Court Opinion

ID: 9590475
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 23:55:13.185532+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:18:12.268585
License: Public Domain

Dore, J.
(dissenting) — The majority holds that defense counsel's previous representation of a defense witness in an unrelated proceeding establishes a prima facie case of ineffective assistance of counsel requiring reversal where the trial court failed to inquire into this potential conflict of interest. I disagree.
*680In addition to the exchange between the court and counsel reported by the majority opinion, the record continues:
The Court: Mr. Denend can't act as your attorney in this matter. It would be — it would be ethically impossible for him to do that.
The Witness: Okay, I understand that.
The Court: If you want to talk to a lawyer you can, not him, but some other lawyer, and if you'd like to do that all you have to do is say you want to talk to a lawyer. We'll excuse you now. You can go talk to a lawyer and then come back tomorrow with your lawyer here if you want.
Mr. Denend: Maybe it would be better, Your Honor, since this — this is just collateral to show the relationship of the parties—
The Court: I know it is.
Mr. Denend: That we — I ask Mr. Clemmer the question if there was any bad feelings between Mr. Black-wood and Mr. Richardson and just — and he answers that question yes or no if he knows or if he doesn't know, and then the next question would be was this continuous bad feeling over a period of time prior to the incident, and then the next question would be did this continue on through the night of the incident.
The Court: Seems to me that would save him from getting in trouble, and we could then proceed.
If you're going to do it that way, fine. Otherwise it causes all kinds of problems.
Mr. Denend: The only purpose of offering this, Your Honor, is to show the feelings that existed on the night in question between Mr. Blackwood and Mr. Richardson.
The Court: Rather than having him go into what happened, he can describe the feeling, and we'll not have those problems.
Mr. Denend: Okay.
The Court: Okay, bring the jury back in.
The Witness: I'm sorry, Your Honor.
The Court: That's okay. I didn't know — we're trying to protect you.
The Witness: I know, but I thought I had to answer.
The Court: No.
The Witness: Okay.
*681By Mr. Denend:
Q. Mr. Clemmer, are you aware of the — the relative feelings that existed between Mr. Blackwood and Mr. Richardson prior to the night in question, the 15th of October?
A. Yes, I am.
Q. What was the feeling that existed between the two?
A. Well, Ray had super bad feelings towards Gary.
Q. And did this carry on into the night in question, the October 15—
A. Yes, it did.
(Italics mine.) Report of Proceedings, at 484-86.
As indicated by this exchange, witness Clemmer began to implicate himself in a separate crime when he began to explain the illegal skimming in which he and Blackwood were involved. The prosecutor interrupted, suggesting that Clemmer should be advised of his constitutional rights if he was going to admit to a crime. The judge then advised Clemmer of his rights against self-incrimination and advised him to consult an attorney. At that point, it became obvious that the defense counsel had been Clem-mer's attorney on at least one previous occasion. The defense attorney then told Clemmer that he could not advise him in the present situation, and the trial court judge advised Clemmer he could talk to any other lawyer and come back later when he had done so. Defense counsel then stated that the testimony of skimming activities "is just collateral to show the relationship of the parties." Report of Proceedings, at 484. The defense counsel then suggested a compromise by having Clemmer testify only that there was a "continuous bad feeling over a period of time prior to the incident" between the defendant and Blackwood. The jury was brought back in, and Clemmer so testified. Report of Proceedings, at 484, 486.
The majority would now have us hold that this exchange and trial procedure indicates a lack of effective representation due to conflict of interest.
While there are no Washington cases specifically addressing the standards for evaluating assistance of coun*682sel at the appellate level, the United States Supreme Court has stated appellate counsel must "diligently investigate" possible grounds of appeal and act in the role of an "active advocate" on behalf of his client. Anders v. California, 386 U.S. 738, 18 L. Ed. 2d 493, 87 S. Ct. 1396, reh'g denied, 388 U.S. 924 (1967). Accord, High v. Rhay, 519 F.2d 109 (9th Cir. 1975).
On direct appeal, the test of ineffective assistance of trial counsel is whether, after considering the entire record, it can be said the accused was '"afforded an effective representation and a fair and impartial trial"'. State v. Renfro, 96 Wn.2d 902, 909, 639 P.2d 737 (1982), quoting State v. Thomas, 71 Wn.2d 470, 471, 429 P.2d 231 (1967). Under this standard, a defendant is not guaranteed "successful" assistance of counsel, such as an acquittal. State v. White, 81 Wn.2d 223, 225, 500 P.2d 1242 (1972).
This test recognizes that the method and manner of preparing and presenting a case will vary with different counsel. If a defense counsel's trial conduct, which is later complained of, can be characterized as legitimate trial strategy or tactics, it cannot serve as the basis for a claim that a defendant received ineffective assistance of counsel. State v. Adams, 91 Wn.2d 86, 586 P.2d 1168 (1978); State v. Hess, 86 Wn.2d 51, 541 P.2d 1222 (1975); State v. Ermert, 94 Wn.2d 839, 621 P.2d 121 (1980).
Under the recent case of In re Lile, 100 Wn.2d 224, 225, 668 P.2d 581 (1983), we held that before we grant a personal restraint petition, the petitioner must prove that the constitutional errors worked to his actual and substantial prejudice.
