Case: UNITED STATES of America v. James K. GREEN, Appellant
Abbreviation: United States v. Green
Decision Date: 1982-05-21
Docket Number: No. 80-2461
Citation: 220 U.S. App. D.C. 147
Volume: 220
Reporter: United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
Court: United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
Jurisdiction: District of Columbia
Parties: UNITED STATES of America v. James K. GREEN, Appellant.
Judges: Before BAZELON, Senior Circuit Judge, and WILKEY and WALD, Circuit Judges.
Pages: 147–170

Head Matter:
680 F.2d 183
UNITED STATES of America v. James K. GREEN, Appellant.
No. 80-2461.
United States Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit.
Argued June 16, 1981.
Decided May 21, 1982.
Opinion on Denial of Rehearing and Rehearing En Banc July 16, 1982.
Charles G. Cole, Washington, D. C. (appointed by this Court), for appellant.
Susan R. Holmes, Asst. U. S. Atty., Washington, D. C., with whom Charles F. C. Ruff, U. S. Atty., Washington, D. C., at the time the brief was filed, John A. Terry and Michael W. Farrell, Asst. U. S. Attys., Washington, D. C., were on the brief, for appellee.
Before BAZELON, Senior Circuit Judge, and WILKEY and WALD, Circuit Judges.

Opinion:
Opinion PER CURIAM.
Dissenting opinion filed by Senior Circuit Judge BAZELON.
PER CURIAM:
In this appeal, James Green challenges the district court's denial without a hearing of his motion under the federal habeas corpus statute, 28 U.S.C. § 2255. Green sought modification of the 10-30 year pris on sentence imposed after his conviction of armed rape, armed robbery, armed burglary and assault with and possession of a dangerous weapon. Green did not dispute the validity of the underlying convictions which were upheld on appeal in 1970; the issue before the district court was whether Green had been denied due process or his sixth amendment right to effective assistance of counsel at the sentencing. Section 2255 does not require the district court to hold a hearing on the motion if "the files and records of the case conclusively show that the prisoner is entitled to no relief," and the district court so decided here. We hold that the district court's appraisal of the record was correct and that Green was not entitled to relief. He was neither denied due process at the sentencing stage nor was his sentence tainted by ineffective assistance of counsel under the standards set forth in United States v. Decoster, 624 F.2d 196 (D.C.Cir.) (en banc), cert. denied, 444 U.S. 944, 100 S.Ct. 302, 62 L.Ed.2d 311 (1979).
I.
Green was represented at his five-day trial by retained counsel of his choice. On November 6, 1968, the jury found Green guilty of the armed rape and robbery of a Washington, D. C. resident in her home. He was also found guilty of first degree burglary and illegal assault with and possession of a loaded gun. The facts of the crime were recounted by the district court:
The defendant followed Mrs. Lilia Pearce, a 26-year old, white female into her residence on March 27, 1968. He waited until she was leaving again and asked her where the janitor was located. Mrs. Pearce took the defendant downstairs, where he shoved her into a corner, pointed a gun at her head, and threatened to kill her if she would not give him her money. He then pulled her back up the stairs to her apartment. Once inside, he forced her into each room, asking what she had of value. Mrs. Pearce turned over $100.00. The defendant then forced Mrs. Pearce onto the bed where he made her take off her clothes and then had sexual relations with her. When he finished, he tied her hands, gagged her and forced her into a closet, against which he put a duffel bag before leaving.
United States v. Green, No. 729-68 at 1 (Nov. 7, 1980) (memorandum order denying § 2255 motion).
Subsequent to Green's conviction, the probation office for the district court prepared a presentence report, which detailed both the government's and Green's versions of the offense, explained that Green had no previous arrest record (though he was AWOL from the Army at the time of his offense), discussed various aspects of his background, and concluded with an "Evaluative Summary." The evaluative summary contained a review of Green's personal history and attitudes including observations on his propensity to "project responsibility onto others, particularly the police, the Assistant U. S. Attorney, and even his own lawyer." The report summed up with the comment that "[i]n any event, it' would seem that the conviction and circumstances of the offense outweigh other considerations. In all likelihood, Green presents a real threat to others in the community, should he again choose to victimize someone." The presentence report also included the statement that "Green said he felt his lawyer was incompetent and that, perhaps there was a conspiracy between his lawyer and the Assistant U. S. Attorney," although Green could offer no motivation for such a conspiracy.
