Opinion ID: 1772284
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: SUBCLAIM (b): INEFFECTIVENESS OF TRIAL COUNSEL

Text: In his second subclaim, Trepal asserts that trial counsel was ineffective in failing to engage the services of a toxicology expert to challenge the State's evidence. Trepal asserts that lack of a toxicology expert rendered defense counsel deficient in the following ways: (1) in failing to investigate the presence of arsenic in the bodies of Peggy Carr, Duane Dubberly, and Travis Carr; and (2) in failing to investigate evidence showing that thallium was found under the sink in an apartment on the Carr property. [13] Trepal contends that he was impermissibly prejudiced by counsel's deficiency. We disagree. The United States Supreme Court in Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 104 S.Ct. 2052, 80 L.Ed.2d 674 (1984), set forth the following two-pronged standard of proof for a trial court to apply when evaluating a claim of ineffectiveness of trial counsel: First, the defendant must show that counsel's performance was deficient. This requires showing that counsel made errors so serious that counsel was not functioning as the counsel guaranteed the defendant by the Sixth Amendment. Second, the defendant must show that the deficient performance prejudiced the defense. This requires showing that counsel's errors were so serious as to deprive the defendant of a fair trial, a trial whose result is reliable. Unless a defendant makes both showings, it cannot be said that the conviction or death sentence resulted from a breakdown in the adversary process that renders the result unreliable. Strickland, 466 U.S. at 687, 104 S.Ct. 2052. The Court in Strickland explained at length both the first and second prongs of the above test and noted that both prongs are mixed questions of law and fact. [14] This Court in Stephens v. State, 748 So.2d 1028 (Fla.1999), set forth the abiding standard of review for an appellate court to apply when reviewing a trial court's ruling on an ineffectiveness claim. We later summarized that standard as follows: The standard of review for a trial court's ruling on an ineffectiveness claim also is two-pronged: The appellate court must defer to the trial court's findings on factual issues but must review the court's ultimate conclusions on the [performance] and prejudice prongs de novo. Bruno v. State, 807 So.2d 55, 61-62 (Fla. 2001). As for Trepal's first point under this subclaim, i.e., that trial counsel was ineffective in failing to challenge the State's case concerning the increased levels of arsenic found in the victims' bodies, the circuit court heard testimony relating to this point at the first evidentiary hearing and concluded as follows: The court allowed the defendant to inquire as to trial counsel's alleged failure to address the elevated amounts of arsenic in the urine of Peggy Carr, Duane Dubberly and Travis Carr. (See, rule 3.850 motion, p. 100-2.) The court believes that this issue was one of the most important claims raised in the rule 3.850 motion. The evidence available at the time of trial was that Peggy Carr, Duane Dubberly and Travis Carr all had been exposed to arsenic. Dr. Marland Dulaney testified as an expert in toxicology for the defendant at the evidentiary hearing. Dr. Dulaney's opinion was that there were two separate poisoning attempts. The first was a chronic (small doses over time) exposure to arsenic. The second was an acute (high dose at one time) exposure to thallium. The doctor agreed, however, that the cause of Peggy Carr's death was the exposure to thallium. An important piece of information that Dr. Dulaney relied upon in formulating his opinion was a test performed on Peggy Carr on October 31, 1988. The results of that test revealed that Mrs. Carr had 616 micrograms of arsenic in her urine. A normal level of arsenic is 25 micrograms. However, there is evidence that the 616 microgram result may have been unreliable. Dr. Robert VanHook, who treated Mrs. Carr at the Winter Haven hospital, testified in a deposition given on September 5, 1990, that one test came back suggesting that arsenic level was elevated but apparently this was never confirmed. (R. 7956). Based on the initial lab report of 616 micrograms, Dr. VanHook began BAL (British Anti-Lewisite) therapy to combat the perceived high arsenic levels. Dr. VanHook testified that [h]owever, the following day we got a call from the state lab indicating that their tests for arsenic were conflicting. So as I remember no further therapy specific for arsenic was done. (R. 7958). The doctor further testified that Mrs. Carr's hospital progress reports stated that the hospital received a [c]all from state last night indicates conflicting results on the arsenic tests. BAL stopped. (R. 7960). In response to a question about why the BAL treatment was discontinued, Dr. VanHook said [b]ecause of information from the state lab that they had conflicting reports regarding the analysis [of arsenic in the urine sample]. (R. 7967). During the state's examination, the following discussion occurred: STATE ATTORNEY: Are you or do you have an opinion with regard to the elevated level being at 625 [sic] and apparently the lab at CDC not finding any arsenic in this person's body? What I'm trying to get at is would you expect to see arsenic in a decreasing level if it really was at 625 [sic] or could it have been at 625 [sic] and be zero the next day and that be a rational thing? DR. VANHOOK: I would not expect that but I'm not an arsenic expert. (R. 7974). Dr. T. Richard Hostler, Peggy Carr's primary physician at Winter Haven Hospital, testified in a deposition on August 24, 1990, that he remembered one report in which arsenic was found in trace amounts. (R. 7392). Dr. Hostler was referring to a report which stated that on November 15, 1988, Peggy Carr had 36 micrograms in her urine over a 24 hour period. Dr. Hostler stated that because the normal level was 25 micrograms in a 24 hour specimen he personally [did] not consider 36 micrograms to be a clinically relevant or significant elevation therefrom. (R. 7394). Dr. Michael Wilder, who at the time of the poisoning was the State Epidemiologist, testified in a deposition given on August 7, 1990, that there was arsenic found in one of the urine samples. There was, when it was first reported from the laboratory in California, there was some uncertainty as to the level of importance that that [level of] arsenic might have. In other words, after some discussion with the folks at CDC it was discerned that the level of arsenic was not incompatible with the [level] normal[ly found] from eating oysters, and so forth. (R. 6521-22) (additions in brackets added from the