Under differing circumstances, the United States Supreme Court recently addressed the burden of establishing ineffectiveness of trial court counsel on collateral review. In Cuyler v. Sullivan, 446 U.S. 335, 348-50, 64 L. Ed. 2d 333, 100 S. Ct. 1708 (1980), the Court held that in order to establish a violation of the Sixth Amendment, a defendant who raised no objection at trial must demonstrate that an actual conflict of interest adversely affected *683his lawyer's performance. Once a defendant demonstrates that a conflict of interest actually affected the adequacy of his representation, he need not demonstrate prejudice in order to obtain relief. But until a defendant shows that his counsel actively represented conflicting interests, he has not established the constitutional predicate for his claim of ineffective assistance. This rule has been followed by the Washington courts of appeal. In State v. Lingo, 32 Wn. App. 638, 649 P.2d 130, review denied, 98 Wn.2d 1005 (1982), the court held that if codefendants do not raise at trial the issue of potential conflicts of interest arising from their representation by a single attorney, a claim on appeal that effective assistance of counsel was denied requires a showing of an actual conflict of interest between the code-fendants which adversely affected their attorney's performance. Accord, State v. Peyton, 29 Wn. App. 701, 630 P.2d 1362, review denied, 96 Wn.2d 1024 (1981).
The rule of Cuyler arises out of multiple representation of codefendants who may have conflicts of interest or where defense counsel has represented a prosecution witness on related charges to that of the defendant.
The subject case differs significantly from those cases giving rise to the Cuyler rule. Clemmer was not a codefendant, but was a witness for the defense. The fact that an attorney once represented a client who subsequently becomes a witness in another trial does not automatically give rise to a conflict of interest, nor a Sixth Amendment violation. United States v. Jeffers, 520 F.2d 1256 (7th Cir. 1975), cert. denied, 423 U.S. 1066 (1976); State v. Means, 268 N.W.2d 802 (S.D. 1978); State v. Thompson, 55 Ohio App. 2d 17, 379 N.E.2d 245 (1977).
In People v. Gorecki, 54 Ill. App. 3d 267, 369 N.E.2d 380, 381 (1977), the court held defendant was not shown to have been denied effective assistance of counsel because the defense attorney did not call a potential witness due to past representation. The court reasoned that the testimony of defense counsel's witness was not used by the State to prove its case and no need existed to impeach that testi*684mony. Further, no showing was made that the versions of such witness and defendant differed, nor was there any indication that such testimony would be beneficial to the defense.
The record in the present case indicates Richardson's trial attorney did everything possible to bring in Clemmer's testimony concerning skimming activities at the tavern. The suggestion that Clemmer be advised of his constitutional right against self-incrimination came from the prosecutor, not defense counsel. The testimony which eventually was heard by the jury was a result of a compromise. The jury was informed of the hostile feelings Black-wood allegedly had toward the defendant. A review of the record as a whole indicates Clemmer's testimony concerning the skimming activities was not crucial, as Richardson was not charged with assaulting Blackwood, but a third party. At best, that part of Clemmer's testimony was incidental to the self-defense theory in that the defense counsel was merely attempting to establish "bad feelings" between Blackwood and Richardson, and such testimony was elicited.
The trial tactic of defense counsel was to establish a claim of self-defense based upon fear of mob action incited in part by Blackwood through ill feelings toward the defendant. The excluded testimony of skimming activities was only collateral to establishing Blackwood's animosity to defendant. The evidence of bad feelings between the parties was elicited, and hence negated any possible need to admit evidence of skimming activities.
The majority would have us remand the subject case to the trial court for a determination as to whether the relationship between the defense counsel and the defense witness posed a conflict of interest. Such a course of action is an unwarranted extension of the United States Supreme Court decisions concerning conflicts of interest. The rule of these decisions has never been applied in circumstances similar to those present in the subject case where a defense witness has been a prior client of defense counsel in an *685unrelated matter. Defense counsel merely indicated that he could not advise the witness as to his rights against self-incrimination and, as a trial tactic, avoided the line of questioning which would pose a potential self-incrimination situation and obtained the desired testimony through other means.
The Supreme Court decisions that require an inquiry into a potential conflict of interest when the trial court "knows or reasonably should know" all concern multiple representation of codefendants in the same or related proceedings, or where a conflict exists between the defendant's employer who has employed defense counsel and the defendant.
If we are to follow the majority's line of reasoning, each time defense counsel had a prior relationship with any witness, the trial court would be required to make a special factfinding determination that no conflict of interest existed. In the small localities across the state, it is likely that defense counsel and prosecutor alike have had a relationship with many witnesses who might appear in a criminal proceeding. Under the majority ruling, separate hearings will be required in all these cases prior to the original criminal trial to determine any conflict of interest between attorneys and witnesses. If there are conflicts of interest, attorneys will have to be replaced, which might be difficult in a 4- or 5-attorney town.
Additionally, there are potentially hundreds of personal restraint petitioners in the future that will raise this same issue if we follow the suggested holding of the majority.
Whether measured under the rule of Lile, requiring an actual showing of prejudice, or Cuyler, requiring a showing of an actual conflict of interest adversely affecting defense counsel's performance, I am satisfied that petitioner had effective assistance of counsel and a fair and impartial trial. I cannot find that appellate counsel was ineffective in his failure to raise the issue of the incompetence of the defense attorney at trial.
*686I, therefore, would deny Richardson's personal restraint petition.
Dimmick, J., concurs with Dore, J.