Opinion ID: 2497751
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 10

Heading: Summary Denial of Ineffective Assistance of Counsel Claim Pertaining to Failure to Present Testimony of Vivian Gonzalez

Text: Franqui next contends that the postconviction court erred in summarily denying his claim that trial counsel was ineffective in not calling Franqui's wife, Vivian Gonzalez, to testify at the hearing on the motion to suppress his confession. He also claims that trial counsel was ineffective for failing to call Gonzalez to testify at the guilt and penalty phases of trial. Franqui contends that her testimony would have been relevant to a claim that Franqui invoked his right to counsel prior to his statement being taken and was relevant to his condition on the day he was questioned. At the hearing on the motion to suppress Franqui's statement, Detective Albert Nabut was asked if he overheard Franqui and his wife talking in a room where they were left by themselves. Detective Nabut confirmed that he overheard some of the conversation but said he did not hear Franqui ask his wife to contact a lawyer. The postconviction court summarily denied the claim, stating in its order that Vivian [Gonzalez] Franqui did testify during the suppression hearing regarding the issues raised in the instant 3.850 petition. In fact, Gonzalez did not testify at the suppression hearing. However, this erroneous finding is likely based on a statement made by Franqui's postconviction counsel at the Huff hearing held on January 8, 2001, where counsel stated: Vivian was not used at the first phase, although sheshe was used at the motion to suppress. Because the postconviction judge was misinformed on this point, he cannot be faulted for denying relief on a claim that counsel was ineffective for failing to present her testimony at the suppression hearing. See Terry v. State, 668 So.2d 954, 962 (Fla.1996) ([A] party may not invite error and then be heard to complain of that error on appeal.). Even if counsel had not erroneously caused or contributed to this error, relief would not be warranted on this claim. The fact that Gonzalez would testify that Franqui asked her to call a lawyer is not an invocation of the right to counsel communicated by Franqui to the custodial officers. The request to his wife would not have provided a basis upon which to suppress his subsequent written confession. Moreover, Franqui testified that he was unaware that the police could overhear his conversation with Gonzalez, which occurred in a closed room. Given these circumstances, any statement Franqui may have made to his wife concerning counsel cannot be deemed an invocation of his right to counsel. In addition, the record shows that Franqui executed a written waiver of rights, including the right to counsel, before giving his verbal statement and sworn written statement. Detective Nabut testified that Franqui began to confess before he met with Gonzalez. An invocation of the right to counsel does not affect the validity of statements made prior to the invocation. Maharaj v. State, 778 So.2d 944, 956 (Fla. 2000). In any event, Gonzalez's testimony was not inconsistent with Detective Nabut's testimony that he was initially unaware that the room was monitored, that he did not overhear the beginning of the conversation between Franqui and his wife, and that he never heard Franqui tell her to contact a lawyer. It was possible for Gonzalez to testify that Franqui asked her to call his lawyer and for Detective Nabut to testify that he did not overhear such a request without their statements being inconsistent. In this respect, Gonzalez's testimony could not have been used to effectively impeach Detective Nabut's credibility at the suppression hearing or at trial. Franqui also claims that trial counsel was ineffective for failing to present Gonzalez's testimony at trial. However, neither his amended postconviction motion nor his brief on appeal makes clear what testimony she could have offered that would probably have altered the outcome of either the guilt phase or the penalty phase. Franqui's allegation that his wife could testify about his condition on the day he was interviewed, without more, is insufficient to require an evidentiary hearing. Based on the foregoing, any omission on counsel's part in not calling Vivian Gonzalez to testify at the suppression hearing or at trial cannot reasonably be viewed as so affecting the fairness and reliability of the proceedings that our confidence in the outcome is undermined. See Maxwell, 490 So.2d at 932. Rather, when viewed as a whole, the record shows that the postconviction court did not err in summarily denying this claim. Under the standard of review noted above, the motion and record conclusively show that Franqui is not entitled to relief on this claim.