errata sheet submitted by Dr. Michael Wilder on September 5, 1990.) Another important piece of evidence Dr. Dulaney relied upon was the pattern of Peggy Carr's symptoms. Evidence revealed that Peggy Carr went to Bartow Hospital feeling sick on October 24, 1988. She was discharged on October 27, 1998 [sic], when she felt better. On October 30, 1988, Peggy was feeling very sick and Pye Carr brought her to Winter Haven Hospital. Dr. Dulaney's theory is that Peggy Carr was being poisoned with a low dose of arsenic when she became sick on October 27. Once in the hospital, the source of arsenic was removed and her condition improved. She then returned home, and was exposed to arsenic and thallium. Her condition worsened and she was admitted to the hospital three days later. This theory comports with Dr. Dulaney's opinion that there were two separate poisoning attempts. However, other doctors have different opinions on why Peggy Carr became sick, improved and became sick again. A section of a CDC article titled A Cluster of Acute Thallium Poisoning in Florida, 1988, stated that: Patient A [Peggy Carr] reportedly drank half of a bottle on October 22, put the bottle in the refrigerator and drank the remaining soft drink the next day. On October 23, patient B [Travis Carr] drank at least 4 ounces from another bottle while Patient A's husband had a `Bourbon' mixed with 1/4 of a glass from the same bottle; on that occasion the 2-year old granddaughter drank `a small amount' from the same bottle. When Patient A came back home from her first hospitalization 5 days after her first onset she shared another bottle of soft drink with her son (patient C) [Duane Dubberly], who consumed about 4 ounces of it. The time interval between soft drink consumption and occurrence of first neurologic symptoms ranged from 1 to 3 days for the 3 symptomatic cases, the shortest being for patient A who reportedly drank the largest amount of soft drink. (R. 6447). Dr. Karl Klontz, the Medical Executive Director of the Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services Epidemiology Program of the Disease Control Office, authored a memorandum on January 3, 1989, titled A Thallium Poisoning Cluster In A Single Family, Polk County, Florida. October-November 1988. The memorandum stated that: The clinical history of Mrs. P.C. [Peggy Carr], with an acute phase, followed by apparent improvement, and a secondary worsening phase suggest 2 successive exposures consistent with her history of Coke consumption.... The severity of illness and the concentration of urinary thallium correspond to the amount of Coke ingested by each poisoned case. Furthermore the clinical history of Mrs. P.C. is consistent with her 2 successive exposures to the contaminated Coke. (R. 6565-66). Therefore, doctors both at the CDC and HRS believed that Peggy Carr's illness and symptoms were consistent with her consumption of the Coca-Colas laced with thallium. Neither doctor hypothesized that the first signs of illness were due to chronic exposure to arsenic, as Dr. Dulaney believes. Thus, the defense team was faced with the knowledge that thallium caused Peggy Carr's death, but that the three victims also had arsenic present in their urine. Additionally, counsel knew that the initial arsenic test result on Peggy Carr, which showed an extremely high concentration of arsenic, was suspect. Counsel also knew that the state was not prosecuting the defendant for arsenic poisoning. It is not unreasonable for defense counsel to have focused their time and energy on refuting the allegation that Mr. Trepal killed Peggy Carr by thallium poisoning. Looking at the big picture of the trial, the presence of arsenic raised some questions, but counsel had to focus their efforts on what they knew (Peggy Carr died of thallotoxicosis). Furthermore, the evidence and arguments presented at the evidentiary hearing concerning the exposure to arsenic do not exclude the defendant as the guilty party in that poisoning as well. Based upon the uncertainty of the meaning of the arsenic levels, the uncertainty of the test result and counsel's own knowledge and strategy, the court finds that the defendant has failed to establish deficient performance and any resulting prejudice in the failure to present to the jury the evidence relating to arsenic. As for Trepal's second point under this subclaim, i.e., that trial counsel was ineffective in failing to challenge the State's case concerning the presence of thallium found under the sink in an apartment on the Carr property, the circuit court heard testimony relating to this point at the first evidentiary hearing and concluded as follows: The court allowed the defendant to inquire as to trial counsel's alleged failure to address the trace amount of thallium (sample 88120536) discovered under the sink in the apartment of the Carr property. (See, rule 3.850 motion, p. 98-100.) Trial counsel testified that the thallium under the sink was an important issue for them to explore. Wofford Stidham testified that he attempted to highlight the discovery of thallium in the garage apartment for the jury. The discovery was important because there was no evidence that the defendant had access to the garage apartment, and therefore, improved the chance of successfully pointing the finger at Pye Carr as the poisoner. However, several of the state witnesses testified that the level discovered in the apartment was a trace amount which was insignificant. Also, Dr. William Coopenger, the administrator of the chemistry section of the Florida Department of Environmental Regulation, annotated a report authored by the Center for Disease Control by writing [r]insings from one swab collected from the apartment kitchen contained thallium at a concentration of 9.916 mg/I. Swabs collected subsequently from the same area and analyzed at the FBI Laboratory failed to confirm this result. (R. 6448). Even faced with evidence that the amount of thallium under the sink was negligible and that the FBI could not confirm the presence of thallium, counsel did continue to argue the issue, and the state had to attempt to rebut the argument during closing arguments (R. 4188-90). A review of the record indicates that defense counsel raised the issue and argued the inferences to the jury. Simply because counsel were not successful does not mean that they were ineffective. Applying the Stephens standard of review, set forth above, to the circuit court's ruling on this subclaim, we conclude that the court's factual findings are supported by competent substantial evidence in the record, and the court properly concluded based on those findingsthat counsel was not ineffective under the Sixth Amendment. We find no error.