Opinion ID: 1101092
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Lawyer

Text: Alan Soven was appointed by Judge Sepe to serve as Robinson's special assistant public defender as a result of a conflict in the public defender's office arising from the need of the multiple defendants for representation. Judge Sepe and Soven had been partners in a private practice law firm before Judge Sepe became a circuit court judge. After Judge Sepe ascended to the bench, the two men remained friends and their families socialized. On Robinson's request, Soven filed a demand for speedy trial. However, the record suggests that Soven had not diligently investigated the case and was not prepared for trial. At the time of the demand, Soven had not filed a witness list and had not taken the depositions of any witnesses needed to corroborate the defense theory. In addition, after the trial began, Soven asked the court to authorize an expenditure of $5000 to employ a private investigator to look for possible defense witnesses. The court authorized the expenditure of $500 instead. At trial, Soven's opening statement was dedicated to the theory that the victim's son, Lee Arthur Lawrence, Jr., rather than Robinson, hired three men to kill his father. Soven argued in his opening statement that the younger Lawrence was motivated to kill his father for three reasons: to prevent his father from interfering with his drug trade; to inherit ownership of the grocery store; and to benefit from the proceeds of his father's life insurance policy. Soven also told the jury that on the day of the murder, the victim and his son had a spirited physical fight. During the course of the trial, Soven failed to present any evidence to support his opening statement. In his closing argument, Soven explained this failure as follows: In the opening statement in the beginning of this trial, I did two things. I shocked you and I told you to stay focused. I shocked you when I told you that Lee Arthur Lawrence, Jr. murdered his father or that he had his father executed, and I told you to stay focused. Why did I do that? .... So I told you that Lee Arthur Lawrence, Jr. executed his father. And it shocked you and it got your attention. It got you to sit on the edge of your chair and it got you to open your mind. But, most importantly, it got you to question the State's case, and you did that. We note that subsequent to the trial court's proceeding, and while this matter was pending on appeal, Soven was disciplined by The Florida Bar for his conduct in this trial relating to his opening and closing arguments. Florida Bar v. Soven, Fla. Bar File No. 91-71,236(11J)(1991)(admonishing Soven for knowingly presenting fictitious arguments to the jury). On April 17, 1991, the jury found Robinson guilty. On the next day, the evidentiary portion of the penalty phase before the jury was held. Soven called Robinson's parents to testify as to mitigating circumstances. Willie Robinson testified that appellant was a nice child. His mother testified that appellant was emotionally troubled by the murder of his brother in 1987. Soven presented no further evidence in mitigation. The following day, the jury rendered an advisory sentence of death by a vote of ten to two.