Court Opinion

ID: 9899278
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-11-16 17:04:36.269162+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:20:16.937504
License: Public Domain

IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE

STATE OF DELAWARE,                            :
                                               :         ID No. 1511001595
v.                                             :
                                               :
MARK A. BARTELL,                              :
                                               :
                       Defendant.              :

                               Submitted: September 13, 2023
                               Decided: November 16 , 2023

                                           ORDER

         On this 16th day of November 2023, upon consideration of Defendant Mark
A. Bartell’s motion for postconviction relief, the Commissioner’s Report and
Recommendation, Mr. Bartell’s appeal, the exceptions he raises in his appeal, and
the record in this case, it appears that:
         1.     A Kent County jury convicted Mr. Bartell of two counts of Rape
Second Degree, one count of Rape Fourth Degree, and two counts of Criminal
Solicitation in the First Degree on March 28, 2017. Thereafter, the Court sentenced
him to an unsuspended twenty-six years of incarceration, followed by decreasing
levels of probation. Mr. Bartell filed a direct appeal to the Delaware Supreme Court.
The Court affirmed his convictions.1
         2.     Currently Mr. Bartell seeks postconviction relief pursuant to Superior
Court Criminal Rule 61. Originally, the Court appointed postconviction counsel for

1
    Bartell v. State, 183 A.3d 1280, 2018 WL 1565636, at *4 (Del. March 29, 2018) (TABLE).
Mr. Bartell. The Court then referred the matter to a Superior Court commissioner
for findings of fact and recommendations as permitted by 10 Del. C. § 512(b) and
Superior Court Criminal Rule 62 (a)(5). Prior to briefing, Mr. Bartell terminated
his relationship with his appointed counsel because of irreconcilable differences.
When doing so, he elected to continue with his motion pro se.
          4.     After considering the parties’ positions, the Commissioner issued her
findings and recommendations in her Report attached as Exhibit A. In her Report,
she examined Mr. Bartell’s six grounds for relief. After a complete review of the
record, the Commissioner found that Mr. Bartell’s trial counsel provided competent
representation and that the issues he raised caused him no concrete prejudice. She
also examined his other grounds for relief and found them to be without merit,
including his claims that newly discovered evidence requires the Court to grant him
a new trial. Accordingly, she recommended that the Court deny Mr. Bartell’s motion
for postconviction relief.
          5.     Mr. Bartell then appealed the Commissioner’s Report, and on the same
day filed what he refers to as a “Motion to Present An Actual Innocence Claim.”
The latter filing accompanied his appeal and reiterated the same arguments he made
to the Commissioner, which she rejected in her Report. Accordingly, the Court
considers both filings to be Mr. Bartell’s appeal and has considered the exceptions
he raises in both.
          6.     When considering Mr. Bartell’s exceptions, the Court conducts a de
novo review to determine whether the Commissioner erred in those portions of her
Report to which he objects.2            In Mr. Bartell’s combined submissions, he merely
reiterates the arguments that he presented to the Commissioner.

2
    Del. Super. Ct. Crim. R. 62(a)(5)(iv).

                                                2
      7.     After thoroughly considering Mr. Bartell’s exceptions to the Report,
having presided over his trial, and having reviewed his exceptions de novo, the Court
finds that the Commissioner correctly addressed each of his arguments.              She
committed no error, and as a result, the Court adopts her Report in its entirety.
      NOW, THEREFORE, after a de novo consideration of the exceptions that
Mr. Bartell makes regarding the Commissioner’s Report and Recommendation
dated August 31, 2023:
      IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the Court adopts the Commissioner’s
Report and Recommendation attached as Exhibit A, in its entirety. Accordingly,
Mr. Bartell’s motion for postconviction relief filed pursuant to Superior Court
Criminal Rule 61 is DENIED.

                                                     /s/ Jeffrey J Clark
                                                       Resident Judge

JJC/klc
oc: Prothonotary
cc: The Honorable Andrea M. Freud
      Stephen Welch, Jr., DAG
      Mark Bartell, Pro Se
      Trial Counsel

                                          3
Exhibit A

    4
      IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE

STATE OF DELAWARE,                         :
                                           :
                                           :           ID No. 1511001595
                                           :
v.                                         :     RK-15110502-01 Rape 2nd
                                           :     RK-15110503-01 Rape 2nd
MARK A. BARTELL,                           :     RK-15110504 01 Rape 4th
SBI # 00201292                             :     RK-16070241 01 Crim Solic 1st
                                           :     RK-16070242 01 Crim Solic 1st
               Defendant.                  :

         COMMISSIONER'S REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION
               Upon Defendant's Motion for Postconviction Relief
                 Pursuant to Superior Court Criminal Rule 61

Stephen Welch, Deputy Attorney General, Department of Justice, for the State of
Delaware.
Mark Bartell, Pro se.
FREUD, Commissioner
August 31, 2023

      The defendant, Mark Bartell (“Bartell”), was found guilty on March 28, 2017,
of two counts of Rape in the Second Degree 11 Del. C. § 772, as lesser included
offenses of Rape in the First Degree; and one count of Rape in the Fourth Degree,
11 Del. C. §770; and two counts of Criminal Solicitation in the First Degree, 11 Del.
C. § 503. He was found not guilty of Terroristic Threatening and Offensive
Touching. Bartell was sentenced on June 22, 2017, to seventy-six years
incarceration; suspended after twenty-six years of incarceration. Followed by
varying levels of probation and Bartell will have to register as a sex offender.
      Bartell appealed his conviction to the Delaware Supreme Court and raised the

