Opinion ID: 1470157
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Remand Claim

Text: As developed above, the PCRA court's perspective concerning Appellant's claim of ineffective assistance associated with the development and presentation of mitigating evidence at the penalty phase of Appellant's trial changed dramatically after remand. In its initial opinion supporting the dismissal of the claim without evidentiary development, the court focused primarily on the strategy pursued at trial, finding that a very strong case of mitigation was presented. See Gibson, No. 2809, January Term, 1991, slip op. at 16 (1/8/2001). By contrast, after remand, the court indicated that there was a shocking lack of preparation, a complete lack of mitigating evidence, and a sham effort to mount a penalty-phase defense. Gibson, No. 2809, January Term, 1991, slip op. at 7 (4/26/2006). Although the PCRA court explained that its reversal was due to the development of death penalty jurisprudence, it did not identify a decision from any court which would have treated what the court now characterizes as a sham effort as adequate stewardship. We recognize that, for some time now, both this Court and the United States Supreme Court have been operating with slim majorities and swing votes in the arena of capital-sentencing ineffectiveness claims. See generally Commonwealth v. Uderra, 580 Pa. 492, 524 n. 17, 862 A.2d 74, 93 n. 17 (2004) (noting substantial differences of opinion among Justices concerning the proper merits resolution of claims of ineffective assistance of counsel for failing to investigate, develop, and present mitigating evidence in capital cases). [8] Further, resolution of the cases is frequently fact-intensive, so that, other than in terms of the pronouncement of overarching standards, the precedential effect of individual decisions may be limited. While we certainly understand the difficulties that this may cause at the hearing-court level and are sympathetic to the substantial work required of the PCRA courts, we believe that, particularly in close cases, a developed post-conviction record accompanied by specific factual findings and legal conclusions is an essential tool necessary to sharpen the issues so that differences at the appellate level can be mitigated. In this case, we conclude that additional development of the record concerning the mitigation-related claim is warranted relative to the prejudice prong of the ineffectiveness inquiry. In the first instance, the PCRA court's existing decisions regarding prejudice do not include a specific comparative evaluation concerning the mitigation case actually presented with that which Appellant currently alleges should have been presented. Indeed, as the Commonwealth emphasizes, some of the life-history aspects of the post-conviction mitigation case were developed in the penalty phase of trial. For example, Mrs. Gibson testified in the penalty-phase of Appellant's trial that he was raised in a very difficult neighborhood which she characterized as a jungle, with crack houses two doors away and across the street. N.T., October 10, 1991, at 11. Additionally, through Mrs. Gibson's penalty-phase testimony, the jurors were also advised that Appellant's father had left the household when Appellant was twenty-one months old and did not participate in his upbringing. See id. at 12. In light of the admission of such evidence at trial, the PCRA court's indication that counsel should have uncovered Appellant's abandonment by father, see Gibson, No. 2809, January Term, 1991, slip op. at 4 (4/26/2006), seems incongruous. Furthermore, some of Mrs. Gibson's post-conviction testimony concerning Appellant's youth appears to be facially in tension with her penalty-phase testimony that she was able to keep Appellant under control when he was younger, see N.T. October 10, 1991, at 11-12, raising apparent credibility questions which the PCRA court should have resolved expressly. Finally, the PCRA court appears to have prohibited Appellant from presenting his mental-health witnesses, [9] whose declarations develop the relevance of Appellant's alcohol and drug use in terms of mitigation. [10] Given these difficulties, we find that, unfortunately, an additional remand is necessary to permit the PCRA court to address them. Accord Commonwealth v. Williams, 557 Pa. 207, 232-33, 732 A.2d 1167, 1189-90 (1999) (remanding to a PCRA court for specific factual findings and legal conclusions regarding, inter alia, trial counsel's stewardship connected with the alleged failure to present mitigating evidence). The court is expressly requested to resolve areas of factual controversy and credibility disputes via numbered factual findings. Further, given that there is some overlap between the trial and post-conviction cases in terms of the lay life-history testimony, it appears that determinations concerning the credibility and impact of the mental-health mitigation may be dispositive of the present claim. [11] Therefore, as part of the remand proceedings, the PCRA court is to permit development of the mental-health mitigation evidence (as well as appropriate cross-examination and rebuttal evidence by the Commonwealth), or to explain why the presentation of such evidence should be precluded if there is some relevant default on Appellant's part. Finally, the PCRA court is to develop a specific comparison of the mitigation case offered at trial with the credited evidence offered on post-conviction review, with the object of elaborating as to why it is reasonably probable that at least one juror might have assigned weight to Appellant's credited post-conviction evidence equal to or greater than the substantial aggravation found by the sentencing jury. The PCRA court need not revisit the arguable merit and reasonable strategy prongs of the ineffectiveness inquiry, however, as we conclude that its present findings in such respects are sufficient and supported. It is well established that capital counsel has the obligation to conduct a thorough investigation for possible mitigating evidence, Williams, 529 U.S. at 396, 120 S.Ct. at 1514-15 (citing ABA STANDARDS FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE (2d ed.1980)), or to make reasonable decisions that render particular investigations unnecessary. See Strickland, 466 U.S. at 691, 104 S.Ct. at 2066. Strategic choices made following a less than complete investigation are reasonable precisely to the extent that reasonable professional judgment supports the limitation of the investigation. See id. at 690-91, 104 S.Ct. at 2066. In undertaking the necessary assessment, reviewing courts are to take all reasonable efforts to avoid distorting effects of hindsight. See Commonwealth v. Basemore, 560 Pa. 258, 289, 744 A.2d 717, 735 (2000). Nevertheless, courts must also avoid  post hoc rationalization of counsel's conduct. Wiggins, 539 U.S. at 526-27, 123 S.Ct. at 2538. Here, the credited evidence supports the conclusion that no pre-trial investigation of mitigating evidence was undertaken. While in light of Attorney Gaskins' late entry into the case, it is certainly debatable whether the deficient stewardship should be attributed to him or to Appellant's original counsel whom Attorney Gaskins replaced, this question is largely collateral to the present inquiry. [12] For our purposes, it is enough that there is a supported finding that no pre-trial investigation was undertaken, and there is no evidence (or finding) that some reasonable professional judgment supported the limitation of the investigation.