Opinion ID: 3163175
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Alabama’s Application of Ake

Text: McWilliams contends the State deprived him of due process under Ake because the State did not provide him the meaningful assistance of an independent psychiatric expert at his sentencing hearing. 15 Case: 13-13906 Date Filed: 12/16/2015 Page: 16 of 46 Under Ake, “when a defendant demonstrates to the trial judge that his sanity at the time of the offense is to be a significant factor at trial, the [s]tate must, at a minimum, assure the defendant access to a competent psychiatrist who will conduct an appropriate examination and assist in evaluation, preparation, and presentation of the defense.” Ake, 470 U.S. at 83, 105 S. Ct. at 1096. This right “extends to the sentencing phase of a criminal case.” Blanco v. Sec’y, Fla. Dep’t of Corr., 688 F.3d 1211, 1223 (11th Cir. 2012) (internal quotation marks omitted). However, Ake cautions that a defendant does not have “a constitutional right to choose a psychiatrist of his personal liking or to receive funds to hire his own.” Ake, 470 U.S. at 83, 105 S. Ct. at 1096. Rather, Ake entitles the defendant access to a “competent psychiatrist.” Id. “[T]he decision on how to implement this right” is left “to the [s]tate.” Id. McWilliams first argues that he was denied the assistance contemplated by Ake because he was not provided an “expert of his own.” Specifically, McWilliams asserts that he was denied such an expert because Dr. Goff’s assistance was “equally disseminated to all parties.” The State contends there is no clearly established Federal law that requires it to provide a partisan mental health expert to the defense and, therefore, McWilliams is not entitled to federal habeas relief on this basis. 16 Case: 13-13906 Date Filed: 12/16/2015 Page: 17 of 46 In some jurisdictions, a court-appointed neutral mental health expert made available to all parties may satisfy Ake. See Miller v. Colson, 694 F.3d 691, 697– 99 (6th Cir. 2012) (discussing the split amongst Sixth Circuit decisions that address whether a neutral mental health expert satisfies Ake), cert. denied; Granviel v. Lynaugh, 881 F.2d 185, 191–92 (5th Cir. 1989) (holding that Ake is met when the government provides a defendant with neutral psychiatric assistance), cert. denied. Other circuits have held that the state must provide a non-neutral mental health expert to satisfy Ake. See United States v. Sloan, 776 F.2d 926, 929 (10th Cir. 1985) (holding that a defendant is entitled to independent, non-neutral psychiatric assistance); Smith v. McCormick, 914 F.2d 1153, 1158 (9th Cir. 1990) (“[U]nder Ake, evaluation by a ‘neutral’ court psychiatrist does not satisfy due process.”). However, the United States Supreme Court has thus far declined to resolve this disagreement among the circuits. See Miller, 694 F.3d at 697 n. 6; Granviel v. Texas, 493 U.S. 963, 110 S. Ct. 2577 (1990) (denying certiorari). As a result, the State’s provision of a neutral psychologist would not be “contrary to, or involve[] an unreasonable application of, clearly established Federal law.” See 28 U.S.C. § 2254(d)(1). Therefore, McWilliams’s argument fails. McWilliams next contends that Dr. Goff’s late arrival to the proceedings denied him due process under Ake. The State asserts a defendant is only entitled to 17 Case: 13-13906 Date Filed: 12/16/2015 Page: 18 of 46 assistance from a psychiatrist under Ake and the trial court’s appointment of Dr. Goff satisfied this requirement. McWilliams was entitled access to a “competent psychiatrist” to assist him in the development of his defense. See Ake, 470 U.S. at 83, 105 S. Ct. at 1096. The State appointed Dr. Goff to examine McWilliams and produce a report. Nothing in the record suggests that Dr. Goff lacked the requisite expertise to examine McWilliams and generate a report. While Dr. Goff provided the report to McWilliams only a few days before the sentencing hearing, McWilliams could have called Dr. Goff as a witness or contacted him prior to the completion of the report to ask for additional assistance. McWilliams’s failure to do so does not render Dr. Goff’s assistance deficient. Moreover, the report was admitted into evidence and considered by the court at sentencing, demonstrating the defense utilized Dr. Goff’s assistance. Thus, the State provided McWilliams access to a competent psychiatrist, and McWilliams relied on the psychiatrist’s assistance. Given the deference owed to the state court, its determination that Ake was satisfied under these circumstances was not objectively unreasonable. Therefore, we hold that the State’s adjudication of McWilliams’s Ake claim was not contrary to or an unreasonable application of clearly established Federal law. Even assuming an Ake error occurred, relief may only be granted if the error had a “substantial and injurious effect or influence” on the outcome of 18 Case: 13-13906 Date Filed: 12/16/2015 Page: 19 of 46 McWilliams’s case. See Hicks v. Head, 333 F.3d 1280, 1286–87 (11th Cir. 2003) (internal quotation marks omitted). The jury at McWilliams’s penalty phase voted 10 to 2 in favor of the death penalty. The trial judge reviewed Dr. Goff’s report and took into account the possibility of organic brain damage but also noted that, throughout McWilliams’s medical records, different psychologists and psychiatrists describe him as a malingerer. For example, the mental health professionals on the Lunacy Commission determined McWilliams was a malingerer and a faker; Dr. Goff’s report indicated that McWilliams was malingering on some level; Dr. Kirkland determined McWilliams was faking symptoms; and even Dr. Woods, McWilliams’s post-conviction expert admitted McWilliams has a history of malingering and can be deceitful and manipulative. Moreover, Dr. Woods was the only doctor who diagnosed McWilliams as bipolar—a diagnosis contested by Dr. Kirkland. Based on a review of this and other evidence, the trial judge found that McWilliams’s “aggravating circumstances overwhelmingly outweighed the mitigating circumstances.” A few additional days to review Dr. Goff’s findings would not have somehow allowed the defense to overcome the mountain of evidence undercutting his claims that he suffered from mental illness during the time of the crime. Accordingly, even assuming the state court committed an Ake error, the error did not have a substantial and injurious effect on McWilliams’s sentence. 19 Case: 13-13906 Date Filed: 12/16/2015 Page: 20 of 46