                                          5
following grounds for relief.
                  In this direct appeal, Bartell raises two claims of error. First,
                  he asserts that the Superior Court erred when it denied his
                  motion to sever. He claims to have suffered substantial
                  prejudice because the State was permitted to use the
                  criminal solicitation evidence to impugn his character and
                  draw an improper inference as to his general criminal
                  disposition. Second, Bartell contends that he was deprived
                  of a fair trial when the Superior Court failed to declare a
                  mistrial after witnesses injected inadmissible, irrelevant and
                  prejudicial testimony about his past conduct.3

The Delaware Supreme Court affirmed the Superior Courts ruling. Next Bartell filed
an initial Motion for Postconviction Relief pursuant to Superior Court Criminal Rule
61 on November 5, 2018, pro se. He also requested to have counsel appointed to
represent him. The Court granted the Motion for Appointment of Counsel on
November 29, 2018.
           The Appointment of Counsel was referred to the Office of Conflicts counsel.
On March 27, 2019, Natalie Woloshin, Esq. (“Appointed Counsel”) was appointed
to represent Bartell. On October 4, 2019, Appointed Counsel filed a Motion to
Compel Discovery from the State, seeking potentially exculpatory information. The
State objected on the basis that there is no right to discovery in a postconviction
proceeding. On January 15, 2020, I ordered the State to submit to the Court
unredacted copies of the information requested by Appointed Counsel so I could
review the materials in-camera to see if there was any potentially exculpatory
information contained in the requested documents. Following my review of the
redacted and unredacted documents. I granted the motion in-part and denied it in-
part on April 8, 2020. In my ruling, I ordered the State to produce unredacted copies

3
    Bartell v. State, 183 A.3d 1280, Del. Supr., Mar. 29, 2018 at pg. 2

                                                             6
of the police report, the fingerprint analysis, ant the other documents requested by
the defense to Appointed Counsel. I also put in place a Protective Order, to the effect
that Bartell could not himself have access to the unredacted copies, due to valid
safety concerns for the victim and witnesses raised by the State. Appointed Counsel
then filed a motion to reconsider my ruling to Resident Judge Clark. The State filed
a cross motion to reconsider, as well. On November 4, 2020, Resident Judge Clark
denied both motions.
      There were subsequently several requests for continuance filed by Appointed
Counsel, after the redacted documents were produced by the State. Ultimately, a
conflict arose between Bartell and Appointed Counsel on how to proceed with the
Motion for Postconviction Relief. Bartell requested to be able to proceed pro se. A
colloquy was held with Bartell on August 17, 2021, to determine if he knowingly
wished to have appointed Counsel withdrawn and proceed pro se. During the
colloquy, Bartell stated that due to the differences in opinion concerning the
direction on the postconviction motion should take, Bartell wished to proceed, pro
se. I thoroughly questioned Bartell and made it clear to him that if I granted his
request to proceed pro se, that my prior Protective Order concerning Motion to
Compel would not change, I other words, he would not be able to have access to the
unredacted copies provided to Appointed Counsel. Bartell acknowledged that and
still wished to proceed pro se.
      There after Bartell filed several requests for continuance to file his Amended
Motion for Postconviction Relief. On March 22, 2022, Bartell filed a Motion for an
Evidentiary Hearing and a Motion for Appointment of Counsel. I denied Bartell’s
Motion for Appointment of Counsel and asked the State to respond to the Motion
for an Evidentiary Hearing. After several more continuance requests, the State filed
its response on June 25, 2022. Bartell filed a reply to the State on July 11, 2022. On

                                          7
July 20, 2022, I ruled that due to the fact that Bartell appeared to be raising a number
of additional issues, I would allow him an opportunity to amend his postconviction
motion to include the additional issues or they would not be considered. As for the
request for an evidentiary hearing, I determined it would be prudent to wait until I
had a complete picture of exactly what Bartell was seeking before determining if an
evidentiary hearing would be necessary. Therefore, I gave Bartell until September
23, 2022, to notify the Court if he wished to proceed with his motion as it then stood
or if he wished to file an amended motion to include the potential additional claims.
                    On August 24, 2022, Bartell wrote the Court enumerating the grounds
from his July 11, 2022, letter and requesting that Deputy Attorney General Stephen
Welch and I recuse ourselves from this matter. On October 20, 2022, I denied
Bartell’s request to recuse myself after going through the required analysis set forth
in Los 4 and determining I was not objectively or subjectively biased against Bartell.
Additionally, due to the fact that this case had gone through a multitude of filing
etc., and because Bartell had not, as I requested, actually filed a complete list of his
grounds for relief, I drafted a list of what, I could decipher, as his grounds for relief.
A briefing schedule was put in place, which first required that Bartell notify the
Court before November 1, 2022, if he had any objection to my listing of his grounds
for relief, attached as Appendix A.
                    On October 28, 2022, Bartell informed this Court that the listing of
grounds from Appendix A was correct. Subsequently, the matter proceeded with
briefing. On February 21, 2023, after trial counsel and the State responded to
Bartell’s Motion, he requested a Stay in the proceedings due to his upcoming
surgery. The request was granted. On March 7, 2023, Bartell filed his third or fourth

