Opinion ID: 1919348
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: Culpability Phase

Text: ś 51. During the culpability phase, Hodges contends that he received ineffective assistance of counsel by his counsel's: (1) failure to present evidence in support of the motion to suppress an unconstitutional confession; (2) failure to investigate critical prosecution witnesses and to confront those witnesses; and (3) failure to know the law applicable to this case and to properly advise Hodges regarding plea bargaining. Each sub-issue will be discussed separately. 1. Evidence in support of motion to suppress confession ś 52. Hodges claims that he was coerced into giving the confession and the defense counsel rendered ineffective assistance of counsel in failing to present evidence to support this claim and to impeach the law enforcement witness. Hodges claims that the officer made promises to him before the confession which made him give the statement and that he was not advised of his right to an attorney. It is clear from the record that Hodges was informed of his Miranda rights which included his right to an attorney and the rights form that Hodges signed was introduced as evidence during the trial. ś 53. After fleeing to Alabama, Hodges returned to Mississippi and went to his mother's house. While at his mother's house and before the police arrived Hodges voluntarily turned himself in at the sheriff's department. Before talking to Hodges, Kevin Pitre, an officer with the Lowndes County Sheriff's office, took out the standard rights form, read it to Hodges, gave it to him to read, and then asked him if he understood it or had any questions before he signed the form. Hodges read the form and signed it. Pitre testified that Hodges never indicated that he had problems reading or understanding the contents on the form. Furthermore, there was a space on the form entitled problems reading and writing and the answer to that was none. Hodges advised Pitre that he understood the form, wished to sign it and to make a statement. ś 54. Hodges was then taken to the interview room where Pitre and Joe Young proceeded with the interview. The statement was videotaped, and Hodges started telling them what had happened. After Hodges was finished, Young asked Hodges to tell them again what had happened and during the second time Young personally wrote the statement out as Hodges was talking. After Young wrote out the statement he gave it to Hodges, told him to read it and if there was something he did not understand or something that needed changing to let him know. Hodges then read the statement, initialed each page and signed it at the bottom. ś 55. During the hearing on the motion to suppress the confession, Pitre testified that Hodges was not intimidated or coerced in any way. Pitre also testified that he did not offer any rewards, promises or inducements. During cross-examination he was asked whether he told Hodges that he would recommend a lesser sentence if he gave the statement. Pitre testified that he did not tell Hodges that he would recommend a lesser sentence or that he would get a lesser sentence. In this appeal, Hodges has submitted an affidavit of Michael Miller, his trial attorney. In this affidavit Miller states that Hodges told him that the detectives said that he was going to be charged with manslaughter. Hodges also submits the transcript of the preliminary hearing and claims that Pitre's testimony was inconsistent. Hodges claims that during the preliminary hearing Pitre testified that Hodges asked him what would be the sentence if he was convicted for capital murder and then during the suppression hearing Pitre said that Hodges did not ask any questions. ś 56. To succeed on this claim of ineffective assistance of counsel, Hodges must first show that counsel's performance was deficient. Hodges argues that defense counsel was ineffective for failing to confront Pitre with his inconsistent testimony and by failing to introduce the only evidence in support of their motion, which was that Pitre told Hodges he would recommend a lesser sentence of manslaughter if he gave a statement. ś 57. The first claim that Hodges raises was that his counsel was deficient because he failed to confront Pitre with the inconsistent statement. The following is the relevant part of the testimony of Pitre during the preliminary hearing: When questioning him, he asked what would be the sentence for this if he was convicted for capital murder for killing Isaac. He was advised of basically what the state statute states the sentence could be. The maximum sentence could carry a death penalty. When he was advised of that, he advised... Well, it could carry the death penalty or life in prison. It could carry either one. At the time he was advised of that, he said he would prefer to be just put to death. He said he didn't want to spend the rest of his life in prison. The relevant parts of Pitre's cross-examination during the hearing on the motion to suppress that Hodges claims is inconsistent with the above is as follows: Q. Earlier you testified that if there were rights that he did not