Opinion ID: 1810649
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Failure to prepare pretrial motions

Text: ¶ 48. Crawford next alleges his counsel was ineffective for failing to challenge the indictment handed down by the grand jury in either of two ways. First, he states counsel was ineffective because it failed to object that the indictment was invalid on its face. However, the invalidity of Crawford's indictment was addressed on appeal and Crawford was found not to have been prejudiced by such. Crawford, 716 So.2d at 1050-51. Therefore, in this proceeding, he will be unable to meet the prejudice prong of Strickland. See Woodward, 843 So.2d at 7. ¶ 49. In addition, Crawford states that his counsel should have challenged the indictment because one of the members of the grand jury was related to a prosecution witness. This Court has already held that absent statutory provision to the contrary, it is permissible for a member of the grand jury to be related to the victim, meaning that such relation, alone, is not grounds for disqualification. Southward v. State, 293 So.2d 343, 344 (Miss.1974). Therefore, we fail to see how it would be any less permissible for one related to a witness to serve on a grand jury. ¶ 50. In addition, in the same letter mentioned earlier, written around the time of trial, Crawford agreed with his counsel's decision not to challenge the indictment on such grounds as the prosecution would probably just go get another. Therefore, Crawford will be unable to meet the necessary showing of deficiency of counsel. See Woodward, 843 So.2d at 7.
¶ 51. Crawford alleges that it was ineffective for counsel to not file a motion to suppress prior bad acts and convictions. It must first be reiterated that counsel is given wide latitude in its choice and employment of strategies and defenses. Hiter v. State, 660 So.2d 961, 965 (Miss.1995). In addition, when the defense is insanity, either general or partial, the door is thrown wide open for the admission of evidence of every act of the accused's life relevant to the issue of sanity and is admissible in evidence. McLeod v. State, 317 So.2d 389, 391 (Miss.1975). ¶ 52. In this case, the insanity defense was employed and, thus, the door was opened to a wealth of evidence. Crawford has failed to show that any of the evidence that he gives general reference to would be inadmissible in such a context. As such, he has failed to show that counsel was deficient and this issue is without merit. See Woodward, 843 So.2d at 7.
¶ 53. Crawford alleges that counsel was ineffective because they did not file a written motion to suppress confession statements. However, it is clear from the record that such a motion was made ore tenus, challenging Crawford's statements on such grounds as voluntariness. Crawford fails to cite any cases that stand for the proposition that motions must be made in writing. As such, he is unable to show deficiency on the part of counsel and this claim is without merit. See Id.
¶ 54. Crawford claims that counsel was inefficient for failing to request a bench trial. However, Crawford has cited no authority for the proposition that it is ineffective assistance for counsel not to request a bench trial. Furthermore, while there is a right guaranteed under the Sixth Amendment to a trial by jury, there is no right to a trial by bench. [6] As such, Crawford is unable to show deficiency of counsel and this claim is without merit. See id.
¶ 55. Crawford alleges that counsel's failure to appeal the denial of his petition to proceed ex parte to secure funds rendered counsel's assistance ineffective. However, in this petition, Crawford identified the specific expert he wished to obtain and that expert appeared and testified at his trial. His need to proceed ex parte was rendered moot. Since the claim was moot, Crawford is unable to show any prejudice from the failure to appeal the petition and, thus, this claim is without merit. Id.
¶ 56. Crawford asserts that his counsel was ineffective for failure to pursue plea negotiations. However, Crawford provides no evidence that the prosecution even considered tendering a plea offer to him. Therefore, Crawford is unable to show any prejudice and, as such, this claim is without merit.