4
    Los v. Los, 595 A.2d 381, 383 (Del. 1991)

                                                8
Motion for Appointment of Counsel which was denied on March 14, 2023. Finally,
on May 26, 2023, Bartell filed his response to the State and Trial Counsel and the
motion was sent to me for my consideration on June 7, 2023.
      After a long strange trip, The matter is finally ripe for my review.
                                       FACTS
      According to the Affidavit of Probable Cause, on November 3, 2015, Bartell’s
wife entered the Cheswold Police Department and stated that she had been raped by
her husband. She stated that the assault took place between 9:00am -9:45am that day
and caused her significant pain. According to the victim, she was thrown on her bed
and forcibly disrobed by Bartell. The victim stated that Bartell forced his penis inside
over vagina and her anus several times and eventually ejaculated inside her anus.
During the rape Bartell stopped and “picked her up” by placing several of his fingers
from his right hand inside her anus, picking her up and throwing her on the bed. The
victim states all of this took place without her consent. She asked Bartell to stop on
multiple occasions. She attempted to escape, but Bartell would not allow her to leave
the bed. The victim stated that on November 2, 2015, at about 7:00 pm, she and
Bartell were arguing over pizza and soda at which time he “flipped out” and threw
the living room table across the room. Bartell then followed her into the kitchen area
and tightly grabbed her around her face with both of his hands causing alarm to her.
She stated that he held her face tightly and stated, “You are going to die a slow and
very painful death.”
      The victim was taken to Kent General Hospital and a S.A.N.E. test was
conducted. It was noted that the victim suffered the following injuries during the
rape by Bartell: bruises on her knees and her neck, abrasions, and tears in her vaginal
area, 2-centimeter hemorrhoid in her anus and other redness around her anus – all
consistent with forceable sex. The victim stated that she was bleeding from her anus

                                           9
while using the bathroom shortly after she was raped.
      Bartell was arrested on November 3, 2015. While Bartell was held awaiting
trial, he attempted to solicit two prison inmates (F’chante Robertson and James
Hammond) to murder the victim, in order to prevent her from testifying at trial.
Bartell was reindicted on July 5, 2016, on two counts of Criminal Solicitation in the
First Degree.
                         BARTELL’S CONTENTIONS
      In Bartell’s Amended Motion for Postconviction Relief, he raises the
following ground for relief:

  Ground One              Ineffective Assistance of Counsel.
                          Defendant was denied his due process right to a fair
                          trial and the effective assistance of counsel, pursuant to
                          the 5th, 6th and 14th Amendments of the U.S.
                          Constitution and Articles 1 § 7 and 8 of the Delaware
                          Constitution.
                          A.) Defense counsel failed to raise an objection to the
                              admissibility of expert witness Christina Nash and
                              testimony of Y-STR profiling where a request for
                              analysis under Daubert was reasonably professional
                              by the Delaware Rules of Evidence.
                          B.) Defense Counsel failed to put the state’s case through
                              meaningful adversarial, testing by waving cross
                              examination of expert witness, Christina Nash.
                          C.) Defense counsel failed to retain services of a
                              “counter” expert in the field of DNA sciences for the
                              purpose of providing a reconciling defense with regard
                              to the 2 types on analysis used in Defendant’s trial.
                          D.) Defense Counsel failed to move for a judgment of
                              acquittal on the charge of rape, where testimony on Y-
                              STR profiling was insufficient as a matter of law for
                              proof beyond a reasonable doubt on the element of

                                         10
                                       “intercourse.” The low statistical significance of the
                                       profile frequency results failed to meet the D.R.E. on
                                       admissibility of scientific testimony. Hence, Christina
                                       Nash’s classification of Bode Cellmark’s testing and
                                       results as a “match” were misleading, confusing to the
                                       jury and highly prejudicial to the trial proceedings.5
     Ground Two                     The State, through Deputy Attorney’s General, Denise
                                    Weeks-Tappan and Steven Smith, engaged in
                                    misconduct resulted in a Napue/Giglio, violation which
                                    abridged Defendant’s substantial rights and rights to
                                    due process and confrontation.
                                       Deputy Attorney’s General allowed false testimony
                                       through expert witnesses Bethany Kleiser and
                                       Christina Nash with regard to their respective testing
                                       methods and reported results on the DNA samples
                                       without a Daubert hearing in order to determine if the
                                       forensic testing was scientifically sound, despite
                                       contradicting evidence within the mischaracterization
                                       of the term ‘excluded’ irrespective to the unchallenged
                                       “match” proclamation and the extreme prejudice to the
                                       defendant as a result thereafter.6
     Ground Three                   Prosecutorial misconduct by the State for Brady and
                                    Jencks violations.
                                     A.) The State failed to disclose, to the defense, the
                                         unredacted police report obtained by Det. Biddle
                                         during his investigation on charges of criminal
                                         solicitation.
                                     B.) Additionally, the State failed to disclose the latent
                                         fingerprint report, unredacted or otherwise.7
     Ground Four                    Ineffective Assistance of Counsel

5
   Exhibit 1 - State v. Mark Bartell, Motion for Postconviction Relief, filed March 2, 2022, Pgs. 1-24
6
  Id. Pgs. 24-41
7
  Id. Pgs. 42-52

                                                         11
                                     Defense Counsel, J’Aime Walker, erred as a matter of law
                                     when she failed to motion the Court for a mistrial after
                                     multiple violations of a Motion in Limine where highly
                                     prejudicial statements, deemed inadmissible, were entered
                                     into the proceedings through two state witnesses.
      Ground Five                    4th Amendment claim as a lack of search warrant for
                                     prison calls.
      Ground Six                     There is a lack of information that should have been
                                     preserved regarding the chain of custody on the evidence
                                     samples of buccal swabs taken from the defendant and
                                     thereafter transported to 2 different locations by Officer
                                     Simms who testifies to these events. The lack of Simm’s
                                     personal notes (having claimed were destroyed) when
                                     viewed in context to the separation of key DNA samples
                                     calls into question the entire process surrounding the us of
                                     Bode CellMark in the prosecution of Bartell.

                                                 DISCUSSION

           Under Delaware Law, the Court must first determine whether Bartell has met
the procedural requirements of the Superior Court Criminal Rule 61(i) before it may
consider the merits of the postconviction relief claims.8                     Under Rule 61,
postconviction claims for relief must be brought within one year of the conviction
becoming final.9 Bartell’s Motion was filed in a timely fashion, thus the bar of Rule
61(i)(1) does not apply to this Motion. As this is Bartell’s initial motion for
postconviction relief, the bar of Rule 61(i)(2), which prevents consideration of any
claim not previously asserted in a postconviction motion, does not apply either.

