 3.850 motion, it did issue a 20-page opinion addressing each of the defendant's claims. With respect to the defendant's claim that a lack of funding prohibited his attorney from fully investigating and preparing his post-conviction 3.850 motion, the State 3.850 Court concluded that the claim was legally insufficient as a matter of law. The State 3.850 Court also concluded that the defendant waived his claim that the state withheld certain files and records pertaining to his case, namely taped statements by numerous witnesses. However, the State 3.850 Court gave no basis for concluding that the defendant had waived the claim. 263 With respect to the defendant's claim that the state committed Brady and Giglio violations, the State 3.850 Court concluded that the evidence was overwhelming and that the defendant had not established a reasonable probability that the outcome would have been different if the state had disclosed the evidence in issue. Specifically, the State 3.850 Court concluded that 264 [t]he evidence in this case was overwhelming. The Defendant not only confessed to killing the Hardemans to the police, but he confessed to Carol Hundley and Roger Slora. A plethora of physical and circumstantial evidence corroborated those confessions and further established the Defendant's guilt. Based on the wealth of evidence against him, there is no reasonable probability that his conviction or sentence of death would have been different had the State disclosed or defense counsel discovered the evidence alleged by the Defendant in this claim. Therefore, this claim is denied. 265 The State 3.850 Court also concluded that several claims were procedurally barred because they either were or could have been raised on direct appeal, including the defendant's claims that (1) the record on appeal was incomplete, 16 and (2) the trial court's lock-up statement violated the Constitution. 266 With respect to the defendant's claims that trial counsel was ineffective in numerous respects during the guilt phase of the trial, the State 3.850 Court concluded that the defendant had not shown a reasonable probability that counsel's performance would have affected the outcome of the trial. Specifically, the State 3.850 Court stated that 267 singularly or cumulatively, the allegations of deficient conduct that are sufficiently pled, even if taken as true, would not have, within a reasonable probability, affected the outcome of this case. As noted previously, the quality and quantity of evidence presented by the State simply would not have been undermined even if defense counsel had presented the evidence that Defendant claims he should have presented. Therefore, this claim is denied. 268 With regard to the defendant's claim that the trial court's evidentiary ruling (excluding Jon LeCroy's inculpatory statements as to when he last saw the Hardemans) violated the Constitution, the State 3.850 Court determined that the claim was procedurally barred as it was raised and rejected on direct appeal. 269 As for the defendant's claims of prosecutorial misconduct, the State 3.850 Court addressed each claim individually. With regard to the state pursuing a theory at the defendant's trial that the defendant was the triggerman and a theory at Jon LeCroy's subsequent trial that Jon LeCroy was the triggerman, the State 3.850 Court noted 270 that trial counsel challenged the State's inconsistent theories in his motion for new trial. At the hearing on the motion, this Court found that the State had initially overstated Jon's involvement in Jon's trial and had then retreated to an aider and abettor theory. This Court also found the evidence of the Defendant's guilt overwhelming and denied the motion. The Defendant could have, but did not, challenge this Court's denial of his motion for new trial, and the State's inconsistent theories, on direct appeal. Thus, this claim is procedurally barred. It is also without merit. 271 The State 3.850 Court also concluded that the majority of the defendant's claims regarding the state having presented misleading evidence and improper argument, in violation of Giglio, were procedurally barred because they could have been raised on direct appeal. However, the State 3.850 Court did address two of the defendant's Giglio claims on the merits. 272 With regard to the state's efforts at having Roger Slora, the prisoner who testified at both the defendant's and Jon LeCroy's trials, transferred to other facilities in exchange for favorable testimony, the State 3.850 Court determined that the defendant made nothing other than conclusory allegations. With regard to the state providing scripts to its witnesses, the State 3.850 Court concluded that 273 [w]hile it would hardly be improper for the prosecutor to draft a list of questions he intends to ask a witness, and the responses he intends to elicit for his own use at trial, it is improper to influence a witness to answer falsely. The Defendant has made no allegation, however, much less a showing, that any of the witnesses gave false testimony. Thus, he has failed to establish even a prima facie case under Giglio. 274 The State 3.850 Court also addressed the defendant's claims that the state improperly argued to the jury and judge regarding the role sympathy and mercy should play. The State 3.850 Court concluded that these claims were procedurally barred because they either were or could have been raised on direct appeal. The State 3.850 Court also concluded that the defendant may not use a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel to circumvent [procedural] bar. Regardless, the Defendant has failed to show either deficient performance or prejudice. . . . 275 With regard to the defendant's claim that he was convicted and sentenced because of a personal vendetta by the prosecutor against defense counsel, the State 3.850 Court concluded that the defendant did not, and cannot, show within a reasonable probability that any dislike between the prosecutor and defense counsel, or the actions of the prosecutor as a result thereof, affected the outcome of his trial. Thus, this claim is denied. 