Green's sentencing hearing, at which he was represented by trial counsel, was held on January 3, 1969. We quote the hearing transcript virtually in its entirety:
[COUNSEL]: In this case, if it please the Court, I am almost in a position where I feel I need counsel, for this defendant-, I think I should say for the record, has totally repudiated this humble counsel.
THE COURT: I don't hear you.
[COUNSEL]: I say this defendant has totally repudiated this humble counsel and so all I can say is that this is a young man. He is in military service. I think that there must be within him seeds for rehabilitation. The Court has a total probation record on James K. Green, and I am sure the Court remembers the trial for we went through it for several days and in at least this counsel's opinion tried as best we could to give him full and fair representation.
THE COURT: Indeed, it was the Court's opinion that he was afforded the finest of counsel.
[COUNSEL]: So we would therefore submit him to the Court and ask the Court to hear him say anything he desires to say.
THE COURT: Mr. Green.
THE DEFENDANT: Your Honor, I would like to ask the Court a couple of questions, if I may.
THE COURT: You just tell us what you have to say. The Court isn't interrogated.
THE DEFENDANT: I have nothing to say.
THE COURT: Nothing to say? . [T]he Court sentences the defendant James K. Green to be incarcerated for a period of not less than ten years nor more than thirty years in a penal institution to be designated by the Attorney General or his authorized representative. You have ten days in which to note an appeal.
[COUNSEL]: Your Honor, I will go down immediately and get the necessary forms and furnish them to the defendant. I feel that this is my duty. And after that I ask the Court that I be relieved in this case.
THE COURT: There is a new rule of the Court that you may be familiar with, that asks that trial counsel stay on to assist counsel who may be appointed in the appellate case.
[COUNSEL]: Of course I will be happy to do that.
On Green's appeal of his convictions, he was represented by new counsel appointed by this court. The convictions were affirmed by a unanimous panel in an opinion written by then Chief Judge Bazelon. In the course of that appeal, new counsel did not raise any issue regarding error in Green's sentencing nor allege ineffective assistance of counsel at any stage of the proceedings. While the appeal was pending, Green brought a pro se motion for a new trial alleging ineffective assistance by virtue of counsel's failure to file certain pretrial motions, but did not mention any defects in either the trial or the sentencing process. That motion was denied without opinion, and no appeal was taken.
Green served four years of his 10-year sentence and then escaped from prison, remaining free from 1973-1977. Upon his recapture, he was sentenced to an additional year in prison. In January 1982, he was released to the community under parole supervision.
Green had filed his habeas motion pro se on August 7,1980, some HV2 years after his conviction, claiming that he was sentenced on the basis of willfully false and prejudicial information in the presentence report, and that he was denied effective assistance of counsel at the sentencing hearing in that counsel did not disclose to him the contents of the presentence report nor seek to correct purported errors in the report before the sentencing judge. The only reference he made to any conflict or rift between them at the time of sentencing which might have adversely affected her representation of him was his speculation that she was "concerned" about the dissatisfaction with her that he had expressed^ in the presentence report. In accordance with the rules governing section 2255 proceedings, 28 U.S.C. foil. § 2255 Rule 4(a), Green's motion was referred to the district judge who had originally sentenced him. In opposition to Green's motion, the government filed affidavits by the author of the presentence report and by defendant's trial counsel to show that Green's allegations of errors in the report were either incorrect or immaterial and that Green's attorney had given him competent representation. Counsel's affidavit stated that she had reviewed the presentence report with Green, and that though Green was unhappy with the report, counsel found it "accurate in all material respects" and "consistent with counsel's impressions of Mr. Green and with the information he had given [counsel] about himself." The affidavit also claims that although Green had asked counsel to correct the report, he did not provide counsel with "any legal or factual basis for these wishes." Furthermore, counsel "believed it would be unwise, tactically, to challenge the report in the manner suggested by the defendant." Counsel did, however, advise Green that he could voice his objections to the court at the sentencing hearing. Finally, the affidavit states: "I knew that Mr. Green was displeased with me in this regard and I so advised the Court, but I did not seek to withdraw because Mr. Green himself asked me to remain in the case."