8
    Bailey v. State, 588 A.2d 1121, 1127 (Del. 1991)
9
    Super. Ct. Crim. R. 61(i)(1).

                                                       12
         Grounds for relief not asserted in the proceedings leading to judgment of
conviction are thereafter barred unless the movant demonstrates: (1) cause for relief
from the procedural default; and (2) prejudice from a violation of the movant’s
rights.10 The bars to relief are inapplicable to a jurisdictional challenge or to a claim
that satisfies the pleading requirements of subparagraph (2)(i) or (2)(ii) of
subdivision (d) of Rule 61.11 To meet the requirements of Rule 61(d)(2), a defendant
must plead with particularity that new evidence exists that creates a strong inference
that the movant is actually innocent in fact of the acts underlying the charges of
which he was convicted12 or that he pleads with particularity a claim that a new rule
of constitutional law, made retroactive to cases on collateral review by the United
States or Delaware Supreme courts, applies to the defendant’s case rendering the
conviction invalid.13 Bartell’s Motion pleads neither requirement of Rule 61(d)(2).
         Bartell’s first and fourth grounds for relief are premised on ineffective
assistance of counsel. Therefore, Bartell has alleged sufficient cause for not having
asserted these grounds for relief at trial and on direct appeal. Bartell’s second, third,
fifth, and sixth grounds for relief are not based on ineffective assistance of counsel
and he fails to give any cause for not raising them at trial or on direct appeal and
consequently they should be barred by Superior Court Criminal Rule 61 (i)(3).
Bartell’s ineffective assistance of counsel claims are not subject to the procedural
default rule in part because the Delaware Supreme Court will not generally hear such
claims for the first time on direct appeal. For this reason, many defendants, including
Bartell, allege ineffective assistance of counsel in order to overcome the procedural
default. “However, this path creates confusion if the defendant does not understand

10
   Super. Ct. Crim. R. 61(i)(3).
11
   Super. Ct. Crim. R. 61(i)(5).
12
   Super. Ct. Crim. R. 61(d)(2)(i).
13
   Super. Ct. Crim. R. 61(d)(2)(ii).

                                           13
that the test for ineffective assistance of counsel and the test for cause and prejudice
are distinct, albeit similar, standards.”14 The United States Supreme Court has held
that:
                 [i]f the procedural default is the result of ineffective
                 assistance of counsel, the Sixth Amendment itself requires
                 that the responsibility for the default be imputed to the
                 State, which may not ‘conduc[t] trials at which persons
                 who face incarceration must defend themselves without
                 adequate legal assistance;’ [i]neffective assistance of
                 counsel then is cause for a procedural default.15

A movant who interprets the final sentence of the quoted passage to mean that he
can simply assert ineffectiveness and thereby meet the cause requirement will miss
the mark. Rather, to succeed on a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel, a
movant must engage in the two-part analysis enunciated in Strickland v.
Washington16 and adopted by the Delaware Supreme Court in Albury v. State.17
        The Strickland test requires the movant to show that counsel’s errors were so
grievous that his performance fell below an objective standard of reasonableness.18
Second, under Strickland, the movant must show there is a reasonable degree of
probability that, but for counsel’s unprofessional effort, the outcome of the
proceedings would have been different; that is, actual prejudice.19 In setting forth a
claim of ineffective assistance of counsel, a defendant must make and substantiate
concrete allegations of actual prejudice or risk summary dismissal.20 Generally, a
claim for ineffective assistance of counsel fails unless both prongs of the test have

14
   State v. Gattis, 1995 WL 790961 (Del. Super.)
15
   Murray v. Carrier, 477 U.S. 478, 488 (1986).
16
   466 U.S. 668 (1984).
17
   551 A.2d 53, 58 (Del. 1988).
18
   Strickland, at 687. See Dawson v. State, 673 A.2d 1186, 1190 (Del. 1996)
19
    Outten v. State, 720 A.2d 547, 557 (Del. 1998), citing Boughner v. State, 1995 WL 466465 at *1 (Del. Supr.).
20
   Strickland, at 687.

                                                        14
been established.21 However, the showing of prejudice is so central to this claim that
the Strickland court stated “[i]f it is easier to dispose of an ineffectiveness claim on
the ground of lack of sufficient prejudice, which we expect will often be so, that
course should be followed.”22 In other words, if the Court finds that there is no
possibility of prejudice even if a defendant’s allegations regarding counsel’s
representation were true, the Court may dispose of the claim on this basis alone.23
Furthermore, Bartell must rebut a “strong presumption” that trial counsel’s
representation fell within the “wide range of reasonable professional assistance,” and
this Court must eliminate from its consideration the “distorting effects of hindsight
when viewing that representation.”24
        Moreover, there is a strong presumption that Trial Counsel’s conduct
constituted sound trial strategy.25 In Harrington v. Richter,26 the United States
Supreme Court explained the high bar that must be surmounted in establishing an
ineffective assistance of counsel claim. In Harrington, the United States Supreme
Court explained that representation is constitutionally ineffective only if it so
undermined the proper functioning of the adversarial process that the defendant was
denied a fair trial.27 The challenger’s burden on an ineffective assistance of counsel
claim is to show that counsel made errors so serious that counsel was not functioning
as the “counsel” guaranteed the defendant by the Sixth Amendment. It is not enough
to show that the errors had some conceivable effort on the outcome of the

21
   Id, at 697.
22
   Id.
23
   State v. Gattis, 1995 WL 790961 (Del. Super.).
24
   Supra, at 689; Wright v. State, 671 A.2d 1353, 1356 (Del. 1996).
25
   Id., at 668, 689.
26
   Harrington v. Richter, 562 U.S. 86, 131 S. Ct. 770, 178 L. Ed. 2d 624 (2011)
27
   Id, at 791.

