Opinion ID: 1930926
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Failure to offer corroborating evidence of police brutality/coerced confession

Text: ¶ 12. The State asserts this claim of ineffective assistance is procedurally barred as res judicata because the issue whether Simon's confession was voluntary has been resolved against him. In Foster v. State, 687 So.2d 1124, 1135-36 (Miss.1996), this Court rejected a prisoner's attempt on petition for post-conviction relief to relitigate an issue restyled as a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel. The Court found the true issue had been considered and rejected on direct appeal. The Court concluded that the prisoner had restated an old claim under a new title, and the Court was procedurally barred by the doctrine of res judicata from considering the issue of ineffective assistance on its merits. Id. at 1137. See also Wiley v. State, 750 So.2d 1193, 1199-1200 (Miss.1999). ¶ 13. We agree with the State that this issue is procedurally barred from review by the doctrine of res judicata. The true issue here is whether the trial court erred in admitting Simon's confession in light of evidence it may have been involuntarily made. In Simon I, this Court affirmed the trial court's finding that the confessions were voluntarily made. Simon I, 633 So.2d at 412-13. On direct appeal in Simon II, this Court did not consider the merits of this issue because the opinion from Simon I rejecting this claim controlled, and the doctrine of res judicata prohibited reexamination of the issue. Simon II, 688 So.2d at 810. Since the Court has ruled against him on direct appeal twice, we find that this claim of ineffective assistance of counsel is barred from review by res judicata. The merits of this issue are examined below in the alternative.