The record having been thus supplemented, as permitted by the section 2255 rules, 28 U.S.C. foil. § 2255 Rule 7, the district court chose to avail itself of those procedures that "enable the judge to dispose of some habeas petitions not dismissed on the pleadings, without the time and expense required for an evidentiary hearing." Blackledge v. Allison, 431 U.S. 63, 82, 97 S.Ct. 1621, 1633, 52 L.Ed.2d 136 (1977). Upon examination of the "files, records, transcripts, and correspondence relating to the judgment under attack," 28 U.S.C. foil. § 2255 Rule 4(b), to determine whether the "facially adequate allegations [had] sufficient basis in fact to warrant plenary presentation of evidence," 431 U.S. at 80, 97 S.Ct. at 1632, the court denied Green's motion without an evidentiary hearing. Cf. United States v. Boggs, 612 F.2d 991 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, 449 U.S. 857, 101 S.Ct. 156, 66 L.Ed.2d 72 (1980) (no need for evidentiary hearing where district judge who dismissed defendant's motion was same judge who imposed sentence and was familiar with defendant's situation). The memorandum order defining the reasons for dismissing the due process and competence claims, stated that "[t]he alleged errors pointed to in the presentence report" had not been "material to the Court's determination of sentence." United States v. Green, supra, at 1. Rather, the memorandum order recalls that the court had "read the entire record including the presentence report, and it relied primarily on the facts of the crime and the trial testimony in making its sentencing decision," id. at 2, and, additionally, that Green's counsel had represented him competently, id. at 3. Green appealed the district court order of dismissal to this court and counsel was appointed on his behalf.
II.
We dispose first of Green's principal attack that he was sentenced on the basis of prejudicial and willfully false material supplied by the probation officer. We note that Judge Bazelon's dissent agrees that Green has made out no case on this ground. Diss. Op. at 192 n.3. Relying on Townsend v. Burke, 334 U.S. 736, 68 S.Ct. 1252, 92 L.Ed. 1690 (1948), and United States v. Bass, 535 F.2d 110 (D.C.Cir.1976), appellant's due process claim rests on the assertion that he was sentenced on the basis of materially false information. In Townsend, "the Supreme Court held that the due process clause was violated when a defendant . . 'was sentenced on the basis of assumptions concerning his criminal record which were materially untrue.' " United States v. Bass, 535 F.2d at 118 (quoting Townsend v. Burke, 334 U.S. at 741, 68 S.Ct. at 1255). Beyond the fact that the district court expressly recalled that the challenged statements in the presentence report were not material to the determination of the sentence, the record shows that the presentenee report did not contain materially "false assumptions." Townsend v. Burke, 334 U.S. at 740, 68 S.Ct. at 1255.
Green's motion lists six inaccuracies in the presentenee report. First, Green complains that the report stated that bail was denied him due to the Bail Agency's inability to find community ties. The transcript of Green's preliminary hearing on April 9, 1968, shows that the presiding judge set bail at $25,000 because of the strength of the case against.Green and because Green was not at that time a resident of the District of Columbia. Transcript of Preliminary Hearing at 34-37. Green remained incarcerated, and filed a pro se motion for release on personal bond on August 8,1968. The Bail Agency submitted its report on August 15, 1968, recommending against release on personal recognizance because it had been unable to verify the information supplied by Green. A hearing on Green's motion was, according to a notation in the district court record, "continued pending report from military." Court Clerk's Memorandum for August 30, 1968. In sum, the presentence report was substantially correct on this point.
Green next disputes that the author of the report was unable to locate the District Roma Bakery where Green reported that he had worked for five or six years prior to his induction into the Army. He claims that no attempt was made to contact his former employer, and submitted with his motion a listing in the 1976 District of Columbia phone book for a "Roma-Italian Bread Corp." at the same address he had given the probation office in 1968. The government, however, submitted with its Opposition an envelope supporting the contention that a request for information was sent to "District Rona Baking Company" at 1644 North Capitol Street and was returned marked "Moved, left no address." Further, the report did not infer from the failure to locate the company that Green had lied. On the contrary, the report assumed that Green resigned from a previous job "to work for the baking company."
Green also objected that the report implied that he was "a person who tells lies" through the account that "According to military records, Green entered the service not in March of 1967, as he said, but on October 6, 1967." The government concedes that the report is in error, but, in the absence of any indication that Green had something to gain from a misrepresentation, the error does not render the report prejudicial, and was certainly not "material."