                                                        15
proceeding. Counsel’s errors must be so serious as to deprive the defendant of a fair
trial.28
           Counsel’s representation must be judged by the most deferential of standards.
The United States Supreme Court cautioned that reviewing courts must be mindful
of the fact that unlike a later reviewing court, the attorney observed the relevant
proceedings, knew of materials outside the record, and interacted with his client,
with opposing counsel, and with the judge. In light of this strong precedent, I have
reviewed the file, considered the Trial Counsel’s affidavits, and the arguments of
counsel and I conclude that Bartell has failed to meet the burden imposed by
Strickland. Trial Counsel denies Bartell’s allegation. I find Trial Counsel’s affidavit
more compelling than Bartell’s allegation. I find that Trial Counsel represented
Bartell effectively. I also conclude the State acted appropriate and in no way violated
any of Bartell’s rights or chance for a fair trial.
           Turning to each of Bartell’s grounds for relief. The first claim of ineffective
assistance of counsel which Bartell raises in his motion for postconviction relief is
that his Trial Counsel was constitutionally ineffective because she failed to object to
the testimony of DNA expert, Christina Nash, (“Nash”), who testified about the
results of Y-STR DNA testing which was conducted in this case. In her affidavit
which was filed on January 17, 2023, Trial Counsel states that Y-STR DNA testing
is “accepted in Delaware Courts and is considered scientifically valid.” A Westlaw
search for case law on this issue reveals that a large number of courts across the
United States have accepted the validity of Y-STR DNA testing, which uses the
standard DNA testing process to seek to match “Y” chromosome DNA which is

28
     Id.

                                              16
transmitted through a male’s paternal line of ancestry.29 In State v. Roth30, after
conducting a Daubert hearing, the Delaware Superior Court permitted Y-STR DNA
testing results to be admitted into evidence, with regard to results which could be
proven to have statistical relevance.
        It appears that the primary difference between Y-STR testing and the more
familiar DNA testing process which does not focus on the “Y” chromosome is that
Y-STR testing yields lower levels of statistical certainty31. However, while this
might preclude admissibility in some situations, Bartell did not cite any cases which
hold that Y-STR DNA evidence is not admissible in circumstances comparable to
those in this case.
        There are a few Delaware cases dealing with very low levels of statistical
probability which arguably could support Bartell’s argument. In Strickland,32 the
Superior Court ruled that DNA evidence was not admissible when the expert would
have testified that there was one-in-two chance that DNA which was found on a
weapon matched that of the defendant. Likewise in Roth,33 the Court declined to
admit certain Y-STR DNA evidence when the expert testimony would have
established that there was a 50.2% chance that the questioned DNA in a mixed
sample matched that of the defendant. In Bartell’s case, however, the statistical
relevance of the evidence is much greater. The DNA expert testified that the profile
which was developed –matched that of Bartell – did not match any of the 5,259
profiles in the U.S. STR database. She also testified that she had calculated, with
95% confidence, that the DNA profile develop in this case would match that of one

29
   See, e.g., Commonwealth v. Clark, 34 N.E.3rd 1(Mass. 2015); State v. Jones, 345 P.3rd 1195 (Utah 2015);
Nebraska v. Tucker, 920 N.W. 2d 680 (Neb.2018); People v. Stevey, 148 Cal. Rptr. 3d 1 (CA App. 2012).
30
   State v Roth, 2000 WL 970673 (Del. Super. 2000)
31
   State v. Jones, 345 P.3rd at pp. 1208-1209
32
   Strickland v. State, 2016 WL 2732248 (Del. Super. 2016)
33
   Supra

                                                        17
in every 1,757 males in the population of the United States.34 Given this level of
statistical discernment, the STR test results in this case were relevant and admissible
in evidence.35 Considering the foregoing, Trial Counsel would have had no reason
to file a challenge to the admissibility of the STR DNA testing and no legal basis to
do so.
         Bartell’s second ineffective assistance claim is that Trial Counsel failed to put
the State’s case through “meaningful adversarial testing” by waiving cross-
examination of the DNA expert, Christina Nash, (“Nash”). In her affidavit, Trial
Counsel responded, that there was no point cross-examining Nash because Bartell
and the victim were a married couple who lived together, and therefore “the presence
of his DNA would not be surprising or unexpected.” In her closing statement, Trial
Counsel suggested to the jury that the victim had “fabricated” the allegation of rape
because she wanted to “continue a new relationship.”36 She argued that, by the
victim’s own admission, she had engaged in vaginal and anal intercourse with
Bartell many times during the course of their 15-year marriage, and therefore the
presence of Bartell’s DNA wasn’t “that big of a surprise.”
         The decision whether to cross-examine a witness is a tactical decision which
Trial Counsel is entitled to make in pursuance of a reasonable trial strategy.37 As
long as trial counsel’s decision with regard to cross-examination was reasonable, it
cannot provide a basis for finding of ineffective assistance of counsel.38

34
   State v Bartell, 2017 WL 384314, Del.Super., Jan. 25, 2017, Trial Transcript pp. C-29-31
35
   See Washington v. State, 153 A.3d 76 (Table) (Del. 2016) (DNA results admissible when just one of every eleven
members of the African American population would likely have a DNA profile matching that of the defendant and
of DNA found on a gun)); Roth v. State, 2000 WL 970673 (Del. Super. 2000) evidence of DNA results from mixed
samples admissible when testimony would have established a probability of 99% or grater that defendant was the
donor.
36
   Supra, Trial Transcript p E-49
37
   Shelton v. State, 774 A.2d 465, 479 (Del. 2000)
38
   Id.

