Opinion ID: 1752541
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 12

Heading: postconviction relief issues

Text: Appellant raises claims relative to postconviction relief in addition to those raised in connection with points in the direct appeal. Appellant first asserts that the motion court erred in not granting a continuance for the Rule 29.15 hearing. The court stated that circumstances did not merit a continuance, and, even if a continuance were warranted, it was powerless to grant a continuance beyond sixty days after granting the hearing. Rule 29.15(g) states that [i]f a hearing is ordered, it shall be held within sixty days of the date of the order granting a hearing. Rule 29.15(h) states that a court may continue the hearing upon a showing of good cause. Rule 29.15(h) can be read either as authorizing a court to grant a continuance subject to Rule 29.15(g)'s requirement that the hearing be held within sixty days, or as authorizing a court to grant a continuance beyond the sixty day period. Resolution turns on whether Rule 29.15(h) is subject to or supplements Rule 29.15(g). In practice at least some courts have granted continuances beyond sixty days after the date of the order granting a hearing. See e.g., State v. Ervin, 835 S.W.2d 905, 929 (Mo. banc 1992), cert. denied, ___ U.S. ___, 113 S.Ct. 1368, 122 L.Ed.2d 746 (1993); State v. Six, 805 S.W.2d 159, 172 (Mo. banc), cert. denied, ___ U.S. ___, 112 S.Ct. 206, 116 L.Ed.2d 165 (1991). Courts have not, however, directly ruled on the issue. While quick resolution of postconviction claims is a meritorious policy objective, circumstances may arise where justice requires a court to grant parties a continuance beyond the sixty day period. The policy objective of quick resolution of postconviction claims will not be seriously impaired by granting a continuance beyond sixty days to defendants who are able to show good cause. Rule 29.15(h), therefore, should be read to supplement Rule 29.15(g), allowing courts to grant continuances beyond sixty days after the granting of a hearing. The trial court did not abuse its discretion in holding that circumstances did not justify granting a continuance. Appellant based his continuance motion on a general assertion of inadequate time to investigate and prepare witnesses and a specific claim of an inability to have two crucial witnesses, Mr. McClain and Dr. Parwatikar, testify. McClain was one of two standby counselors at the guilt phase and one of two counselors at the penalty phase. McClain had relocated out of state and did not testify at the hearing due to a scheduling conflict. Dr. Parwatikar had originally opined at the pretrial hearings that appellant was competent, but he reversed his opinion after the trial. He was unable to testify at the postconviction hearing due to illness. Claims of insufficient time to prepare for a postconviction hearing do not constitute good cause to grant a continuance where movant has been given adequate time to prepare. See e.g., State v. Ervin, 835 S.W.2d 905, 929 (Mo. banc 1992) (court did not abuse its discretion in overruling continuance motion where public defender's office had been appointed for over seven months and second appointed counsel had more than a month to prepare for the hearing), cert. denied, ___ U.S. ___, 113 S.Ct. 1368, 122 L.Ed.2d 746 (1993); State v. Six, 805 S.W.2d 159, 172 (Mo. banc) (court did not abuse its discretion in overruling continuance motion where counsel had represented the defendant for over eight months and second appointed counsel entered an appearance six months before the hearing), cert. denied, ___ U.S. ___, 112 S.Ct. 206, 116 L.Ed.2d 165 (1991); see also Conway v. State, 780 S.W.2d 102 (Mo.App.1989) (movant must demonstrate due diligence where Rule 29.15 continuance motions are based upon the absence of witnesses or lack of evidence). Here, postconviction counsel was appointed six months prior to the hearing. The hearing date was set almost two months in advance. Appellant had adequate time to prepare for the hearing, and any problems complying with the time constraints imposed by the scheduled hearing were self-inflicted. The record shows that appellant waited over a month after the hearing was scheduled before notifying McClain of the hearing date, giving McClain less than three weeks notice. After the court ruled that it would not grant a continuance, appellant had two weeks in which to secure McClain's deposition which could have been read into the record under § 492.400. [12] The court did not abuse its discretion. Appellant asserts that Dr. Parwatikar's inability to appear because of illness constitutes good cause to grant a continuance. Appellant also asserts that the court erred in failing to reopen the hearings after it received Dr. Parwatikar's revised competency report that opined that appellant had not been mentally competent to waive the right to counsel. Again, the court did not abuse its discretion. The other expert who had found appellant competent did not alter his opinion. More importantly, appellant fully demonstrated his competence. Two judges had extensive opportunities to observe and appraise appellant's competence during the pretrial hearings and while appellant represented himself during the entire guilt phase of trial. The court was also presented with compelling evidence of appellant's competence by way of appellant's numerous pro se filings. The court remarked