Court Opinion

ID: 9630604
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 10:15:22.149413+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:39:30.591256
License: Public Domain

GRAVES, Justice,
dissenting.
Respectfully, I dissent.
It was not error for the trial court to summarily deny Appellant’s claim that counsel was ineffective for not calling his two sisters and Carl Smith to testify to Appellant’s intoxication as the Commonwealth at trial did not dispute Appellant had been drinking in excess that evening. In fact, Appellant was charged with alcohol intoxication and in light of the other evidence introduced at trial it is unlikely that the additional testimony would have made any difference. For example, Appellant noted in his memorandum on his RCr 11.42 motion (while arguing that counsel was ineffective for failing to request an intoxication defense instruction) that:
“[t]here was ample evidence of [appellant’s] intoxication offered by witnesses for the prosecution.[sic] Officer Carl Baker testified and stated, “Yes, we could smell alcohol beverages about his person.”
Officer Renee Long was asked by the prosecution, during the course of giving testimony, “Officer Long, was Roger Scott Norton intoxicated that evening or that (sic) early morning hours?” Officer Long answered in the affirmative and stated, “Yes, he was.”
Counsel’s alleged failure to subpoena the three other witnesses then could not have prejudiced Appellant and Appellant then was not thereby rendered ineffective assistance of counsel. Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 104 S.Ct. 2052, 80 L.Ed.2d 674 (1984). The latter is especially true as only one of the three witnesses had any contact with Appellant around the same time as the police who likewise testified to his intoxication. The latter is also true as the limited degree of intoxication was otherwise noted by the police officers and while the witnesses may have had a differing opinion their testimony was not sufficient to compel a reasonable doubt as to Appellant’s guilt.
Appellant’s other allegations were also inconsistent with one another and are refuted by the record. Appellant argued that he was entitled to an intoxication defense instruction and none was requested. But trial counsel did tender an instruction to the trial court which should have preserved the issue for further review. See RCr 9.54(2). Appellant, however, was acquitted on the simple intoxication charge which made a claim of denial of an intoxication defense a contradictory appellate argument.
Furthermore, Appellant argued that he was generally just too drunk to have known what was happening that evening and that counsel should have put on that *179other proof to support his intoxication defense. In his verified supplement to his motion he states that he simply possessed the marijuana for his own personal use and did not take it into the jail with intent to promote it or with knowledge that it was dangerous contraband. By Appellant’s own admission his degree of intoxication was not to the level to impair his knowledge of possession of marijuana or that he took it into the jail knowingly. The evidence is sufficient to convict him of first degree promoting contraband under the instructions. An instruction on intoxication therefore was not warranted and Appellant was not otherwise prejudiced by any alleged failing of counsel and is not now entitled to the extraordinary relief requested.
The questions raised by Appellant are easily resolved by reference to the trial court record. An evidentiary hearing is not necessary when the allegations are capable of being resolved by review of the record. Here, defense counsel was fully aware of the intoxication defense and attempted to elicit the necessary proof from the Commonwealth’s witnesses whom Appellant states in making his motion provided ample evidence of intoxication. Counsel then could hardly be called ineffective.
WINTERSHEIMER, J., joins this dissent.