                                                       18
           There is no reason to believe that trial Counsel would have been able to make
headway with the jury by trying to challenge testimony about DNA evidence which
there is no reason to doubt. Clearly, trial counsel made a tactical decision not to
challenge the DNA evidence but to minimize it by arguing that there was a valid
reason why Bartell’s DNA would have been present in this case. Without question,
this was a reasonable trial strategy.
           Bartell’s third ineffective assistance of counsel argument is that Trial Counsel
failed to retain a ‘counter’ expert in the field of DNA evidence. In her affidavit, Trial
Counsel concedes this fact but points out that her office retained both a SANE expert
and a handwriting expert. She states that the DNA evidence in the case was reviewed
by a forensic nurse who is employed by the Public Defender’s Office – i.e., the
evidence was in fact reviewed by someone with expertise and training in the filed of
forensic evidence. While Bartell alleges that an outside expert should have been
retained to testify at his trial, he has not even arguably established that there was a
need for this to occur, or that such testimony would have proved to be of value to
Bartell’s defense. Bartell has not established that his case was prejudiced in any way
by the failure to retain an outside DNA expert.
           It should be noted that the SANE expert testified at trial, in effect, that the
physical/medical evidence in the case was inconsistent with the victim’s statements
about what occurred.39 In other words, Trial Counsel did make a serious effort,
through the testimony of an expert witness, to challenge the probative value of the
forensic evidence presented by the State. Retaining a SANE expert was certainly a
better trial strategy than retaining an outside DNA expert to make a pointless
challenge to DNA evidence.

39
     State v Bartell, 2017 WL 384314, Del.Super., Jan. 25, 2017, Trial Transcript pp. D-20-49

                                                          19
           Bartell takes issue with the propriety of the State’s decision to retain a second
laboratory to conduct STR DNA analysis in this case. He points out that the D.F.S.
analyst, Bethany Kleiser,(“Kleiser”) testified that Bartell was “excluded” as a
contributor to the mixed samples (the rectal swabs) which she analyzed. These are
the swabs from which the second laboratory (Bode Cellmark) was able to develop
the STR DNA which matched that of Bartell. While there is an apparent
inconsistency in these results, it should be noted that Kleiser testified that the term
“excluded” can include situations in which DNA is not present or in which the “the
DNA level is just too low.”40 What happened in this case is that the second
laboratory, Bode Cellmark, was able to amplify the DNA which was present –
making “millions of copies” – and then to obtain results with Y-STR DNA
analysis.41 Despite Bartell’s claims, the State did nothing wrong by sending the DNA
extracts from D.F.S. for follow-up testing at Bode Cellmark. The admission of this
testimony did not mislead the jury or prejudice Bartell.
           Bartell’s fourth claim is that Trial Counsel represented him ineffectively
because she failed to make a motion for judgement of acquittal regarding the rape
charge. At various points in his written submission, Bartell complains that trial
Counsel in effect “conced[ed]” that he had engaged in intercourse with the victim.
At other times Bartell himself seems to concede that intercourse occurred and to
argue that, for this reason, DNA testimony was unnecessary: “There was never any
question as to the accused of the alleged act, so why would the State need to employ
multiple experts to testify to confirm identity?”
           In fact, based on the DNA evidence and the victim’s testimony, there was no
basis for Trial Counsel to argue that the State’s evidence, when viewed in the most

40
     Id. at Trial Transcript B-128
41
     Id. at Trial Transcript C 25-26

                                               20
favorable light, did not establish that intercourse between Bartell and the victim had
occurred. There would have been no point in making a motion for judgment of
acquittal regarding the rape charges.
       Bartell’s second ground for relief contends that the State in this case
committed an act of misconduct by presenting testimony from the two DNA
analysts, Kleiser and Nash. In part, for reasons previously discussed, this contention
has not basis. The evidence was admissible, and the presentation of the evidence at
Bartell’s trial did not amount to prosecutorial misconduct. DNA evidence is
routinely presented at criminal trials in Delaware. The State in this case had no
reason to believe that the DNA results were false or inadmissible in evidence.
Clearly this ground for relief is procedurally barred and meritless.
       The third ground for relief made by Bartell alleges that the State failed to
disclose certain evidence. Bartell claims that the State failed to disclose an
unredacted police report obtained by Det. Biddle during his investigation. However,
a redacted copy of the report was sent Bartell’s Trial Counsel on December 14, 2016.
This was more than three months before Bartell’s trial. The report is dated November
10, 2016. Consistent with the State’s policy and with the requirements of the
“Victims’ Bill of Rights,” the report was redacted to prevent disclosure of the names
and contact information of witnesses.42 It is important to note that Delaware’s
discovery rules do not require the State to provide police reports to the defense. 43 In
Bartell’s case, the State agreed to provide redacted police reports in return for
Bartell’s agreement to waive his preliminary hearing. However, the provision of
redacted reports does not create a right to disclosure of unredacted reports. 44 In

42
   11 Del.C.§ 9403
43
   Superior Court Criminal Rule 16(a)(2)
44
   State v. Cooke, 2022 WL 17817903 (Del.Super. 2022)

