Opinion ID: 2546714
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 14

Heading: Failure of Counsel to Seek Disqualification of Prosecutor

Text: Baumruk alleges that the motion court clearly erred in overruling, without an evidentiary hearing, his claim that counsel was ineffective for failing to move to disqualify the St. Louis County prosecutor's office (STLCPO). He claims that he was prejudiced by this failure because Hartwick, one of the nine persons at whom Baumruk shot, was an investigator for STLCPO and Hartwick's wife was a STLCPO attorney. He claims that this prevented the STLCPO from acting objectively and without personal bias in pursuing the death penalty against Baumruk. The motion court overruled this claim without an evidentiary hearing because, relying on the evidence presented to it during the hearing on Baumruk's motion to disqualify the STLCPO from the Rule 29.15 proceedings, it determined that Baumruk's trial counsel was not ineffective for failing to file a similar motion prior to his trial because he could not demonstrate conflict or prejudice. The evidence presented showed that Hartwick left the STLCPO prior to Baumruk's first trial and that neither Hartwick nor his former wife had any meaningful participation in the investigation or prosecution of Baumruk. While Hartwick did obtain copies of recordings from the courthouse security cameras from the day of the shooting, this was nothing more than a clerical act. The motion court concluded that any objection or claim of conflict on the part of the STLCPO would have been overruled; therefore, counsel cannot be effective for failing to make a meritless motion or objection. Failure to seek unwarranted relief does not constitute ineffective assistance of counsel. State v. Redman, 916 S.W.2d 787, 793 (Mo. banc 1996). The record refutes Baumruk's claim that the disqualification of the prosecutor was warranted; therefore, Baumruk has failed to meet his burden of affirmatively proving prejudice. Adkins v. State, 169 S.W.3d 916, 920-21 (Mo.App.2005) (citing Strickland, 466 U.S. at 693, 104 S.Ct. 2052). Even if Baumruk is correct that the STLCPO should be disqualified, prejudice likely does not lie. Id. at 921. Speculation that a different prosecutor may not have requested the death penalty does not meet the requirement of demonstrating that there is a reasonable probability that, but for counsel's unprofessional errors, the result of the proceeding would have been different. Id. (citing Strickland, 466 U.S. at 694, 104 S.Ct. 2052).