Opinion ID: 2543365
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Appellate Counsel in Carter II.

Text: ¶ 59 Carter also attacks the effectiveness of his appellate counsel in Carter II by arguing that counsel was ineffective for failing to move for a remand hearing to establish facts relating to a claim for ineffective assistance of his 1992 sentencing hearing counsel, and further that appellate counsel in Carter II was ineffective for failing to raise the issues Carter now raises in his petition for habeas corpus. We address the allegations of error by appellate counsel in Carter II on their merits because these claims could only have been raised for the first time in a petition for a writ of habeas corpus. We find both of these arguments to be without merit. ¶ 60 First, regarding the failure of Carter II appellate counsel to move for a remand hearing to establish facts related to the ineffectiveness of 1992 penalty hearing counsel, Carter was represented by the same counsel during both the 1992 penalty hearing and the direct appeal in Carter II. As we stated in State v. Litherland , `ineffective assistance of counsel should be raised on appeal if [1] the trial record is adequate to permit decision of the issue and [2] defendant is represented by counsel other than trial counsel.' 2000 UT 76, ¶ 9, 12 P.3d 92 (quoting State v. Humphries, 818 P.2d 1027, 1029 (Utah 1991)). Counsel cannot be found ineffective for failing to raise an ineffectiveness of counsel issue against himself or herself. Accordingly, because Carter was represented by the same counsel for both the penalty hearing and the direct appeal, appellate counsel in Carter II was not ineffective for not raising the ineffectiveness issue, nor for not requesting a hearing on the matter. ¶ 61 With regard to Carter's claim that appellate counsel in Carter II was ineffective for failing to raise the issues Carter now raises in his petition for habeas corpus, the district court found that it had considered and rejected all of the issues raised in the petition, and therefore counsel did not provide ineffective assistance in failing to raise them on direct appeal in Carter II. We agree with the district court. After reviewing all of the issues raised in Carter's petition for habeas corpus, we do not find any claims that warrant reversal of either his conviction or his death sentence. None of the issues raised warrants reversal, and appellate counsel in Carter II did not provide ineffective assistance in failing to raise these issues.