at the end of the trial that appellant had done an excellent job representing himself. This Court's evaluation of the record in this respect mirrors the trial court's. Any subsequent opinion by Dr. Parwatikar that appellant was incompetent to stand trial is refuted by appellant's demonstrated competence. Point denied. Appellant next asserts that the judge erred in overruling the motion to disqualify him from ruling on the postconviction motion. Appellant asserts in essence that the postconviction judge was biased and prejudiced because he had served as the trial judge and had an interest in upholding trial court actions. Appellant correctly states that due process requires removal of biased and prejudiced arbitrators. Appellant failed, however, to demonstrate bias or prejudice. A judge ruling on postconviction claims is not biased or prejudiced simply because the judge presided over the trial. See Liteky v. United States, ___ U.S. ___, ___, 114 S.Ct. 1147, 1155, 127 L.Ed.2d 474 (1994); Thomas v. State, 808 S.W.2d 364 (Mo. banc 1991); see also State v. Hunter, 840 S.W.2d 850, 866 (Mo. banc 1992) (A disqualifying bias and prejudice is one that has an extrajudicial source and results in an opinion on the merits on some basis other than what the judge learned from his participation in the case.), cert. denied, ___ U.S.___, 113 S.Ct. 3047, 125 L.Ed.2d 732 (1993). Appellant also asserts that the judge should have disqualified himself because appellant intended to call the judge as a witness at the hearing for the purpose of showing that appellant's first victim's family members cried during the penalty phase. Appellant also sought the judge's testimony for the purpose of testifying about off-the-record discussions. In Thomas, 808 S.W.2d at 367, this Court discussed the benefits of having the judge who presided over a trial rule on postconviction claims. Obviously, all postconviction judges who also presided at the trial stage will have witnessed the trial proceedings. To allow movants as a matter of course to force a trial judge's recusal from postconviction actions simply by endorsing the judge as a witness would frustrate Thomas ' policy objectives. Appellant failed to assert a compelling reason to call the judge as a witness at the postconviction hearing. Point denied. Appellant next asserts that postconviction counsel's inadequate preparation constitutes a form of abandonment. [13] Postconviction counsel did not abandon appellant. Counsel timely filed an amended motion, sought continuances, represented appellant at the postconviction hearing, and sought to reopen the hearing. Counsel's actions preclude a finding of abandonment. State v. Ervin, 835 S.W.2d 905, 928 (Mo. banc 1992), cert. denied, ___ U.S. ___, 113 S.Ct. 1368, 122 L.Ed.2d 746 (1993). Appellant's amended Rule 29.15 motion alleged numerous instances of penalty phase counsel's ineffectiveness. To prove ineffective assistance, appellant must show that counsel's performance did not conform to the degree of skill, care, and diligence of a reasonably competent attorney, and that appellant was thereby prejudiced. Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 687, 104 S.Ct. 2052, 2064, 80 L.Ed.2d 674 (1984). The motion court found that penalty phase counsel was not ineffective. Review is limited to determining whether the motion court clearly erred. Sanders v. State, 738 S.W.2d 856, 857 (Mo.App.1987); Rule 29.15(j). Appellant argues that counsel's ineffectiveness should be presumed because the court refused to allow adequate time to prepare for the penalty phase. As previously discussed, appellant and counsel had adequate time to prepare for the penalty phase. The court did not clearly err. Appellant asserts that counsel was ineffective for failing to elicit all mitigating evidence from appellant's penalty phase witnesses, but fails to detail what mitigating evidence counsel failed to elicit. The court did not clearly err. Appellant next asserts that ineffectiveness should be presumed from counsel's short penalty phase closing argument. Without more, this Court will not presume ineffectiveness from the brevity of counsel's closing argument. Trial strategy may favor a concise penalty phase closing argument. The court did not clearly err. Appellant next asserts that counsel was ineffective for failing to move to reopen the competency hearings and for failing to call expert witnesses to testify on appellant's mental competence. The court made detailed findings in this area and gave several well-reasoned explanations why counsel was not ineffective for deciding not to call any expert witnesses at the penalty phase. Even if the decision not to call experts and reopen the competency hearing were indicia of ineffectiveness, any error would be harmless. As previously discussed, the court had ample opportunity to view and appraise appellant's competency. Any expert opinion that appellant was incompetent would be refuted by appellant's demonstrated competence. The court did not clearly err. Finally, appellant argues that counsel was ineffective for failing to object to the introduction of details surrounding appellant's prior first degree murder conviction. As previously discussed, details of the prior murder conviction were admissible. Counsel was not, therefore, ineffective for failing to object. State v. Ervin, 835 S.W.2d 905, 932 (Mo. banc 1992), cert. denied, ___ U.S. ___, 113 S.Ct. 1368, 122 L.Ed.2d 746 (1993).