Opinion ID: 1969802
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: refusal to permit reconstruction and supplementation of the trial record

Text: Before the PCR court, defendant moved to expand the record and to hold a hearing to reconstruct the record concerning evidence of the service of the notice of aggravating factors on the defense, off-the-record discussions concerning jury selection, withdrawal of two of the three aggravating factors, and off-the-record discussions of penalty-phase procedures and jury selection. The PCR court denied this request, and defendant seeks to reverse that determination and to have the case remanded to complete the record. Defendant bases his claim on the proposition that due-process rights require that a record be made of the proceedings. Obviously, however, there is no mandate to memorialize every inconsequential event in the course of a major trial. Defendant claims that the missing material would be relevant to defendant's claims of ineffective assistance of trial counsel, with regard to a number of issues, but defendant does not state specifically what that relevance is or that the omitted material would affect the outcome of the PCR proceeding. Moreover, we find significant the fact that defendant failed to move to reconstruct the record before the PCR proceeding began, years after the conversations at issue took place. The fact that neither counsel who participated in the conversations, nor defendant's counsel on direct appeal, found it worthwhile earlier to attempt to reconstruct the record is strong evidence that the conversations were considered unimportant by those in the best position to know their substance. In addition, we note that the information defendant seeks to reconstruct seems redundant. Defendant cannot reasonably argue that he lacked notice that the State would present aggravating factors. The fact that two of the aggravating factors were withdrawn is certainly of record. Moreover, it is not clear how off-the-record discussions concerning the withdrawn aggravating factors could establish an ineffectiveness claim. Likewise, unrecorded discussions concerning jury selection would appear to be of limited usefulness, in view of the fact that we have found that counsel's performance in the jury selection process was not deficient. We note that defendant's trial counsel testified at the PCR hearing concerning the circumstances of the State's withdrawal of the aggravating factors and his discussions with his client concerning the penalty phase. Finally, we concur with the PCR court's observation that PCR counsel remained free to interview trial counsel without judicial assistance and to present any evidence indicating that the missing portions of the record are indeed material. That defendant has made no such showing further supports the inference that the omissions are inconsequential. Accordingly, we reject defendant's claim that the PCR court interfered with his right to appeal, and we affirm the trial court's denial of the motion to reconstruct the record.