                                            21
addition, although the report was redacted when it was provided in discovery, there
can be no doubt that, during the trial, Trial Counsel knew the identity of the person
reference in the report.
           Bartell also alleges that the State failed to disclose a latent fingerprint report.
However, the report was provided to Trial Counsel by letter dated October 7, 2016.
Once again, certain portions of the report were redacted to protect the identity of the
potential witnesses. However, testimony about the fingerprints results was presented
by the State at trial. Seemingly, this testimony would have benefited the defense by
establishing that the fingerprints of persons other than Bartell were on the diagram
of his residence which was introduced into evidence. In any event, it is unclear how
the defendant was prejudiced by the manner in which the fingerprint report was
disclosed and/or by the handling of the evidence at trial. As previously noted, the
fingerprint results were brought out at trial. Det. Biddle also testified that a person
who touches a piece of paper does not always leave a fingerprint, and that the
diagram of the Bartell residence which was admitted into evidence in this case
accurately depicted the layout of the home.45 This ground for relief is both
procedurally barred and meritless.
           Ground four centers on Trial Counsel’s failure to move for a mistrial after
several violations of a Motion in Limine occurred. Specifically, the SANE nurse who
testified for the State, stated non-specifically, that the victim told her, “this has
happened before.” Trial Counsel immediately objected, and with her agreement, the
trial judge promptly told the jury to “disregard the last response that you heard. It
has no basis in evidence in this case.” 46 In Delaware, a trial judge’s prompt curative
instruction is presumed to correct errors and to adequately direct jurors to disregard

45
     State v Bartell, 2017 WL 384314, Del.Super., Jan. 25, 2017, Trial Transcript pp. C 92-93
46
     Id. at pp B 60-62

                                                           22
inadmissible evidence. Jurors are presumed to follow the Court’s instructions. 47 In
this case, Trial Counsel acted promptly to cure the error which occurred, and there
was no manifest necessity for a mistrial.
           During the testimony of Bartell’s sister, Mary Davis, the State played a
recording of a prison phone call between her and Bartell. During this phone call, Ms.
Davis made a reference to a “PFA” which the victim had obtained; this reference
had mistakenly not been redacted as previously agreed. Also, during her live
testimony, in an answer which was not directly responsive to the prosecutor’s
question, Ms. Davis testified that “there was a protection order done.” The trial judge
found that these violations of the pre-trial order were inadvertent and asked Trial
Counsel, who had not objected to either, of the comments, if she wanted to request
a curative instruction. The judge suggested that many jurors may not even know
what a PFA is. In what she expressly agreed was a strategic choice, Trial Counsel
chose not to request a curative instruction, obviously not wanting to highlight what
had occurred. The Delaware Supreme Court later referred to these references to
protective order as “Only vaguely pointing accusatory fingers at Bartell.”48
           On direct appeal, the Supreme Court reviewed the three inappropriate
references under the plain error standard and found that Bartell had not carried his
burden of showing that hey had substantially prejudiced him. Despite this ruling,
Bartell now recasts the issue as one of ineffective assistance of counsel. However,
none of these errors was the fault of Trial Counsel. With regard to the first reference,
made by the SANE nurse, she immediately objected, and the Court ordered the jury
to disregard the testimony. With regard to the references to the PFA, Trial Counsel
made what appeared to have been a reasonable decision not to highlight the

47
     Revel v. State, 956 A.2d 23, 27 (Del. 208)
48
     Bartell v. State, 183 A.3d 1280 (Table) (Del. 2018)

                                                           23
testimony by seeking a curative instruction. Given that the Supreme Court has
already found that Bartell was not substantially prejudiced by these comments, it is
clear that a mistrial was not warranted, and that Trial Counsel did not deal with these
issues in a constitutionally ineffective manner.
        Bartell next asserts that the State should have obtained a search warrant before
listening to his prison phone calls. However, the calls in question were made on a
recorded phone line. A recording which plays during each phone call informs the
persons on the call that the line is recorded. For this reason, and because the call is
being made by an inmate inside a correctional facility, there is a reduced expectation
of privacy, and a search warrant is not needed for the State to obtain copies of the
recorded calls.49 Rather, the State can subpoena the recordings as long as it has a
reasonable basis for doing so.50 In this case, the State had a reasonable basis to
subpoena the phone calls as there were allegations that the defendant was trying to
make arrangements to have the victim murdered. In these circumstances, it was
reasonable for the State to subpoena the recordings of the phone calls. The fact that
other relevant evidence may have been developed during review of the phone calls
did not render the original subpoena “a Fishing Expedition,” as Bartell asserts in his
legal memorandum. It should be noted, also that the phone calls did in fact reveal
that Bartell wanted the victim dead, and that he wanted somebody to “take her out.”51
This ground for relief is both procedurally barred and meritless.
        Bartell’s sixth claim relates to an alleged failure to preserve information with
regard to the chain of custody on buccal swabs which were collected from him and

49
   Whitehurst v. State, 83 A.3d 362, 366-367 (Del. 2013)
50
   Id.
51
   State v Bartell, 2017 WL 384314, Del.Super., Jan. 25, 2017, Trial Transcript pp. D 84-85

                                                        24
analyzed. Bartell also claims that a Brady violation occurred because Officer Simms
from Cheswold PD failed to preserve certain notes.
      Officer Simms testified that he secured a search warrant so that a buccal swab
could be collected from Bartell. After Bartell was arrested, Detective. Richey of the
Delaware State Police collected the swab in Officer Simms’ presence. Officer
Simms also testified that he took possession of the SANE kit which was collected
from the victim by the SANE nurse when the victim went to the hospital. The SANE
kit was stored in the evidence locker at the Cheswold Police Department after it was
packaged and was later transported to the Division of Forensic Sciences (“D.F.S.”)
in Wilmington, along with some of the other evidence. Officer Simms testified with
regard to the SANE kit, that he marked the evidence with his initials before sealing
it and securing it in the evidence locker, to ensure that it would not be tampered with.
Simms later testified that he picked up the evidence from D.F.S. and transported it
back to Cheswold Police Department. Simms testified that he took Bartell’s buccal
swabs to the Bode Laboratory in the D.C. area.
      The DNA analyst from the D.F.S. laboratory, Bethany Kleiser, testified about
D.F.S. evidence handling procedures and said that the evidence which she examined
was received at the Laboratory on November 12, 2015. Kleiser testified that the
evidence which was received at the laboratory included the SANE kit, buccal sample
from Bartell and a comforter from the Bartell residence. After describing the tests
which were conducted on the evidence, Kleiser testified that some of the samples
were sent to the Bode laboratory for further testing. She described how the samples
would have been re-packaged and turned over to the police for transportation to
Bode. She stated that they were stored in the D.F.S. evidence locker until she turned
them over to Chris Workman, Chief of the Cheswold Police Department.

