Opinion ID: 885360
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: standard of review

Text: ś 18 We review a district court's denial of a petition for postconviction relief to determine whether the district court's findings are clearly erroneous and whether its conclusions of law are correct. Bone v. State (1997), 284 Mont. 293, 302, 944 P.2d 734, 739-40. When reviewing the district court's findings of fact to determine if they are clearly erroneous, we apply the following criteria: (1) the Court will determine whether the findings are supported by substantial evidence; (2) if the findings are supported by substantial evidence, the Court will determine if the trial court has misapprehended the evidence; and (3) if the findings are supported by substantial evidence and that evidence has not been misapprehended, this Court may still find a finding is clearly erroneous when, although there is evidence to support it, a review of the record leaves the court with the definite and firm conviction that a mistake has been committed. Bone, 284 Mont. at 302-03, 944 P.2d at 740 (citations omitted). ś 19 With respect to his claims of ineffective assistance of counsel, Dawson argues that the proper standard of review is a de novo review of the District Court's decision. Dawson asserts that because a claim for ineffective assistance of counsel presents a mixed question of law and fact, this Court must conduct a de novo review. However, there is no authority in Montana which supports Dawson's position. To the contrary, in Bone, we applied the standard of review previously set forth, to Bone's claims of ineffective assistance of counsel. Bone, 284 Mont. at 302-03, 944 P.2d at 740. Accordingly, we will apply the standard of review set forth in Bone to Dawson's claims of ineffective assistance of counsel. ś 20 A petitioner seeking to reverse a district court's denial of a petition for postconviction relief based on a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel bears a heavy burden. See Brown v. State (1996), 277 Mont. 430, 434, 922 P.2d 1146, 1148. In considering ineffective assistance of counsel claims on direct appeal and in postconviction proceedings, we apply the two-pronged test set forth by the United States Supreme Court in Strickland v. Washington (1984), 466 U.S. 668, 104 S.Ct. 2052, 80 L.Ed.2d 674. See Hagen v. State, 1999 MT 8, ś 10, 293 Mont. 60, ś 10, 973 P.2d 233, ś 10. Strickland's two-part test requires that the defendant must show that his counsel's performance was deficient and that the deficient performance prejudiced the defense and deprived the defendant of a fair trial. Strickland, 466 U.S. at 687, 104 S.Ct. at 2064. Pursuant to Strickland, a defendant alleging ineffective assistance of counsel must demonstrate that there is a reasonable probability that, but for counsel's unprofessional errors, the result of the proceeding would have been different. Strickland, 466 U.S. at 694, 104 S.Ct. at 2068. A reasonable probability is a probability sufficient to undermine confidence in the outcome. Strickland, 466 U.S. at 694, 104 S.Ct. at 2068. ś 21 In Strickland, the Supreme Court also stated: Although we have discussed the performance component of an ineffectiveness claim prior to the prejudice component, there is no reason for a court deciding an ineffective assistance claim to approach the inquiry in the same order or even to address both components of the inquiry if the defendant makes an insufficient showing on one.... The object of an ineffectiveness claim is not to grade counsel's performance. If it is easier to dispose of an ineffectiveness claim on the ground of lack of sufficient prejudice, which we expect will often be so, that course should be followed. Strickland, 466 U.S. at 697, 104 S.Ct. at 2069.