Opinion ID: 1826004
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Testimony of Paula Hathorn.

Text: ¶ 50. Manning argues defense counsel, Mark G. Williamson, had a conflict of interest because he had previously represented Paula Hathorn, one of the State's key witnesses, on bad check charges. Manning also asserts the trial judge was on notice of the conflict and committed error when he did not conduct a thorough inquiry into any possibility of a conflict. See Cuyler v. Sullivan, 446 U.S. 335, 100 S.Ct. 1708, 64 L.Ed.2d 333 (1980). If the trial judge has a reasonable basis to believe that defense counsel faces an actual conflict, the judge must conduct a hearing. The failure to do so mandates reversal. Holloway v. Arkansas, 435 U.S. 475, 98 S.Ct. 1173, 55 L.Ed.2d 426 (1978). Manning asserts that an actual conflict exists when defense counsel is compelled to compromise his or her duty of loyalty or zealous advocacy to the accused by choosing between or blending the divergent or competing interests of a former or current client. Perillo v. Johnson, 205 F.3d 775, 781 (5th Cir.2000). This conflict, Manning argues, had an adverse effect on his defense because his attorney had no real opportunity to rebut or refute any of the false testimony Hathorn provided, and her false testimony undermined the credibility of Manning's defense. ¶ 51. The State succinctly argues this claim was raised on direct appeal and cannot be relitigated on post-conviction review. See Miss.Code Ann. § 99-39-21(3); Wiley v. State, 750 So.2d 1193, 1200 (Miss. 1999); Foster v. State, 687 So.2d 1124, 1135-37 (Miss.1996). The allegations that the State presented evidence that created a false impression and withheld information from the defense is all supported in Manning's post-conviction relief application by an affidavit of Hathorn given during a recent incarceration and vaguely expressed, years after the trial. ¶ 52. In Manning's case, Hathorn was merely a witness, not a party to this action, and Williamson's representation was completely unrelated to the events and charges of the Manning case. There was no reasonable basis for the judge to conduct a hearing as to any conflict. On direct appeal, we found that defense counsel conducted a full cross-examination of Hathorn, and there is no reasonable probability that the result of the trial would have been different if the jury had never known that defense counsel had represented Hathorn in the past. Manning, 726 So.2d at 1169. Furthermore, on direct appeal, this Court held that defense counsel had no conflict in his representation of Manning. Id. This issue has been litigated and is barred as a basis for post-conviction relief, and alternatively, upon consideration, it is also without merit. ¶ 53. Also related to Hathorn's trial testimony, Manning alternatively asserts his trial counsel was ineffective for not adequately impeaching Hathorn. Manning claims his attorney failed to take steps to establish the falsity of her testimony about his representation of her and he failed to impeach her with the vast number of bad checks that she had written since she first began giving statements to the sheriff. Manning argues such impeachment would have shown Hathorn's willingness to lie because of her anger and would have revealed Hathorn's false testimony about Williamson's representation of her, the magnitude of Hathorn's criminal history, and the subsequent lenient treatment Hathorn received on her pending charges. ¶ 54. The State again argues res judicata and procedural bar to this claim. The State also asserts that the charges of trial counsel's ineffectiveness are refuted by the trial transcripts and an on-point review of those issues on direct appeal. ¶ 55. This issue was litigated on direct appeal, and this Court found Manning's trial court representation to be effective. The Court noted that the record indicates that Williamson conducted a full cross-examination of Hathorn. Id. We find this issue is procedurally barred, and additionally, it is without merit. Defense counsel conducted a full cross-examination of Hathorn, and while Hathorn did make comments as to defense counsel's past representation of her, it was not in such a way to prejudice Manning's defense or to cause counsel to be ineffective. ¶ 56. In his motion to amend and proposed amendment to his PCR motion, as well as his objections to the trial court's evidentiary hearing order, Manning asserts that if we should accept the trial court's findings of fact, the court-ordered evidentiary hearing conducted by the trial court revealed ineffective assistance of trial counsel when he either overlooked the micro-cassette tapes and partial transcripts of the telephonic conversations between Hathorn and Manning, or having seen this evidence, failed to attach any significance to them so as to use this evidence for impeachment of Hathorn. Additionally, Manning asserts the evidentiary hearing revealed there was other evidence which Sheriff Dolph Bryan offered for examination which defense counsel simply failed to review. First, we find this argument is procedurally barred; however, procedural bar notwithstanding, we discuss this additional claim and deny it on its merits. As discussed, supra, concerning Issue I as to Exculpatory Evidence, the trial court appropriately found on remand that inasmuch as these telephonic conversations were scripted by law enforcement by getting Hathorn to ask particular questions of Manning in an effort to prompt incriminating statements from him, the taped conversations had little if any impeachment value. The record in today's case clearly reveals the existence of an enormous amount of evidence. We refuse to find ineffective assistance of counsel based on a perceived or claimed failure to examine every piece of evidence in every box. Thus, this issue is without merit. [5]