Court Opinion

ID: 9773128
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 17:38:00.540536+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:31:50.273194
License: Public Domain

McCORMICK, Presiding Judge,
dissenting.
In order to determine whether a single error may support a finding of ineffective assistance of counsel, we must first decide under which standard of review this error should be viewed. We have held that for error “dealing with the punishment or sentencing phase ... the two-prong test in Strickland [v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 104 S.Ct. 2052, 80 L.Ed.2d 674 (1984)] is not applicable....” Ex parte Cruz, 739 S.W.2d 53, 58 (Tex.Cr.App.1987). See also Ex parte Walker, 777 S.W.2d 427 (Tex.Cr.App.1989). The error in this case occurred during the voir dire but dealt solely with the penalty phase, and therefore, under our holding in Cruz, the Strickland test is inapplicable in this case.
The appropriate test is whether, based on the totality of the representation, counsel was reasonably likely to render reasonably effective assistance of counsel. Ex parte Duffy, 607 S.W.2d 507 (Tex.Cr.App.1980). The right to counsel does not include the *38right to errorless counsel. Ex parte Cruz, supra. Counsel’s actions are not to be judged by hindsight. Mercado v. State, 615 S.W.2d 225 (Tex.Cr.App.1981). Further, the burden of proof in post-conviction habeas corpus is on applicant. Ex parte Alexander, 598 S.W.2d 308 (Tex.Cr.App.1980).
The record reflects, and the trial judge found, that counsel properly and timely filed several other motions, investigated the facts, interviewed witnesses and reviewed witness statements, spoke several times with applicant regarding the law and the facts, made well-reasoned decisions as to whether to call certain witnesses and gave applicant informed advice on whether to testify.
As soon as counsel learned of his failure timely to file the election, he immediately sought to remedy the error by asking the trial court’s permission to file it late. Counsel diligently attempted to undo his oversight. Instead of being indicative of an attorney who was not likely to render effective assistance of counsel, the steps taken, up to and including the attempt to have the trial court accept the election untimely, evidence a lawyer who worked diligently for his client but committed a single mistake.
In Ex parte Walker, the record was replete with error in the punishment phase. We found errors ranging from repeated solicitation of damaging hearsay from the State’s witnesses, to opening the door to evidence of two otherwise inadmissible robberies, to failure to timely appeal another aggravated robbery conviction which would have prevented its use. In that case we considered the errors, weighed them against the totality of the representation, and found the representation not reasonably effective.
Weighing all the facts in their proper context against the error in this case, this particular error was not sufficient to render the total representation ineffective. Based on these facts, applicant has not met his burden to show ineffective assistance of counsel.
I respectfully dissent.
W.C. DAVIS, WHITE and BERCHELMANN, JJ., join this dissent.