Opinion ID: 1923504
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Withdrawal of Motion to Suppress Kormondy's Statements

Text: Kormondy next argues trial counsel was ineffective for withdrawing the motion to suppress the statements Kormondy made to law enforcement officers after he was arrested. Kormondy argues that if the statements had been excluded from the evidence, the State would have failed to prove the crimes charged beyond a reasonable doubt. However, in order to establish prejudice as a result of trial counsel's withdrawal of Kormondy's motion to suppress, Kormondy must demonstrate that the motion to suppress would have been successful, that is, the evidence would have been excluded. See Zakrzewski v. State, 866 So.2d 688, 694 (Fla.2003) ([W]here defense counsel's failure to litigate a Fourth Amendment claim competently is the principal allegation of ineffectiveness, the defendant must also prove that his Fourth Amendment claim is meritorious.) (quoting Kimmelman v. Morrison, 477 U.S. 365, 375, 106 S.Ct. 2574, 91 L.Ed.2d 305 (1986)). Because Kormondy fails to establish that the motion to suppress would have been meritorious and fails to establish prejudice, we affirm the trial court's denial of relief on this claim. Kormondy argues that the motion to suppress would have been successful because his statements to law enforcement officials were not given voluntarily. He argues that because he was shot at several times and bitten several times by police dogs, he was in pain and bleeding when he gave his statements to Detective Allen Cotton and Investigator Wendell Hall at the police station. The State, on the other hand, argues that Kormondy's statements were voluntary because he was read his rights under Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 86 S.Ct. 1602, 16 L.Ed.2d 694 (1966), before he made his statements. The record indicates that the officers who interrogated Kormondy ensured that he was informed of his Miranda rights. Kormondy reviewed the waiver of rights form and signed it. Even though Kormondy may have been in pain from the dog bites and was crying, these facts do not necessarily mean that the statements given by the defendant were involuntary and thus inadmissible. See Patterson v. State, 513 So.2d 1257, 1260 (Fla.1987) (holding that even though the defendant was in a weakened physical condition, the confession was voluntarily given because there were no threats of violence and the detective read Patterson his Miranda rights and Patterson indicated that he understood his rights and signed a waiver of rights form). The evidence presented shows that Kormondy was not under physical duress at the time he made his statements. Further, the trial record and the evidence adduced at the evidentiary hearing indicate that Kormondy knowingly and intelligently waived his rights without any inducements by law enforcement. Accordingly, trial counsel cannot be deemed ineffective for failing to argue a nonmeritorious motion to suppress. The trial court properly denied relief on this claim.