Opinion ID: 151087
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Direct Appeal: Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals

Text: Hall appealed his convictions to the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals, which affirmed. Hall v. State of Alabama, No. CR-00-1180, 876 So.2d 540, 2002 WL 32598940 (Ala.Crim.App. Oct. 18, 2002) (unpublished). [33] The Alabama appeals court addressed three issues: (1) whether Hall was due a new trial due to Chambers's false testimony, (2) whether the trial court erred in denying his motion to suppress, and (3) whether Hall received ineffective trial counsel. As to Chambers's false testimony, the Alabama appeals court noted that the record was silent as to whether the error in Chambers's phone record testimony could have been discovered before or during the second and third trials by the exercise of due diligence. The Alabama appeals court also observed that the trial court had made an implicit finding that there was not a `significant chance' that had the jury heard the correct information, it would have reached a different result, and that, based upon the record, the Alabama appeals court could not conclude that this finding was clearly erroneous. Id. at 4-5. Second, the Alabama appeals court concluded that the trial court did not err in denying Hall's motion to suppress his confession, as the record indicated that Hall admitted he received both his state juvenile warnings and his adult Miranda warnings, understood all of his rights, waived his rights, and spoke with the officers. The appeals court noted that Hall testified that he had asked for his father's presence prior to making his statement, but the officers testified that he had not. The appeals court stated, [t]he evidence offered by the appellant conflicted with that offered by the State and, therefore, created a question of fact for the trial court. It is well settled that the trial court's finding of voluntariness of a confession need only be supported by a preponderance of the evidence[,] and will not be disturbed on appeal unless found to be manifestly contrary to the great weight of the evidence. Id. at 7 (citations and quotation marks omitted). Finally, the Alabama appeals court recounted the findings of the trial court as to Hall's claims of ineffective trial counsel and concluded, without discussion, that these claims did not require reversal under the standard set out in Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 693-94, 104 S.Ct. 2052, 2067-68, 80 L.Ed.2d 674 (1984).