                                          25
           The DNA analyst from Bode Cellmark, Nash, testified that Bode’s records
established that Officer Louis Simms hand-delivered evidence to Bode on April 22,
2016, at 11:22 a.m. Nash testified that she recognized the signature of the Bode
employee who received the evidence. The evidence was then marked with Bode
identification numbers and stored in the evidence locker until she subsequently
tested it. She testified that the evidence would have been checked to make sure that
it was properly sealed. Nash continued to testify that the evidence received at Bode
included a sample from an anal swab from the victim, a buccal swab or sample from
Bartell and two “tubes of extract.”52 It was during Nash’s testimony that the State
moved the buccal swab from Bartell into evidence, as State’s exhibit number 9,
without objection from Trial Counsel. This exhibit was signed by PFC Louis Simms
and establishes proper chain of command of the collected evidence.
           In this case, whatever minor discrepancies or gaps might have existed in the
testimony there can be no doubt that the buccal sample was collected Bartell by Det.
Ritchey in the presence of Officer Simms, transported to the D.F.S. laboratory by
Officer Simms, and then subsequently transported to the Bode Laboratory for further
analysis. Trial Counsel did not object to the admission of this evidence because there
was no reason for her to object. Any objection which she raised would have been
overruled, and if need be, the State would have had the opportunity to present
additional evidence clarifying or resolving any arguable issues with the chain of
custody. The key point is that there is no reason to believe that the buccal swab was
misidentified or tampered with.
           In Hairston53, the Delaware Supreme Court stated:
           When the State seeks to authenticate [evidence] by establishing
           chain of custody, it is not required ‘to produce evidence as to every
52
     State v Bartell, 2017 WL 384314, Del.Super., Jan. 25, 2017, Trial Transcript pp. C 20-22
53
     Hairston v. State, 249 A.3d 375, 381 (Del. 2021)

                                                          26
           link in the chain of custody. Rather, the State must simply
           demonstrate an orderly process from which the trier of fact can
           conclude that it is improbable that the original item has been
           tampered with or exchanged.’ This Court has ruled that, where there
           are inconsistencies or gaps in the testimony offered to establish the
           authenticity of evidence, the ‘factual discrepancies, and the
           inferences to be drawn from them, go to the weight to be accorded
           the evidence rather than to its admissibility.’

Note that Hairston involved the admissibility of controlled substances, and thus
implicated Statutes 10 Del. C. § 4330, et seq. which are not applicable to the DNA
evidence in Bartell’s case. Nonetheless, the general principle remains the same. The
chain of custody must “eliminate possibilities of misidentification and adulteration,
not absolutely, but as a matter of reasonable probability.”54 In Bartell’s case, that
standard was met. This ground is meritless.
           With regard to Bartell’s desire for an evidentiary hearing on the issue of
“newly discovered evidence,” Bartell’s request for a new trial based on newly
discovered evidence it is time-barred and because the alleged newly discovered
evidence is impeachment evidence rather than substantive evidence of guilt or
innocence. Additionally, it is evidence that could have been acquired prior to trial
and as such is not “new.” In fact, Trial Counsel hired handwriting expert, Donna
Eisenberg, (“Eisenber”). Eisenberg testified that the handwriting on the contested
diagram of the Bartell residence did not match the known handwriting of Bartell.
The jury heard this testimony and was also informed that F’Chante Robert’s and
Jazzman Wilson’s fingerprints were on the diagram, and that Bartell’s fingerprints
were not on the diagram. It is clear that Trial Counsel made considerable efforts to
contest the claim that Bartell had prepared the diagram. The most effective evidence

54
     Tricoche v. State, 525 A.2d 151, 153 (Del. 1987)

                                                        27
supporting the claim, however, was certainly Det. Biddle’s testimony that the
diagram of the interior of the Bartell residence was accurate.55 This supported the
strong inference that the information on the diagram came from Bartell, whether or
not he was the person who actually wrote the notes on the diagram. Additionally, a
second inmate, James Hammond, testified at trial that Bartell also solicited him to
kill the victim. Finally, the recorded prison phone calls established that Bartell
stated, in his calls to his sister, that he wanted the victim dead, and he wanted her
“taken out.”56 In light of all the evidence, even if the report from Mr. Baggett is
deemed “newly discovered,” it seems unlikely that the jury would have had reason
to doubt the Bartell’s guilt of the two counts of Criminal Solicitation, First Degree.
Clearly any “new Evidence” Bartell now seeks to admit is merely cumulative and
only gives to impeachment. Consequently, I deny his request or an evidentiary
hearing.
                                                CONCLUSION
           In conclusion I find Bartell has failed to establish that his Trial Counsel was
ineffective, or that the State acted inappropriately, nor has he established the need
for an evidentiary hearing. Consequently, I recommend the Court DENY the
Motion, as meritless.
                                                                /s/ Andrea M. Freud
                                                                   Commissioner

55
     State v Bartell, 2017 WL 384314, Del.Super., Jan. 25, 2017, Trial Transcript pp. C 92-93
56
     State v Bartell, 2017 WL 384314, Del.Super., Jan. 25, 2017, Trial Transcript pp. D 84-85

                                                          28