Green's fourth objection to the report is the characterization, in the evaluative summary, of his relationship with his natural father:
Green has occasionally maintained contact with his natural father, though he never really assumed any parental responsibility for Green.
Appellant disputes the accuracy of this statement with a statement from his natural father that "my son . has always had my Moral and Financial support." Green, however, does not otherwise dispute the report's account of his family history which describes a close relationship between Green and his stepfather, who, with Green's mother, "provided adequately for him," since Green was two years old and who "expressed concern about the offense for which he has been charged . and continue[d] to support him despite his incarceration." Thus, Green does not reject the basis for concluding that his stepfather, rather than his natural father, assumed the parental role in the nuclear family.
Green's final objections address statements in the report which on their face are clearly the opinions of the author and not "assumptions" at all. The author states that Green's "style of dress and behavior seemed to indicate effeminate characteristics, but he denied ever engaging in homosexual activities," and that "it would seem that the conviction and circumstances of the offense outweigh other considerations. In all likelihood, Green presents a real threat to others in the community . . . . "
Green's allegations, neither individually nor in the aggregate, establish the report as "materially false," and, therefore, Green's due process claim must fail.
III.
With regard to his claim of ineffective assistance, Green makes three allegations on appeal. First, he claims that trial counsel did not discuss the presentence report with him nor disclose its contents. Green's supposition is that trial counsel was concerned about the presentence report's account of Green's dissatisfaction with counsel. Second, Green alleges that trial counsel made no other attempt to verify or refute the information in the report. Third, he argues that trial counsel provided ineffective assistance by failing to comment on the inaccuracies in the report or otherwise effectively advocate at the sentencing hearing. Green attributes the IIV2 year delay in filing his motion to his prior lack of knowledge of the contents of the report, but does not explain how he came by it at this late date.
We do not suggest that counsel's preparation for and conduct at the sentencing hearing was a model of vigor. And we agree that Green "was as much entitled to effective representation by counsel at sentencing as at any other critical stage of his trial." United States v. Pinkney, 543 F.2d 908, 914 (D.C.Cir.1976); see American Bar Association Project on Standards for Criminal Justice, Standards Relating to Sentencing Alternatives and Procedures § 5.3(e) (1968) ("The defense attorney should recognize that the sentencing stage is the time at which for many defendants the most important service of the entire proceeding can be performed."). But we do not find it necessary to decide whether counsel's conduct constituted "a serious incompetency that [fell] measurably below the performance ordinarily expected of fallible lawyers." United States v. Decoster, 624 F.2d 196, 208 (D.C.Cir.) (en banc) (plurality opinion per Leventhal, J.), cert. denied, 444 U.S. 944, 100 S.Ct. 302, 62 L.Ed.2d 311 (1979). This court has repeatedly maintained that to establish a deprivation of the sixth amendment's guarantee, absent a "governmental impediment to effective assistance of counsel," 624 F.2d at 214, "the accused, though ineffectively represented, must further show a likelihood of harm therefrom, and that only then does the government face the need to disprove actual injury." United States v. Wood, 628 F.2d 554, 561 (D.C.Cir. 1980) (Robinson, J., concurring in part and dissenting in part). See United States v. Hinton, 631 F.2d 769, 771 (D.C.Cir.1980) (per Bazelon, J.); United States v. Decoster, 624 F.2d at 208.
