Opinion ID: 2973931
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Admission of Guilt During Closing Argument

Text: Poindexter argues that trial counsel were ineffective for improperly conceding his guilt during closing argument. Both the state courts and the district court denied Poindexter’s claim on this basis. Perrino made the following comments during closing: In this case, you have got serious charges. Every one of them are very serious charges. What I am arguing to you, because I am arguing for a lesser degree, doesn’t mean I am arguing for innocence. And you are not to consider, ladies and gentlemen, the sentencing in this matter. What I am arguing to you is consistent with the law. .... You say, “If we find him guilty of aggravated burglary, do we necessarily have to find him guilty of aggravated murder?” And the answer to you is, “No, you do not.” And I think that is going to be the logic. .... . . . You understand, you have to, if it is not incompatible, ladies and gentlemen, to find the defendant guilty of Count 3, and still not guilty of aggravated burglary, you still can find him guilty of murder. Do you understand? Nos. 01-3250/3300 Poindexter v. Mitchell Page 14 The thing is, you have elements of murder, you know. You have got murder here. If I argued against that, I would be a fool I would be a fool [sic]. The Judge is going to charge you on murder. He is going to charge you on that, and it is not that difficult, actually. “The purposeful causing the death of another,” and you also know what happened. It is as simple as that, you know, so if you find him guilty of aggravated murder, that is not inconsistent. It is not inconsistent at all. .... So, what I say to you, ladies and gentlemen, in the first count, very compatible. There is no question. You have murder, the elements of murder. Possible elements of aggravated murder. No doubt about it. But they are not inconsistent. Not inconsistent. The fact that you find him guilty, if you find all the other elements of aggravated burglary, doesn’t necessarily mean you have to find him guilty of aggravated murder. The state trial court ruled that trial counsel did not improperly admit guilt, that the comment merely indicated that the State had proved a murder, not an aggravated murder, and did not identify Poindexter as the perpetrator. The state trial court also held that even if counsel had conceded Poindexter’s guilt, the verdict would have been the same. In denying Poindexter’s claim, the district court stated: The Court has read the closing arguments of Petitioner’s counsel and finds no concession of guilt. While counsel made certain remarks that were tantamount to acknowledgments that the jury was likely to conclude that Petitioner had killed Kevin Flanaghan, they never conceded guilt with respect to the aggravated murder charge or the death penalty specifications. The evidence that Petitioner Poindexter killed Kevin Flanaghan was overwhelming. To the extent that counsel’s acknowledgment that a finding of guilt with respect to that killing was likely constituted deficient assistance, Petitioner’s defense was not prejudiced by virtue of that deficiency. A review of trial counsel’s closing argument reveals that trial counsel’s defense strategy was to argue that the State must prove each and every element of the charges presented in the indictment and that they failed to do so. First, counsel argued that the State did not prove aggravated burglary, because Poindexter had two children and a wife at the apartment and could have just “lost his key.” Counsel also argued that Poindexter did not have the calculated design to kill at the time he “broke” into the apartment. Similarly, counsel asserted that the State had not proven kidnaping, and the jury should consider a lesser charge of abduction. Counsel also argued, “I don’t feel this is a case of aggravated murder. I don’t feel that the evidence, along with the law, is one of aggravated murder. You have got to decide that.” Counsel’s comments were logical in light of the evidence presented and the fact that the trial court instructed the jury on the lesser-included offense of murder. Cf. Florida v. Nixon, 543 U.S. 175, 189 (2004) (trial counsel’s strategic decision to concede guilt at the guilt phase of a capital trial did not automatically render counsel’s performance deficient). Poindexter’s reliance on United States v. Swanson, 943 F.2d 1070 (9th Cir. 1991), and Lindstadt v. Keane, 239 F.3d 191 (2d Cir. 2001), is misplaced. In Swanson, the Ninth Circuit held that the defendant received ineffective assistance of counsel because trial counsel told the jury during closing argument that the evidence against his client was overwhelming. Swanson, 943 F.2d at 1074-75. In Lindstadt, the court found ineffective assistance based upon counsel’s gratuitous Nos. 01-3250/3300 Poindexter v. Mitchell Page 15 comment that the petitioner would testify only if the prosecution had “made their case.” Lindstadt, 239 F.3d at 202. Thus, by mounting the witness stand in his defense, the petitioner conceded that the prosecution had “proven their case.” Id. By contrast, counsel in this case argued that the crime charged by the State, aggravated murder, had not been proven beyond a reasonable doubt and that the jury must consider a lesser-included offense. In any event, assuming counsel conceded guilt, given the overwhelming evidence that Poindexter was guilty of aggravated murder, there is no reasonable probability that the outcome of the trial would have been different absent counsel’s statements. Thus, the district court did not err in denying Poindexter’s claim on this basis because there was no prejudice.