Opinion ID: 77514
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Counsel's Failure to Investigate Lynd's Background

Text: 24 Lynd also claims that his trial counsel was ineffective for failing to conduct a reasonable investigation into Lynd's background, mental health, and substance abuse problems. Such an investigation, Lynd argues, would have yielded mitigating evidence relevant to both the guilt and sentencing phases of the trial. 25 A counsel's decision not to investigate and develop favorable evidence must be reasonable and fall within the range of professionally competent assistance. Strategic choices to forego further investigation into an issue are not deficient when a reasonable professional judgment based on a sufficient initial inquiry supports the decision to terminate the investigation. Strickland, 466 U.S. at 690-91, 104 S.Ct. 2052. When counsel totally fails to inquire into the defendant's past or present behavior or life history in a capital case, his conduct is deficient. Housel v. Head, 238 F.3d 1289, 1294 (11th Cir. 2001); Jackson v. Herring, 42 F.3d 1350, 1367 (11th Cir.1995) (holding that representation is beneath standards of professional competence where counsel does not conduct sufficient investigation to formulate an adequate life profile of a defendant). 26 The state habeas court concluded that Lynd did not establish that his attorneys' conduct was deficient because his counsel adequately investigated his life history. In reaching this conclusion, the state habeas court found that Lynd had not shown what further investigation could have been done by trial counsel which would have uncovered `important evidence.' A review of the record indicates that counsel asked for, and ultimately received, a mental health expert witness who interviewed Lynd several times and prepared reports detailing his mental health issues, substance abuse problems, and background. Lynd's counsel also interviewed many lay witnesses to testify on Lynd's behalf at trial and sentencing on such topics as his relationship with the victim, his drug abuse, and his qualities as a person. Counsel also hired a private investigator and sent letters to schools, hospitals, the military, and other institutions with which Lynd had contact. 27 We find that the state habeas court applied Strickland in a manner consistent with federal law when it found that Lynd's trial counsel's conduct was not deficient. Further, the state habeas court's finding that counsel adequately investigated Lynd's background, mental health, and substance abuse is supported by evidence in the record. We therefore find this claim to be without merit.