In Decoster, this court considered en banc the appeal of a conviction challenged on the basis of ineffective assistance of counsel. Each of the appellant's various claims of defective performance were rejected in turn because the appellant failed to show that the attorney's failings had a likely impact on the result of the trial. We also said in Decoster that, depending on the nature of the claim, differing standards obtain to establish a violation of the sixth amendment guarantee that "[i]n all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall . have the Assistance of Counsel for his defense." Where the government refuses to make counsel available to an indigent defendant or where the government interferes to restrict effective representation, a per se rule applies that the conviction be reversed. See United States v. Decoster, 624 F.2d at 201 (citing, inter alia, Geders v. United States, 425 U.S. 80, 96 S.Ct. 1330, 47 L.Ed.2d 592 (1976); Gideon v. Wainwright, 372 U.S. 335, 83 S.Ct. 792, 9 L.Ed.2d 799 (1963)). "At the other end of the continuum are eases, including the present one, in which the issue is counsel's performance when . . 'untrammeled and unimpaired' by state action." 624 F.2d at 202 (quoting Holloway v. Arkansas, 435 U.S. 475, 482, 98 S.Ct. 1173, 1177, 55 L.Ed.2d 426 (1978)). Judge Leventhal's opinion adopted the view that in such a case, "involving the quality of performance, as reflected in acts or omissions at trial," 624 F.2d at 203, the defendant must demonstrate "a likelihood of effect on the outcome." . 624 F.2d at 215. A per se rule may serve a deterrent purpose where government action is involved, but no such justification exists for vacating a trial court's judgment when only individual counsel's allegedly incompetent behavior is implicated. But cf. Address by the Honorable David L. Bazelon, Robert S. Marx Lectures, U. of Cincinnati (Dec. 6-7, 1972), reprinted as The Defective Assistance of Counsel, 42 U.Cin.L.Rev. 1, 30 (1973) (if specific breaches of counsel's duty of care were presumed to be sixth amendment violations, courts would develop clear standards of performance). Where deterrence of unconstitutional government action is not at issue, then, our concern must be focused on whether the defendant has suffered a palpable injustice as a result of counsel's substandard performance. See United States v. Decoster, 624 F.2d at 214.
This case falls squarely within the category which concentrates on the possible injustices in the individual case, and here appellant has made no showing of "likelihood of effect on the outcome." In fact, the record shows just the reverse. The single disputed issue of fact, i.e., whether counsel showed Green the presentence report, is immaterial because Green has failed to show that any harm likely resulted, even if his version of the facts is credited. Green argues that he could have identified errors and omissions for counsel. He further argues that counsel should have verified and brought to the court's attention favorable evidence of Green's employment history, work habits and positive family relationships in order to correct the impression that Green had lied to the probation officer about his place of employment, and to alert the court to Green's previous stability and reliability. But, as the dissent apparently concedes, the report was substantially correct, did not imply that Green had lied about his employment, and not unfavorably described his home environment. Green has identified no additional facts that might .have been raised by counsel to sway the judge toward leniency. Further, while the district court judge was satisfied with counsel's competence and so did not address the likelihood that Green was prejudiced by his attorney's alleged incompetence, the judge effectively ruled out the possibility of prejudice emanating from the alleged deficiencies in counsel's performance. She has specifically said that in imposing a 10-30 year sentence she "relied primarily on the facts of the crime and the trial testimony," that she had read the entire presentence report and that "the alleged errors . were not material" to her determination, and "that the defendant's actions merited the imposition of the sentence given." United States v. Green, supra, at 1, 2. We have no reason to doubt the validity of the court's statement about the reasons for the sentence. It is not to be overlooked that a jury had found Green guilty of armed rape, armed robbery, and burglary, and the judge had authority to impose three indeterminate sentences up to life imprisonment, concurrently or consecutively. See D.C. Code § 22-3202 (additional penalty for committing crime when armed), 22-2801 (rape). The rules governing federal habeas proceedings provide for habeas motions to be referred to the trial judge precisely because that judge "is familiar with the facts and circumstances surrounding the trial, and is consequently not likely to be misled by false allegations as to what occurred." 28 U.S.C. § 2255 Rule 4, Advisory Committee Note (quoting Carvell v. United States, 173 F.2d 348, 348-49 (4th Cir. 1949). Cf. Farrow v. United States, 580 F.2d 1339 (9th Cir. 1978) (en banc) (practice of all other circuits to deny section 2255 motion challenging sentence possibly influenced by invalid prior conviction(s) if district court determines that, treating prior convictions as void, sentence is still appropriate). The court's explanation of the disposition of the motion precludes a finding of likely prejudice.
It is at best pure speculation that more eloquent pleading would have resulted in a lower sentence. In any case, such conjecture does not rise to the level of a showing of likely prejudice. The trial judge has looked at the allegations, taken them seriously enough to write a memorandum opinion stating that a hearing would be futile. If we were to insist on such a hearing we would be saying that a trial judge who imposes a sentence well within statutory bounds for major felonies, after a full-scale trial and upon a presentence report in which no - material error has been found, must hold a hearing on a claim raised for the first time 11V2 years later that better allocution might have reduced the sentence.
