Opinion ID: 1826001
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Failure to Challenge or Neutralize Prior Violent Felony Conviction

Text: Stephens contends that counsel was ineffective for failing to challenge or neutralize the 1992 burglary conviction that the State introduced as a prior violent felony aggravator. With regard to the failure to challenge, we agree with the trial court's finding that Stephens' contention is mistaken. When the State offered the burglary conviction in aggravation, counsel immediately objected on the record. Accordingly, counsel cannot be deemed ineffective for failing to object when, in fact, he did object. With regard to the failure to neutralize the burglary conviction as an aggravator, counsel testified at the evidentiary hearing that he deposed Latonya Jackson, the victim of the burglary, and looked at the police reports of the burglary conviction and understood that there was damaging information about it. Counsel testified that he knew that even if he objected to the introduction of the aggravator, the burglary conviction was nonetheless going to come in. As a result, counsel made a strategic decision not to focus on introducing evidence to possibly lessen the weight of the aggravator because he believed it could backfire. Counsel cannot be deemed ineffective for making a strategic decision if alternative courses have been considered and rejected and counsel's decision was reasonable under the norms of professional conduct. Brown v. State, 894 So.2d 137, 147 (Fla.2004). We affirm the trial court's denial of relief on this claim.