Opinion ID: 1654600
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 14

Heading: whether counsel was ineffective in failing to obtain a transfer to the youth court.

Text: ¶ 31. McGilberry argues that trial counsel was ineffective for failing to develop and present evidence in support of his motion to remand the matter to youth court. Miss.Code Ann. § 43-21-151 confers original jurisdiction on the youth court in all proceedings concerning a delinquent child except where the act committed by the child, if committed by an adult, would be punishable by life or death. In such cases, original jurisdiction lies in the circuit court. Foster v. State, 639 So.2d 1263, 1297 (Miss.1994). Juveniles do not fall within the jurisdiction of the youth court if they commit offenses punishable by death or life imprisonment. Holly v. State, 671 So.2d 32, 41-42 (Miss.1996). Consequently there could be no prejudice to McGilberry's defense for failure to more than just file a motion to transfer the case to youth court. ¶ 32. McGilberry's reliance on the federal case of Foster v. Johnson, 293 F.3d 766 (5th Cir.2002), for the proposition that counsel was ineffective is misplaced. In that case, the defendant argued that counsel was ineffective for failure to even file a motion for transfer to youth court, whereas McGilberry's attorney actually filed such a motion. The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit affirmed the denial of habeas corpus relief after holding that this Court's finding of no prejudice was not an unreasonable application of Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 104 S.Ct. 2052, 80 L.Ed.2d 674 (1984). Foster, 293 F.3d at 788. This issue is without merit.