In the end, the totality of circumstances does not leave us with the impression that an injustice has been suffered. Hence, we affirm.
. United States v. Green, 436 F.2d 290 (D.C.Cir. 1970) (per Bazelon, C.J.) upheld his conviction for first degree burglary while armed, D.C.Code § 22-1801(a); robbery, § 22-2901; rape while armed, § 22-2801; assault with a dangerous weapon, § 22-502; and carrying a dangerous weapon, § 22-3204.
. Presentence Report at 6.
. Transcript of Sentencing Hearing at 1-2.
. Appellant's Motion to Vacate, Set Aside, or Correct Sentence at pp. 1-3 of attachment.
. Id. at p. "1-B" of attachment.
. Opposition to Motion to Vacate Sentence Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2255 at 2-6.
. Id. at 6-8.
. Rule 7, entitled "Expansion of Record," provides:
(a) Direction for expansion. If the motion is not dismissed summarily, the judge may direct that the record be expanded by the parties by the inclusion of additional materials relevant to the determination of the merits of the motion.
(b) Materials to be added. The expanded record may include, without limitation, letters predating the filing of the motion in the district court, documents, exhibits, and answers under oath, if so directed, to written interrogatories propounded by the judge. Affidavits may be submitted and considered as a part of the record.
(c) Submission to opposing party. In any case in which an expanded record is directed, copies of the letters, documents, exhibits, and affidavits proposed to be included shall be submitted to the party against whom they are to be offered, and he shall be afforded an opportunity to admit or deny their correctness.
(d) Authentication. The court may require the authentication of any material under subdivision (b) or (c).
. It is quite possible that in anticipation of a parole hearing in 1981, he was allowed access to the report. The Parole Act requires the Parole Commission to provide to a requesting prisoner in advance of any parole determination "reasonable access to a report or other document to be used by the Commission in making its determination." 18 U.S.C. § 4208(b)(2).
. The defendant had already testified at trial at which time his past employment and family situation were discussed at some length. See Trial Transcript at 442, 466-67.
. The dissent attempts to draw formalistic distinctions to challenge the relevance of the trial court's statements regarding the basis of its sentencing decision in establishing lack of prejudice. The district court's explanation that the sentence was based primarily on the facts of the crime came specifically in response to the argument that the inaccurate and incomplete report misled the court. The court had before it the corrections and additions to the report that Green claims ought to have been offered initially. In the face of this, the court reaffirmed the sentence as merited by the defendant's conduct. In this context, such an affirmation by the very judge that imposed the sentence amounts to the same thing as saying that the additional information and argument that Green asserts should have been proffered would not have affected the sentencing decision. True, the district court did not state that a more adequate and helpful performance by counsel could not have had any effect on the sentence. But neither had appellant provided any substantive omissions from either the presentence report or allocution that might realistically have affected the outcome. It is beside the point that some hypothetical, unspecified additional information conceivably "might" have resulted in a different sentence, because the inquiry is whether Green has shown that his sentence likely would have been reduced. Cf. 28 U.S.C. foil. § 2255 Rule 4 (note) ("petition is expected to state facts that point to a 'real possibility of constitutional error' "). The unanchored potentiality of harm cannot justify overriding the justice system's special concerns on collateral attack "such as respect for finality of judgments and conservation of judicial resources." United States v. Decoster, 624 F.2d at 207. Cf. id. ("direct appeal gives more latitude to the court").
