Opinion ID: 1923504
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 18

Heading: Record Mitigation

Text: Kormondy argues that appellate counsel was ineffective for not arguing before this Court that the trial court failed to consider record mitigation in the second penalty phase proceeding in violation of Farr v. State, 621 So.2d 1368 (Fla.1993). This Court in Farr held that mitigating evidence must be considered and weighed when contained anywhere in the record, to the extent it is believable and uncontroverted. Id. at 1369. However, as we said in Kormondy's postconviction claim alleging failure to present record mitigation to the court, Kormondy waived his right to present evidence in mitigation and specifically did not want to emphasize some mitigating evidence. The four nonstatutory mitigators and the one statutory mitigator that were put on the record were properly evaluated by the trial court judge in the sentencing order. Thus, we find that there was no violation committed by the trial court and the court followed the procedures of the Farr decision. Had appellate counsel raised this issue on appeal, the issue would in all probability have been found without merit. This Court held in Rutherford that a petitioner cannot prevail on a claim of ineffective assistance of appellate counsel [i]f a legal issue `would in all probability have been found to be without merit' had counsel raised the issue on direct appeal. Rutherford, 774 So.2d at 643 (quoting Williamson v. Dugger, 651 So.2d 84, 86 (Fla.1994)). Accordingly, Kormondy is not entitled to habeas relief on this claim.