Opinion ID: 1852379
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Failure to Investigate and Prepare Case

Text: This claim was presented below only as a general ineffective assistance of counsel claim without any supporting facts. In fact, Waterhouse's initial brief to this Court candidly admits the omission. [11] Because a defendant seeking collateral relief on the basis of ineffective assistance of counsel bears the responsibility of alleging specific facts which demonstrate a deficiency in performance which prejudiced the defendant, see Cherry v. State, 659 So.2d 1069, 1072 (Fla.1995), and because the defendant in this case failed to include factual allegations in support of this claim, the trial court correctly determined that an evidentiary hearing was not warranted because the claim was facially insufficient. Notwithstanding this finding, the factual allegations which were incorporated into the appellant's brief submitted to the Court would not have warranted an evidentiary hearing had they been included in the 3.850 motion. Specifically, Waterhouse now alleges that trial counsel failed to locate the following witnesses: (1) David Van Buren, (2) Randy Winstead, (3) a woman whom he only knew by first name, and (4) a man who worked with the defendant. Despite Waterhouse's claim to the contrary, it is abundantly clear that Waterhouse sought these witnesses in an effort to further his relentless quest to relitigate guilt issues. Waterhouse specifically asserts that David Van Buren and Randy Winstead would have testified that on two separate and unrelated occasions they entered the defendant's vehicle while bleeding due to cuts and being involved in fights, thereby providing an unincriminating reason for the blood that was found in Waterhouse's vehicle. Evidence that the blood found in the defendant's car came from another source is clearly a matter relating to the defendant's guilt. Moreover, David Van Buren was actually presented as a witness for the State, and was cross-examined by defense counsel regarding the cut on his leg which caused him to bleed inside the defendant's car. Therefore, as the claim pertains to Van Buren, it is clearly refuted by the record. As to the other witnesses, while Waterhouse does not specifically identify the woman referred to or what evidence she would have provided, he does allege that a man who worked with him would have provided him with an alibi. Clearly, these witnesses would have all testified with regard to guilt phase issues which were not subject to consideration during the proceedings directed only to penalty. Accordingly, an evidentiary hearing on this claim would have been properly denied even if Waterhouse had included in the 3.850 motion the factual allegations he incorporated into his brief to the Court.