. The dissent attempts to categorize this case as one of conflict of interest where no prejudice need be shown. As Judge Bazelon has previously observed, prejudice is presumed from lack of loyalty, but appellant "must first demonstrate that there has been a breach of loyalty in order for that presumption to be operative." United States v. McCord, 509 F.2d 334, 353 n.69 (D.C.Cir.1974), cert. denied, 421 U.S. 930, 95 S.Ct. 1656, 44 L.Ed.2d 87 (1975) (denying hearing on habeas claim that counsel did not fully represent client's interests). In Cuyler v. Sullivan, 446 U.S. 335, 349, 100 S.Ct. 1708, 1718, 64 L.Ed.2d 333 (1980) (denying habeas corpus on claim of potential conflict of interest where attorneys represented multiple defendants), the Supreme Court cautioned: "until a defendant shows that his counsel actively represented conflicting interests, he has not established the constitutional predicate for his claim of ineffective assistance." 446 U.S. at 350, 100 S.Ct. at 1719. If all rifts of the type that develop between disappointed defendants and their trial attorneys were to be characterized as conflicts of interest or "disabling irreconcilable differences," rarely could trial attorneys represent their clients at sentencing. Not only is such a broad definition of disabling circumstances inconsistent with an attorney's obligation to continue representation absent "compelling" considerations, Model Code of Professional Responsibility EC 2-32 (1979), but this court has defined conflicts which corrupt the attorney-client relationship more narrowly, i.e., instances "when counsel's duty to his client calls for a course of action which concern for himself suggests that he avoid." United States v. Hurt, 543 F.2d 162, 166 (D.C.Cir.1976) (appellate counsel's unreasonable but genuine subjective fear of libel suit rendered him unable to press claim of ineffective assistance of trial counsel). See United States v. Barnes, 662 F.2d 777 (D.C.Cir.1980) (conflict present when attorney whose performance on appeal was at issue called upon by court to represent client at section 2255 hearing).
The dissent attempts to gut the Decoster prejudice requirement by transforming this into a "loyalty" case. It purports to establish an actual conflict of interest by restating counsel's alleged deficiencies and by fiat ascribing Green's expressed unhappiness with counsel as their cause. While "actual" conflict exists where "potential" conflict " 'adversely affect[s] . counsel's performance,' " Diss.Op. at 194 n.ll, the dissent fails to show that "potential" conflict, as opposed to other factors, affected counsel's performance. Even if "potential conflict" is posed by Green's not atypical disappointment at his attorney's inability to exonerate him, we are left adrift as to why we should assume here that counsel's sensitivity to criticism was such as to prompt her to (1) avoid discussion of the report with Green (assuming this is true), (2) fail to supplement the report with favorable information, or (3) abbreviate the presentation at allocution. "Vague" and "conclusory" allegations will not suffice even to raise the issue, let alone establish the existence of a conflict of interest. Blackledge v. Allison, 431 U.S. at 75 & n.7, 97 S.Ct. at 1630 & n.7. See text following note 8 supra. In an attempt to establish a causal connection, the dissent suggests that to defend her client's character, counsel's sentencing presentation should have questioned the adequacy of her representation at trial. The weakness of this suggestion as a basis for establishing a conflict of interest is best demonstrated by the cumulation of speculations and tenuous connections the dissent employs to attempt to make the point. Diss.Op. at 194 (effective presentation at sentencing "could easily have" included argument that Green was more mature than indicated in report; such argument "could easily have" required counsel to recognize validity of Green's complaints about counsel). Similarly, the dissent attributes counsel's brevity at allocution to "irreconcilable differences" even while conceding that "[t]he exact nature of the causal relationship may not be certain." Diss.Op. at 195. In sum, the record is woefully inadequate to show a conflict of interest or irreconcilable differences. We are a long way from a situation where an attorney owes a duty to a client that threatens the attorney's self-interest, e.g., United States v. Barnes, supra, or clashes with a duty owed by the attorney to another, e.g., Wood v. Georgia, 450 U.S. 261, 101 S.Ct. 1097, 67 L.Ed.2d 220 (1981). The dissent would have us hold that any expression, no matter how vague, of client dissatisfaction combined with allegations of counsel's deficiency, no matter how minimal, is sufficient to make a showing of breach of loyalty. An elementary appreciation of the realities of the criminal process suggests that this approach would eliminate the prejudice requirement in the vast majority of incompetency cases. Although the dissent marshalls "characteristic eloquence" in its "expression of aspirations for the legal system," United States v. Decoster, 624 F.2d at 214 (commenting on Judge Bazelon's dissent), we remain concerned with "tenable standards," id., and will not sub silentio overrule Decoster by formulating an exception that swallows the rule.
The absence of a cognizable conflict also disposes of appellant's contention that the sentencing judge ought to have inquired into the nature of the "problem" between Green and his counsel. Contrary to the arguments advanced by appellant and the dissent, "[ujnless the trial court knows or reasonably should know that a particular conflict exists, the court need not initiate an inquiry." Cuyler v. Sullivan, 446 U.S. at 347, 100 S.Ct. at 1717. As no actual conflict has been shown even yet, the sentencing judge could hardly have had notice of it.