Opinion ID: 782701
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Failure to present mental health evidence during the penalty phase

Text: 36 In his supplemental brief before the en banc court, Bryan argues that Freeman provided objectively unreasonable representation during the penalty phase of the trial through ignorance of the law and failure to act as a knowledgeable guide and advisor. In particular, Bryan asserts that Freeman did not understand the importance of thoroughly investigating and presenting mitigating evidence as demonstrated by his view that evidence of mental illness short of insanity was not relevant during the penalty phase. He further asserts that in light of this failure, Freeman failed adequately to advise Mr. Bryan regarding the mitigating evidence which was available and its potential benefits. 37 This court finds Bryan's arguments unconvincing on several levels. First, Freeman's testimony at the federal evidentiary hearing relied upon by Bryan in support of his claim that Freeman did not understand the relevance of Bryan's mental health evidence is presented out of context and is clearly insufficient to overcome the strong presumption that Freeman rendered adequate assistance and made all significant decisions in the exercise of reasonable professional judgment. Strickland, 466 U.S. at 690, 104 S.Ct. 2052. Second, Hess clearly testified that he discussed with Bryan his preferred strategy of utilizing mental health evidence during both the guilt and penalty phases of Bryan's trial, with a focus on the penalty phase and preventing a sentence of death, and that Bryan had vigorously rejected the use of mental health evidence and terminated him. Accordingly, Bryan was certainly apprised of the benefits of using mental health evidence in mitigation at the penalty phase and rejected that strategy. Freeman was well aware of this history, having spent an extensive amount of time with Bryan 16 and having met with Hess to discuss the case and the available mental health evidence. Finally, the only testimony adduced at the federal evidentiary hearing on the question demonstrates that the use of mental health evidence during the penalty phase would not have been effective following a guilt phase defense of actual innocence. See infra n. 22. Accordingly, Freeman's decision not to employ medical evidence, viewed from his perspective at the time of the trial, is not objectively unreasonable. Strickland, 466 U.S. at 689, 104 S.Ct. 2052. 38 Relying on limited portions of Freeman's testimony at the evidentiary hearing held by the district court, Bryan argues that Freeman did not understand the potential usefulness of mental health evidence during the penalty phase, instead thinking that such evidence was irrelevant unless it demonstrated insanity or lack of competence. A review of Freeman's statements in context, however, confirms the district court's conclusion that [t]rial counsel's decision not to present evidence of Petitioner's organic brain syndrome and mental illness [at the penalty phase] was clearly a strategic one. 17 39 For instance, Bryan notes at the evidentiary hearing, Freeman responded affirmatively to the following cross-examination question: So you saw no use for the experts' mental testimony, except to prove either insanity or incompetence, right? When read in context, however, it is clear that Freeman is referring only to the guilt stage of the trial. 18 Furthermore, Bryan simply misreads the transcript in asserting Freeman testified that he thought the testimony of the medical experts would not have been relevant at all. Instead, when read in context, Freeman was indicating that it was the opinion of Bryan's parents that was irrelevant to his determination not to mount an insanity defense during the guilt phase of the trial, not the opinions of the medical experts. 19 Nor can it be asserted that Freeman thought that he was ethically prohibited from presenting mental health evidence during the penalty phase of the trial. Instead, taken in context, Freeman's testimony reflects the fact that he had no medical evidence supporting a guilt-phase insanity defense and that he was fearful that any testimony by Dr. Murphy during the second stage would do more harm than good. 20 40 Accordingly, when viewed as a whole, the testimony at the evidentiary hearing simply does not support Bryan's assertion that Freeman suffered under a misapprehension as to the propriety of adducing mental health evidence short of an insanity diagnosis during the penalty phase of the trial. Instead, the testimony set out above demonstrates a concern with two considerations. First, Freeman was concerned that testimony by either Dr. Smith or Dr. Murphy might play into the prosecution's case that Bryan was a continuing threat to society. See Cannon v. Gibson, 259 F.3d 1253, 1277-78 (10th Cir.2001) (noting that mental health evidence like that at issue here has the possibility of being a two-edged sword). 21 Second, Freeman was concerned that an about-face during the penalty phase might compromise Bryan in the eyes of the jurors. 22 Bryan has simply not pointed to any evidence in the record sufficient to overcome the strong presumption that Freeman's decision not to present mental health evidence during the penalty phase of the trial was a strategic decision. Strickland, 466 U.S. at 689, 104 S.Ct. 2052. 23 41 Having determined that Freeman's decision not to present mental health evidence during the penalty phase was strategic, this court moves on to the question whether that strategic decision was reasonable when viewed from Freeman's perspective at the time of the trial. See id. at 690, 104 S.Ct. 2052. Perhaps most importantly, Bryan did not want Freeman to present any psychiatric evidence, was adamant about pursuing an innocence defense during the guilt phase of his trial, and had apparently refused to even consider a guilty plea in exchange for a life sentence. See, e.g., Romano, 239 F.3d at 1181; Smith v. Massey, 235 F.3d 1259, 1278 (10th Cir.2000); Wallace, 191 F.3d at 1247-48. This court must presume that Bryan was competent to make that determination. See Bryan III, 276 F.3d at 1169-72. Furthermore, the record reveals that Hess specifically discussed with Bryan his proposed strategy of utilizing mental health evidence during the first stage of the trial as a foundation for a strong mitigation case during the penalty phase of the trial, asserting that this was the only viable strategy to save Bryan's life. 24 In response, Bryan terminated Hess and hired Freeman. Freeman, well aware of this history after having met with Hess to discuss the case, and well aware that no medical expert would support a guilt-phase insanity defense, complied with Bryan's informed strategic choice and put the government to its proof at trial. 42 It is worth emphasizing again what was stated above: Counsel's actions are usually based, quite properly, on informed strategic choices made by the defendant and on information supplied by the defendant. Strickland, 466 U.S. at 691, 104 S.Ct. 2052. Although this strategy limited Bryan's options during the penalty phase, it was not objectively unreasonable for Freeman to utilize an innocence defense during the guilt phase for those reasons set out above. Furthermore, in light of the testimony of Hess, Wilson, and Freeman regarding the need for consistency between guilt and penalty phase presentations, and the possibility that Dr. Murphy's testimony during the second stage could have supported the prosecution's argument that Bryan constituted a continuing threat to society, it was not unreasonable for Freeman to utilize a mercy approach during the penalty phase. 25 Bryan has simply not overcome the strong presumption set out in Strickland that Freeman provided objectively reasonable assistance during the penalty phase of the trial. 26