understand that you would explain them to him. Which rights did he not understand on that form where you would put a check mark by all of them? A. As I would read off the rights on each line, I would check it off as I would read it to him, and when I handed him the paper I asked him to read it. I said, If any of this you don't understand or have a question with, let me know. He advised he understood and he didn't have a question prior to signing the statement, the rights form. Q. He didn't have any question? A. No, sir. He indicated he didn't have a question or didn't have a problem with the rights. Q. Officer Pitre, are you telling the Court that you said nothing to him regarding any lesser sentence or any recommendation you would make to him if he gave a statement to you? A. No, sir, I didn't say nothing to him. Q. Nothing whatsoever? A. No, sir. (emphasis added). Pitre did not give inconsistent testimony. During the preliminary hearing Pitre stated that while they were questioning Hodges, he asked what the sentence would be if convicted of capital murder. During the motion to suppress, Pitre testified that Hodges had no questions prior to signing the rights form. The question about the sentencing that Hodges asked was during the actual questioning. During the motion to suppress, Pitre was referring to whether Hodges had any questions before he signed the rights form which was before the actual questioning. These were two very distinct points in time. Since Pitre did not make an inconsistent statement, defense counsel was not deficient. Failure to raise meritless objections is not ineffective lawyering. Brown v. State, 798 So.2d 481, 494 (Miss.2001) (citing Clark v. Collins, 19 F.3d 959, 966 (5th Cir.1994)). ś 58. The second instance Hodges claims was ineffective was the failure to introduce the fact that Pitre allegedly told Hodges that if he made a statement he would recommend manslaughter. The only evidence Hodges submits in support of this argument is an affidavit from his trial attorney, Miller. In the affidavit Miller says that Hodges told him that he believed he had been tricked into giving the statement to the police and that the detective told him that he was going to be charged with manslaughter. The only way to introduce this information was to put Hodges on the stand during suppression hearing. There is nothing in the record that explains why Hodges' counsel did not put Hodges on the stand during the suppression hearing. His decision to keep Hodges off the stand during the suppression hearing may have been a deliberate trial strategy. This Court cannot second guess Hodges' attorney. See Mohr v. State, 584 So.2d 426, 430 (Miss.1991). When evaluating the overall performance of counsel, counsel must make strategic discretionary decisions including whether or not to file certain motions, call certain witnesses, ask certain questions, or make certain objections. Cole v. State, 666 So.2d 767, 777 (Miss.1995). There is also a strong presumption that the attorney's performance was within the wide range of reasonable, professional, and acceptable conduct. Leatherwood v. State, 473 So.2d 964, 968 (Miss.1985). ś 59. Furthermore, Hodges was not arrested on suspicion of the murder. Hodges voluntarily went to the police station, turned himself in and told the officers he wanted to make a statement. He went to the police station by himself to tell the police what had happened. Hodges was also informed of his right to testify during this hearing and Hodges elected not to testify. There is no evidence that Hodges was coerced into giving the confession when the sole reason he voluntarily went to the police was to give the statement and to tell the police what he had done. Defense counsel was not deficient for failing to introduce this information. ś 60. This Court holds that the first prong of Strickland was not met. Since Hodges' attorney's performance on this issue was not deficient, it is unnecessary to address the second prong of Strickland. 2. Investigate and confront critical prosecution witnesses ś 61. Hodges claims that counsel was ineffective for failing to investigate a critical prosecution witness which would have provided impeachment evidence. Hodges claims that the prosecution witness, Anthony Betts, was a critical witness in supplying evidence concerning Hodges' alleged intent to assault and if defense counsel would have checked with the Lowndes County Circuit Clerk he would have discovered compelling impeachment evidence against Betts. Hodges argues that if the jury had known that Betts was a convicted felon and on probation at the time of his testimony they could have chosen to reject his testimony. In support of this claim, Hodges submits the sentencing order which recites that Betts pled guilty to burglary and was sentenced to the RID program. Hodges also submits an order which suspended Betts' seven-year term at the completion of the RID program and placed him on probation for five years. ś 62. It has been recognized that adequate investigation is a requisite of effective assistance. Gray v. Lucas, 677 F.2d 1086, 1093 (5th Cir.1982). See Wiggins v. Smith, 539 U.S. 510, 123 S.Ct. 2527, 156 L.Ed.2d 471 (2003); Rummel v. Estelle, 590 F.2d 103, 104 (5th Cir.1979) (per curiam); Gaines v. Hopper, 575 F.2d 1147 (5th Cir.1978) (per curiam). To establish a constitutional violation, a defendant must show both a failure to investigate adequately and prejudice arising from that failure. Id. See Washington v. Watkins, 655 F.2d 1346, 1362 (5th Cir.1981). Even assuming that Miller failed to make an adequate investigation, there is no prejudice arising from this failure. The defendant must show 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. 