276 The State 3.850 Court also concluded that the defendant's claim regarding introduction of shocking and gruesome photographs was procedurally barred because it could have been raised on direct appeal. As for the defendant's claim that defense counsel was ineffective for failing to object to the photographs or pursue the issue during his direct appeal, the State 3.850 Court concluded that the defendant failed to plead such an allegation with specificity and that the defendant had failed to show prejudice. 277 The State 3.850 Court also addressed the defendant's challenge to the Florida Rules of Professional Conduct. According to the defendant, the rules prevented defense counsel from questioning the jury after the verdict, and, therefore, violated his constitutional rights. The State 3.850 Court rejected the defendant's argument, concluding that 278 [t]he Rules are promulgated by the Florida Supreme Court to regulate members of the Florida Bar. The Defendant is not a member of the bar. Therefore, the Defendant does not have standing to challenge the applicability of a rule that does not govern him directly. Moreover, the law allows juror interviews under certain circumstances. The Defendant's inability to meet the requirements of this rule does not render his attorney exempt from the rules of professional conduct, nor does it render his conviction and sentence constitutionally infirm. 279 Finally, the State 3.850 Court concluded that the following claims were procedurally barred as they either were or could have been raised on direct appeal: (1) the trial court erroneously instructed the jury regarding expert testimony; and (2) the cumulative procedural and substantive errors during the defendant's trial violated the Constitution. The State 3.850 Court also concluded that [t]o the extent Defendant claims that trial counsel rendered ineffective assistance for failure to `fully litigate' these issues at trial, he may not circumvent the bar with such a claim in order to seek a second appeal.
280 The Florida Supreme Court affirmed the State 3.850 Court's denial of the defendant's 3.850 motion. In the appeal from the denial of his 3.850 motion, the defendant raised the following issues related to his convictions: (1) failure to attach portions of the record to the order denying relief; (2) failure to grant an evidentiary hearing concerning Brady and Giglio violations, misleading evidence, and ineffective assistance of trial counsel; (3) failure to hold an evidentiary hearing concerning trial counsel's alleged ineffectiveness in the guilt phase; (4) failure to allow defense counsel to poll the jury; (5) the record on appeal contained omissions and misnumbered pages; (6) the exclusion of testimony concerning Jon LeCroy's role in the crimes; (7) the state engaged in various instances of prosecutorial misconduct; (8) the state improperly admitted gruesome and shocking photographs; (9) the jury was given the wrong standard for judging expert testimony; and (10) procedural and substantive trial errors during the defendant's trial violated the Constitution. LeCroy v. Dugger, 727 So.2d 236, 237 n. 3 (Fla.1998). 281 The Florida Supreme Court concluded that the defendant was not entitled to an evidentiary hearing on any of his claims in the 3.850 proceedings and that the State 3.850 Court applied the correct standards with respect to the defendant's claims relating to Brady and Giglio. Id. at 238-40. The Florida Supreme Court also concluded that the State 3.850 Court applied the correct standards and did not err regarding the defendant's claims that trial counsel was ineffective for failing to obtain the Brady materials or to object to the prosecution's alleged use of misleading evidence. Id. at 239-40. 282 With respect to the defendant's claim that his trial counsel was ineffective during the guilt phase, the Florida Supreme Court again concluded that [t]he trial court properly applied the law. We find no error. Id. at 241. The Florida Supreme Court further decided that the defendant's claim that defense counsel was unable to poll the jury was without merit. Id. at 241 n. 12. With regard to the remainder of the defendant's 3.850 issues, the Florida Supreme Court summarily determined that they were procedurally barred. Id. at 241 n. 11.
283 At the same time he appealed the denial of his 3.850 motion to the Florida Supreme Court, the defendant filed a state petition for a writ of habeas corpus with the Florida Supreme Court. In his state habeas petition, the defendant raised the following issues regarding his convictions: (1) ineffective assistance of appellate counsel for failing to raise a challenge to (a) the districting plan for selecting jurors, (b) the trial court's lock-up statement, and (c) misleading jury instructions; and (2) the trial court improperly excluded testimony concerning Jon LeCroy's admissions as to the time he last saw the Hardemans. LeCroy, 727 So.2d at 238 n. 4. 284 As for the defendant's state habeas petition, the Florida Supreme Court, in the same opinion affirming the denial of the defendant's 3.850 motion, concluded that the issue of the improper districting plan for jurors had not been raised at trial and that the ineffective-assistance-of-appellate-counsel issue was foreclosed by Nelms v. State, 596 So.2d 441 (Fla.1992). LeCroy, 727 So.2d at 241. 17 The Florida Supreme Court also determined that there was no merit to the defendant's claim that appellate counsel was ineffective for failing to challenge the state trial court's lock-up statement. Id. at 241-42. Finally, the Florida Supreme Court summarily concluded that the defendant's remaining issues were without merit. Id. at 242 n. 13. Thus, for a second time, the Florida Supreme Court affirmed the defendant's convictions and sentences.