Opinion ID: 1286415
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Trial Court's Alleged Error

Text: Lance makes the alternative argument that the trial court rendered his trial counsel ineffective by denying his motion for funds for the expert testimony discussed above. We reject this claim for two independent reasons. First, as we have discussed above, denial of those funds was not improper and did not result in significant prejudice to Lance's defense. Second, we hold that this claim is barred because it was raised and rejected on direct appeal. See Head v. Hill, 277 Ga. 255(III), 587 S.E.2d 613 (2003). Although the focus of Lance's argument on direct appeal regarding experts was on Ake v. Oklahoma, 470 U.S. 68, 105 S.Ct. 1087, 84 L.Ed.2d 53 (1985), which was decided solely on the basis of due process, Lance's argument on direct appeal also invoked the Sixth Amendment. Raising this additional ground on direct appeal, rather than saving it for when new counsel began representing Lance, was appropriate, because this form of Sixth Amendment claim does not involve the potential conflict of interest inherent where a lawyer accuses himself or herself of having made unprofessional choices. See id. at 87, n. 13, 105 S.Ct. 1087 (noting, but declining to address, the possibility that a trial court's denial of expert funds might raise Sixth Amendment concerns, in addition to due process concerns, that could be considered on direct appeal); Strickland, supra, 466 U.S. at 686, 104 S.Ct. 2052 (noting that there are Sixth Amendment claims regarding governmental interference with the right to counsel that are distinct from claims regarding trial counsel's own deficient performance). Compare Glover v. State, 266 Ga. 183, 183-185(2), 465 S.E.2d 659 (1996) (holding that a claim alleging that trial counsel himself or herself acted outside of the bounds of professional competence must be raised at the earliest practicable moment). Having been timely raised, the claim was rejected by this Court. Lance, supra, 275 Ga. at 13-14(2), 560 S.E.2d 663. Thus, it is now barred.