2052. ś 63. Anthony Betts testified that he had known Hodges for about three years. Betts also stated that the weekend before the shooting Hodges told him that he was going to buy a gun and kill somebody with it. Betts then said that he did not take Hodges seriously because he knew he would never do anything like that. Betts then testified that on the night of the murder Hodges was at his house and had talked to Cora on the phone. Betts testified that after talking to Cora on the phone Hodges just sat there for about an hour and then left. On cross Betts testified that after Hodges left his house he did not know where Hodges went or what happened after Hodges left his house. Excluding this testimony, there was still ample evidence of Hodges' guilt. ś 64. Hodges argues that Betts was a crucial witness in supplying evidence concerning Hodges' alleged intent to assault. The only testimony Betts offered that may have been helpful to the State was the fact that Hodges told him a week before the shooting that he was going to buy a gun and shoot somebody. However, this did not show that Hodges, a week later, went to Cora's house with the intent to kill someone. Betts even stated that he knew Hodges would never do anything like that and that he had no idea what happened that night. There was ample evidence other than Betts' testimony that Hodges committed burglary with the intent to assault. In his confession, Hodges told the police that he broke into Cora's house. In his confession he said that he parked two houses down, walked around the house a couple of times, went to the back door and went inside the house. There was also evidence of forced entry through the back door. Cora also testified that Hodges told her that he came to her house that night to shoot her or her mother, if she had been there. Cora also testified that Hodges entered her house uninvited wearing black clothes, gloves, a ski mask and carrying a gun. The underlying felony of burglary with intent to commit assault was established without Betts' testimony. Hodges has not shown any prejudice for the failure to adequately investigate. Hodges argues in his brief that had the jury been informed that Betts was a convicted felon on probation at the time of his testimony and that he had gotten special treatment on sentencing for that offense, [1] they very well could have completely rejected his testimony. As stated previously, absent Betts' testimony, there was ample evidence in the record. This issue is without merit. 3. Properly advise on plea bargain and applicable law ś 65. Hodges claims his counsel was ineffective for failing to properly advise him of the sentencing possibilities. Hodges claims that this deprived him of any real opportunity to consider the plea offer made by the prosecution. In support of this claim, Hodges submits an affidavit which he states that Miller told him that if he were found guilty of murder he could be sentenced to life with parole, life without parole, or death. In the affidavit, Hodges also states that Miller told him the State made a plea bargain of life without parole and if he had know that life with parole was not an option he would have taken the plea bargain. He states that he turned down the offer because I wanted to take my chances of getting a life with parole sentence. ś 66. Hodges has not established prejudice with respect to this failure to properly advise. Hodges cannot prove that but for his attorney's errors, he would have accepted the plea offer and he cites no evidence to indicate that prior to his conviction he expressed any desire to plead guilty. Hodges argues that he would have received a lesser sentence had he accepted the plea agreement. The Eleventh Circuit has held that given appellant's awareness of the plea offer, his after the fact testimony concerning his desire to plead, without more, is insufficient to establish that but for counsel's alleged advice or inaction, he would have accepted the plea offer. Diaz v. United States, 930 F.2d 832, 835 (11th Cir.1991) (citing Johnson v. Duckworth, 793 F.2d 898, 902 (7th Cir.1986)). Hodges has not shown or established any facts that, if proven, would entitle him to relief. All Hodges submits is his affidavit, after the fact, that he would have accepted the offer but for counsel's failure to properly advise. This Court holds that this alone is insufficient to establish that but for counsel's alleged [failure to properly advise], he would have accepted the plea offer. Id. Therefore, this issue is without merit.