Opinion ID: 2559519
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Ineffective assistance of counsel in post-trial motions and on appeal

Text: What is cognizable and not waived under the PCRA are Appellant's derivative claims of counsel ineffectiveness for failing to challenge the prosecutor's use of peremptory challenges based on Batson in post-trial motions and on direct appeal. It is to these arguments that we turn, and which, for the reasons identified below, we discuss together. Appellant argues that because Batson was decided a week before trial counsel filed the last of several supplemental post-trial motions, trial counsel was ineffective for not challenging the prosecutor's use of peremptory strikes as violating Batson. Appellant argues that reasonable trial counsel would have raised Batson in post-trial motions notwithstanding the absence of an objection to the prosecutor's peremptory strikes during voir dire. Additionally, Appellant argues that counsel was ineffective for failing to raise a Batson claim on direct appeal. According to Appellant, under this Court's relaxed waiver rules, we would have addressed the Batson claim on direct appeal notwithstanding trial counsel's failure to challenge the prosecutor's jury selection during voir dire. See, e.g., Commonwealth v. Abu-Jamal, 521 Pa. 188, 555 A.2d 846, 850 (1989). Appellant supports both of these assertions with the same evidence discussed above, regarding the prosecutor's use of peremptory challenges, the racial composition of the jury, and an alleged culture of discrimination. Responding to these arguments of counsel ineffectiveness, the Commonwealth argues that where a claim of racial discrimination was not preserved at trial, a defendant may not simply make a prima-facie showing of discrimination in accord with Batson's burden-shifting approach, but must prove actual, purposeful discrimination by a preponderance of the evidence in accord with Uderra, 862 A.2d 74. The Commonwealth argues that Appellant has not recognized his burden under the PCRA pursuant to Uderra, or attempted to meet it. The PCRA court did not consider Appellant's claims of post-trial or appellate ineffective assistance of counsel in this regard. Appellant has not developed these two assertions of trial counsel ineffectiveness separately, and we see no need to discuss them discretely. Whether a waived Batson claim is raised post-trial or on direct appeal, it presents the same difficulties. Both instances of alleged ineffectiveness occurred long after the conclusion of voir dire. Batson contemplated a central role for the trial judge in assessing whether the defendant had established a prima facie case of purposeful discrimination, and, if so, in assessing the credibility of the raceneutral reasons offered by the prosecutor. See Sneed, 899 A.2d at 1076. Therefore, a Batson claim must be raised during voir dire. When Batson is not raised during voir dire, and the argument is that counsel was ineffective for not raising the argument for the first time in post-trial motions or on appeal, a PCRA petitioner must overcome the hurdles associated with the absence of a trial court record. See Ford v. Georgia, 498 U.S. 411, 111 S.Ct. 850, 112 L.Ed.2d 935 (1991) (stating in dictum that [t]he requirement that any Batson claim be raised not only before trial, but in the period between the selection of the jurors and the administration of their oaths, is a sensible rule.). Therefore, we consider together these two contentions of ineffectiveness. Because trial counsel did not object to the prosecutor's use of peremptory challenges during voir dire, Appellant is arguing counsel ineffectiveness for failing to raise an unpreserved claim. Appellant claims that his evidentiary proffer establishes a prima facie case of discrimination in accord with Batson and proves that counsel was ineffective for failing to raise what would have been a meritorious Batson argument post-trial and on appeal. We have held, however, that in order to succeed on an unpreserved claim of racial discrimination in jury selection in the context of a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel, a post-conviction petitioner may not rely on the burden-shifting paradigm established by Batson. Rather, he must prove by a preponderance of the evidence, in the first instance and throughout, actual, purposeful discrimination by the prosecutor, in addition to all other requirements essential to overcome waiver of the underlying claim. Uderra, 862 A.2d at 87; see also Commonwealth v. Williams, 581 Pa. 57, 863 A.2d 505, 514-15 (2004). Placing this high burden on a post-conviction petitioner comports with the heightened criteria for obtaining post-conviction relief. Uderra, 862 A.2d at 86. Contrary to his obligation under Uderra, Appellant presents his argument in terms of Batson's burden-shifting approach. See Commonwealth v. Ligons, 601 Pa. 103, 971 A.2d 1125, 1142 (2009) (explaining that a post-conviction petitioner is not entitled to rely on Batson's burden shifting approach, but instead bears the burden in the first instance and throughout of establishing actual, purposeful discrimination by a preponderance of the evidence). Additionally, Appellant has not acknowledged the difficulties we