Opinion ID: 2376401
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Newly Raised Claims

Text: On appeal Vorgvongsa raises eight issues that had not been raised or considered at his postconviction relief hearing. Those new issues include the following: (1) ineffective assistance of counsel in not requesting an instruction on aiding and abetting; (2) ineffective assistance of counsel in not requesting an instruction that inconsistent statements constitute substantive proof of innocence; (3)ineffective assistance of counsel in not obtaining blood, hair, and clothing samples; (4) ineffective assistance of counsel in not pursuing certain issues on direct appeal; (5) ineffective assistance of counsel by the applicant's postconviction relief hearing attorney; (6) the failure of the trial justice to instruct as requested on credibility; (7) the failure of the trial justice to permit the jury to consider sworn testimony elicited at a previous mistrial; and (8) the trial justice's improper instruction on aiding and abetting. According to § 10-9.1-8 of the postconviction relief statute: All grounds for relief available to an applicant at the time he or she commences a proceeding under this chapter must be raised in his or her original, or a supplemental or amended, application. Any ground finally adjudicated or not so raised, or knowingly, voluntarily and intelligently waived in the proceeding that resulted in the conviction or sentence or in any other proceeding the applicant has taken to secure relief, may not be the basis for a subsequent application, unless the court finds that in the interest of justice the applicant should be permitted to assert such a ground for relief. Additionally, [a]ccording to our well-settled `raise or waive' rule, issues that present themselves at trial and that are not preserved by a specific objection at trial, `sufficiently focused so as to call the trial justice's attention to the basis for said objection, may not be considered on appeal.' State v. Anderson, 752 A.2d 946, 948 (R.I.2000) (quoting State v. Morris, 744 A.2d 850, 858-59 (R.I.2000)). Based on the language of § 10-9.1-8 and well-settled case law, the applicant may not now for the first time raise the above eight issues before this Court because of our general raise or waive rule, and we do not find anything in those particular issues that could trigger our in the interests of justice consideration of those new issues. Vorgvongsa has not provided us with any particular reasons why these issues were not properly raised during his postconviction relief hearing. We have, however, undertaken to consider his claim of ineffective assistance of counsel that is now being levied against the attorney who represented him at his postconviction relief hearing. From our de novo examination of therecord before us we are satisfied that Vorgvongsa's claim of ineffective assistance of counsel at his postconviction relief hearing is totally lacking in merit and does not warrant any further discussion by this Court.