Opinion ID: 1133749
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: State's Use of Jailhouse Informants

Text: Hannon asserts that the trial court also erred in summarily denying his claim relating to the State's allegedly improper use of jailhouse informants. Specifically, Hannon claims that non-record evidence supports his assertion that Keith Fernandez had no information to provide when the State first contacted him but informed an officer that he could obtain more information from Hannon. Hannon further alleges that non-recorded information reveals that Fernandez's assistance in Hannon's case was considered when Fernandez was sentenced for his crime, notwithstanding Fernandez's testimony that he was not given anything in exchange for his testimony. Hannon also claims that his trial counsel was not aware that in exchange for Jonathon Ring's testimony against Hannon, State investigator Scott Hopkins wrote a letter on September 6, 1991, to the superintendent of the prison where Ring was housed requesting that gain time Ring lost while waiting to testify be reinstated. Hannon contends that to the extent trial counsel failed to discover this information, Hannon was denied the effective assistance of counsel, and to the extent the State failed to disclose this information, violations of Brady and Giglio occurred. Hannon has failed to provide a factual basis that the State made undisclosed concessions or guarantees of favors to either Fernandez or Ring in return for information against Hannon, or that either Fernandez or Ring were agents of the State. Based on the record, the trial court properly found that Hannon was not entitled to relief and therefore, summary denial of postconviction relief was appropriate: The letter written [by Scott Hopkins] on September 6, 1991, was written subsequent to July 23, 1991, the date the guilt phase of Defendant's trial ended. Therefore, the fact that Mr. Hopkins wrote this letter after the trial, does not prove that Mr. Ring was promised anything in exchange for his testimony in Defendant's case. As such, no relief is warranted with respect to this portion of claim VII. . . . . Third, Defendant claims Mr. Fernandez and other informants were acting as agents of the State and Defendant's right to counsel was violated. However, Mr. Fernandez testified that he was asked by a deputy or detective if he had any information, and he replied, Yeah, but he was never offered anything for his cooperation in the case, nor was he aware that Mr. Hellickson and Mr. Lewis told his prosecutor that they had no objection to him being released from custody. ( See Trial Transcript, Volume VII, pages 773-774, 776-779, attached). Moreover, during the deposition of Mr. Fernandez, Defendant's counsel was made aware that Mr. Fernandez and Defendant had talked about Defendant's case, but Mr. Fernandez never stated, either at the deposition or at trial, that Defendant confessed to him. ( See Trial Transcript, Volume VII, pages 769-788, Deposition of Mr. Fernandez, attached). Therefore, Defendant has failed to prove that Mr. Fernandez and the other inmates who testified against Defendant were agents of the State. Since Defendant has failed to prove Mr. Fernandez and the other inmates were agents of the State, no relief is warranted with respect to this portion of claim VII. Fourth, Defendant claims ineffective assistance of counsel to the extent that counsel failed to discover the aforementioned information. However, since Mr. Fernandez and the other inmates were not agents of the State, counsel was not ineffective for failing to raise non-meritorious issues. See Parker v. State, 611 So.2d 1224, 1227 (Fla.1993). Moreover, Defendant's counsel attempted to discredit the six informants of the State with testimony from several inmates that they never heard Defendant talk to anyone in the jail regarding his case. ( See Trial Transcript, Volume XII, pages 1305-1316, 1333-1335, attached). As such, no relief is warranted with respect to this portion of claim VII. (PCR6/1134-1136) See Gudinas v. State, 816 So.2d 1095, 1101 n. 6 (Fla.2002) (finding no error in trial court summarily denying legally sufficient claims where claims were conclusively refuted by trial record). Accordingly, this claim was properly denied by the trial court.