discussed in Sneed. In Sneed, as here, Batson was decided after trial during the pendency of the appeal. On collateral review, the PCRA court granted relief on Sneed's claim that the prosecutor at his 1985 trial used his peremptory challenges in a racially discriminatory manner in violation of Batson. [11] We reversed the PCRA court, holding that the only cognizable claim was that of counsel ineffectiveness for failing to raise a Batson challenge on direct appeal. We observed that because there had been no objection to the use of peremptory challenges at trial, the claim was one of counsel ineffectiveness for failing to raise a waived claim on appeal by invoking direct capital review relaxed waiver. Id. at 1076. We held, however, that in faulting counsel for failing to do so, Sneed ignores that this [C]ourt's relaxed waiver doctrine was discretionary, and thus, there was no guarantee that we would have analyzed this issue under the relaxed waiver doctrine. Id. at 1076 (citing Commonwealth v. Duffey, 585 Pa. 493, 889 A.2d 56, 64 (2005)). Additionally, this Court in Sneed reasoned that belatedly faulting counsel for failing to seek the benefit of the new Batson rule on direct appeal overlooks the practical hurdles that would have derailed such an endeavor, id. at 1076; specifically, the lack of findings by the trial court. In Sneed, we thus rejected the argument that counsel was ineffective for failing to raise a claim on appeal premised on Batson when there was no record upon which to construct such a claim. Id. (The fact-intensive nature of a Batson claim, thus, negates the notion that one could successfully argue such a claim for the first time on appeal, with no supporting record, and have any reasonable prospect of success). Because Appellant did not object to the prosecutor's use of peremptory challenges during voir dire, his claims of post-trial or appellate counsel ineffectiveness are, likewise, premised on counsel's failure to raise a waived claim. Although counsel could have invoked direct capital review relaxed waiver, as we observed in Sneed, this doctrine was discretionary and did not guarantee that we would have analyzed the waived Batson claim. Sneed, 899 A.2d at 1076; Freeman, 827 A.2d at 400 n. 9 (The relaxed waiver practice ... was not absolute, but discretionary.). Moreover, as in Sneed, counsel would have had to overcome the lack of a trial record upon which to evaluate the claim of racial discrimination in jury selection. The only evidence Appellant has offered regarding the races of the venirepersons is an affidavit from an attorney who spoke to trial counsel and reviewed the notes trial counsel purportedly made during voir dire, in which counsel noted the race and gender of every potential juror, and the Commonwealth stipulation that 12 jurors stricken by the prosecutor were African-American, 3 were Caucasian, and trial counsel's notes indicate that 2 other stricken jurors were African American. [12] Appellant additionally asserts his belief that several African American venirepersons exhibited characteristics that should have been appealing to the Commonwealth, suggesting that the only reason they were stricken was their race. Appellant also adverts to an alleged culture of discrimination in the prosecutor's office. This evidence and Appellant's assertions do not rectify the absence of a full and complete trial record for appellate review.  Batson contemplated a central role for the trial judge both in assessing whether a prima facie case was made out, and if so, in assessing the credibility of the neutral reasons for peremptory strikes proffered by the lawyer who exercised them. Sneed, 899 A.2d at 1076. In this case, as in Sneed, counsel had no such record or findings to rely upon. Therefore, the fact-intensive nature of a Batson claim ... negates the notion that one could successfully argue such a claim for the first time on appeal, with no supporting record, and have any reasonable prospect of success. Id. at 1076-77. Additionally, we have repeatedly rejected the evidence Appellant offers as supporting a claim of discrimination by the prosecutor. Specifically, we have held that the McMahon tape itself does not suffice to establish a pattern or practice of discrimination on the part of the Philadelphia District Attorney's office. Ligons, 971 A.2d at 1145-46; Jones, 951 A.2d at 305; Washington, 927 A.2d at 610; Commonwealth v. Rollins, 558 Pa. 532, 738 A.2d 435, 443 (1999) (holding that the McMahon tape did not demonstrate that there was discrimination in the petitioner's case). We have similarly rejected speculative arguments based on the Baldus study. See Washington, 927 A.2d at 610; Williams, 863 A.2d at 523; Commonwealth v. Morris, 573 Pa. 157, 822 A.2d 684, 698 (2003). Finally, Appellant's claims of a culture of discrimination and reference to other cases in which Pennsylvania courts have found discriminatory use of peremptory challenges by the prosecutor are too speculative and attenuated to demonstrate actual, purposeful discrimination in Appellant's trial. See Ligons, 971 A.2d at 1145. Thus, in accord with Sneed, Appellant's attempt to raise his waived Batson claim via a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel either post-trial or on appeal fails.