Opinion ID: 3019333
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Outten’s State Post-Conviction Proceedings

Text: Outten next filed an amended motion for post-conviction relief in the Delaware Superior Court, arguing that his counsel was ineffective during both the guilt and penalty phases of his trial proceedings. He specifically contended that counsel erred by failing to (1) conduct an adequate pre-trial investigation, (2) move for severance of his guilt phase from that of his codefendants, (3) provide proper advice concerning his right to take the witness stand, (4) move for severance of his penalty phase from that of his co-defendants, (5) adequately investigate and prepare mitigating evidence, and (6) move for a new trial. Outten II, 1997 WL 855718, at . Outten requested an evidentiary hearing on his postconviction claims. Id. at . The Superior Court ruled that an expansion of the trial record was necessary for it to adequately address the issues presented.5 Id. Thus, “Outten’s counsel was asked to respond in affidavit form to a series of Court questions.” Id. Those questions concerned the following subjects: 5 According to the Superior Court, this was so because “[t]he contentions raised against Outten’s trial counsel implicated decisions they made and reasons for those decisions which were not in the trial record.” Outten II, 1997 WL 855718, at . 14 (1) the list of witnesses for the penalty hearing that petitioner alleges was given to counsel and not investigated, discussions about such witnesses with petitioner, and decisions made by counsel about which witnesses to produce; (2) the efforts, if any, to investigate petitioner’s court and school records; (3) any decision made by counsel on how to present petitioner at the penalty hearing; (4) whether there was a conscious decision to sever the penalty hearing [from that of the Sheltons]; (5) whether advice was given to petitioner not to testify during the guilt phase; (6) the substance of petitioner’s testimony had he elected to testify; (7) whether counsel was aware of petitioner’s telephone call from the bar to his girlfriend the night of the murder; (8) whether counsel had discussed petitioner’s relationship with his father beyond the last year of his father’s life; (9) whether there was a conscious decision not to have a psychiatric examination of petitioner for use during the penalty hearing; (10) what role petitioner took in any of the above decisions; (11) the reasons counsel did not join in Nelson Shelton’s motion to sever the guilt phase [from the penalty hearing]; and (12) whether counsel was aware that petitioner cashed a check on the night of the murder at a location other than the one testified to by Gibbons. 15 Outten IV, 2004 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 5546, at –26. Outten’s trial counsel jointly responded by affidavit as directed. Id. at . Outten and the State, respectively, filed answers to that affidavit. Id. After reviewing those newly submitted materials, the Superior Court concluded that an evidentiary hearing was unwarranted. Outten II, 1997 WL 855718, at . It also denied Outten’s amended motion for post-conviction relief. Id. at . Outten appealed to the Delaware Supreme Court the ruling of the Superior Court, contending, inter alia, that it erred by not holding an evidentiary hearing. Outten v. State, 720 A.2d 547, 551 (Del. 1998) (Outten III). He also argued that the Superior Court abused its discretion in denying his postconviction claims of ineffective assistance of counsel. Id. at 551–58. The Supreme Court of Delaware disagreed, and affirmed the denial of Outten’s request for post-conviction relief. Id. at 558. The Superior Court reinstated his death sentence and set the date of execution for March 18, 1999.