Opinion ID: 1826905
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 17

Heading: Performance

Text: First, defense counsel Parker's performance was deficient. Parker knew that the State would submit evidence of the prior violent felony and that the prior case file was readily available, yet he failed to obtain and review the file. At the evidentiary hearing, Parker stated that he made no effort to obtain the New York file because Green admitted committing the crime. However, according to Rompilla, even when a capital defendant's family members and the defendant himself have suggested that no mitigating evidence is available, his lawyer is bound to make reasonable efforts to obtain and review material that counsel knows the prosecution will probably rely on as evidence of aggravation at the sentencing phase of trial. 545 U.S. at 377, 125 S.Ct. 2456 (emphasis added). Therefore, regardless of Green's admission to counsel, under the facts of this case, failure to obtain the readily available New York file constitutes deficient performance. The impact of this failure to obtain the New York file is amplified by the fact that Parker made no attempt to argue that under New York law, a youthful offender adjudication is not a conviction and, therefore, does not satisfy the prior violent felony conviction aggravator under Florida's death penalty statute. See § 921.141(5)(b), Fla. Stat. (1987). [5] We look both to Florida law and to the law of the state in which the adjudication was entered to determine whether the adjudication constitutes a conviction for purposes of the prior violent felony aggravator. See Merck v. State, 664 So.2d 939, 944 (Fla. 1995) (holding that an out-of-state juvenile adjudication is not a conviction as defined under North Carolina or Florida statutes) (citing § 921.141(5)(b), Fla. Stat. (1993); § 39.053, Fla. Stat. (1993); N.C. Gen.Stat. § 7A-638 (1993)). Under Florida's youthful offender statute, [6] youthful offender status appertains to the sentence rather than to the adjudication. If the trial court adjudicates the defendant guilty of the charged offense and orders a youthful offender sentence, then the adjudication counts as a conviction. However, no conviction results if the trial court withholds adjudication and sentences the defendant as a youthful offender. Thus, in Florida, youthful offender status does not bear on the issue of whether the adjudication constitutes a conviction. By contrast, under New York law, a youthful offender adjudication is not a judgment of conviction. N.Y.Crim. Proc. Law §§ 720.10, .20, .35 (McKinney 1995 & Supp.2007); People v. Cook, 37 N.Y.2d 591, 376 N.Y.S.2d 110, 338 N.E.2d 619 (1975); Gold v. Gartenstein, 100 Misc.2d 253, 418 N.Y.S.2d 852 (Sup.Ct.1979); People v. Y.O. 2404, 57 Misc.2d 30, 291 N.Y.S.2d 510 (Sup.Ct.1968); People v. J.K., 137 Misc.2d 394, 520 N.Y.S.2d 986 (County Ct.1987). New York youthful offender adjudications comprise both a youthful offender finding and a youthful offender sentence. [7] In other words, unlike the Florida statute, a youthful offender designation in New York relates to the entire adjudication, not simply the sentence. Further, unlike the Florida statute, the New York statute directs courts to vacate the entire conviction and replace it with the youthful offender adjudication. [8] Thus, under New York law, Green's youthful offender adjudication is not a conviction and, therefore, does not support the prior violent felony conviction aggravator under section 921.141(5)(b). Instead of arguing this important distinction, Parker made a general request that the court consider Green's youthful offender status, coupled with the caveat that I make that argument knowing full well that [ Campbell v. State, 571 So.2d 415, 418 (Fla.1990),] says there is no reason why you can't consider a juvenile conviction for a violent crime as an aggravating circumstance. Parker's statement evinces a failure to appreciate and argue the differences between a New York youthful offender adjudication and a juvenile conviction. Furthermore, neither Campbell nor any other Florida case has found a New York youthful offender adjudication to be a conviction for purposes of the prior violent felony aggravator. [9] Finally, the New York case file contained some potentially mitigating information. The presentence investigation report indicated that Green was seventeen or eighteen when his father killed his mother and then killed himself. The report also questioned whether Green was actually involved in the New York crime or pled guilty to obtain release from custody. Other documents in the file showed that Green's codefendant's case was nolle prossequied for lack of evidence.