Aaron Preston v. Secretary, Department of Corrections ( 2018 )


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  •           Case: 17-10931   Date Filed: 08/13/2018   Page: 1 of 12
    [DO NOT PUBLISH]
    IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
    FOR THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT
    ________________________
    No. 17-10931
    Non-Argument Calendar
    ________________________
    D.C. Docket No. 6:13-cv-01964-GKS-DCI
    AARON PRESTON,
    Petitioner-Appellant,
    versus
    SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS,
    ATTORNEY GENERAL, STATE OF FLORIDA,
    Respondents-Appellees.
    ________________________
    Appeal from the United States District Court
    for the Middle District of Florida
    ________________________
    (August 13, 2018)
    Before WILLIAM PRYOR, NEWSOM, and ANDERSON, Circuit Judges.
    PER CURIAM:
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    Aaron Preston, convicted in state court of second-degree murder and
    sentenced to life in prison, appeals the district court’s denial of his pro se petition
    for writ of habeas corpus under 28 U.S.C. § 2254. The district court granted a
    certificate of appealability (“COA”) on the questions whether counsel rendered
    ineffective assistance (1) by improperly advising Preston whether to testify at trial
    or (2) by failing to move for a mistrial and request that the trial judge recuse
    herself. We consider those issues in turn. The facts of the case are known to the
    parties; we will not repeat them here.
    I
    We review a district court’s denial of a habeas corpus petition under § 2254
    de novo, but we give deference to the state court’s decision. Davis v. Jones, 
    506 F.3d 1325
    , 1331 (11th Cir. 2007). We review mixed questions of law and fact,
    such as those that arise in an ineffective-assistance claim, de novo, and we review
    any underlying factual findings by the district court for clear error. Dell v. United
    States, 
    710 F.3d 1267
    , 1272 (11th Cir. 2013). In a § 2254 proceeding, the state
    court’s factual determinations are presumed to be correct, and the applicant has the
    burden of rebutting the presumption of correctness by clear and convincing
    evidence. 28 U.S.C. § 2254(e)(1); Marquard v. Sec., Dep’t of Corr., 
    429 F.3d 1278
    , 1303 (11th Cir. 2005).
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    When reviewing the merits of a claim that was previously adjudicated in
    state court, federal courts may not grant habeas relief unless the state court’s
    adjudication (1) resulted in a decision that was contrary to, or involved an
    unreasonable application of, clearly established federal law, as determined by the
    Supreme Court, or (2) resulted in a decision based on an unreasonable
    determination of the facts based on the evidence presented to the state court. 28
    U.S.C. § 2254(d). “A state court’s determination that a claim lacks merit precludes
    federal habeas relief so long as fairminded jurists could disagree on the correctness
    of the state court’s decision.” Harrington v. Richter, 
    562 U.S. 86
    , 101 (2011).
    To state a claim for ineffective assistance of counsel, a criminal defendant
    must satisfy the two-pronged test outlined in Strickland v. Washington, 
    466 U.S. 668
    (1984). In particular, he must establish both (1) that counsel’s performance
    was deficient and (2) that he was prejudiced by counsel’s deficient performance.
    
    Id. at 687.
    Performance is deficient only when it falls below an objective standard
    of reasonableness and is outside the wide range of professionally competent
    assistance. Johnson v. Sec’y, Dep’t of Corr., 
    643 F.3d 907
    , 928 (11th Cir. 2011).
    Even on direct review, consideration of counsel’s performance is highly
    deferential; a reviewing court will presume that counsel’s conduct fell within the
    range of reasonable professional assistance unless the defendant demonstrates that
    no competent counsel would have taken the same action. 
    Id. Counsel is
    not
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    incompetent so long as the particular approach that he took could be considered
    sound strategy. Chandler v. United States, 
    218 F.3d 1305
    , 1314 (11th Cir. 2000)
    (en banc).
    To establish Strickland’s prejudice prong, a defendant must show a
    reasonable probability that, but for counsel’s unprofessional errors, the result of the
    proceeding would have been different. 
    Strickland, 466 U.S. at 694
    . A reasonable
    probability is one sufficient to undermine confidence in the outcome. 
    Id. It is
    not
    enough for the defendant to show that the error had some conceivable effect on the
    outcome of the proceeding; rather, he must show that the result would have been
    different. 
    Id. at 693.
    Importantly here, when Strickland’s deferential standard for measuring
    attorney performance is viewed through the lens of § 2254’s own highly
    deferential standard, they combine to produce a doubly deferential form of review
    that asks only “whether there is any reasonable argument that counsel satisfied
    Strickland’s deferential standard.” 
    Harrington, 562 U.S. at 105
    . This “double
    deference is doubly difficult for a petitioner to overcome, and it will be a rare case
    in which an ineffective assistance of counsel claim that was denied on the merits in
    state court is found to merit relief in a habeas proceeding.” Gissendaner v.
    Seaboldt, 
    735 F.3d 1311
    , 1323 (11th Cir. 2013).
    II
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    Preston first argues that his trial counsel rendered constitutionally ineffective
    assistance by advising him that he should not testify at trial. In particular, Preston
    contends that his counsel erroneously advised him that he should not testify
    because, if he did, the state would be able to question him about his prior
    convictions. Preston asserts that, but for counsel’s advice, he would have testified
    and explained the events that led to the killing in question in a way that would have
    supported a self-defense theory and resulted in an acquittal.
    The district court did not err in concluding that Preston failed to show that
    there was no “reasonable argument that counsel satisfied Strickland’s deferential
    standard.” 
    Harrington, 562 U.S. at 105
    . It is true that we have held that a criminal
    defendant’s trial counsel performs deficiently if he gives affirmative misadvice.
    Bauder v. Dept. of Corr. State of Fla., 
    619 F.3d 1272
    , 1275 (11th Cir. 2010).
    Here, though, Preston has not established—and certainly has not established
    beyond “reasonable argument”—that his lawyer’s advice was incorrect. Although
    Preston is right that Florida law typically prevents the state from asking questions
    about the specifics of a criminal defendant’s prior convictions, the state
    nonetheless could have asked Preston about his criminal history generally, and
    could have elicited specifics if Preston opened the door. In particular, under
    Florida law, a party may attack the credibility of any witness, including the
    accused in a criminal prosecution, with evidence that he has been convicted of a
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    felony or a crime that involved dishonesty or a false statement. Stallworth v. State,
    
    53 So. 3d 1163
    , 1165 (Fla. 1st Dist. Ct. App. 2011). The witness may be asked
    whether he has ever been convicted of such a crime and, if so, how many times.
    
    Id. If the
    witness responds truthfully, the questions about his criminal history must
    cease, but if he denies a conviction, he may be impeached with a certified record of
    the conviction. 
    Id. Preston’s counsel,
    therefore, did not give him any affirmative
    misadvice because he was correct that Preston’s criminal history could come out if
    he testified and, further, that the details of that history could come out if Preston
    opened the door.
    Preston’s ineffective-assistance claim is further undermined by the facts (1)
    that the trial court told him (accurately) that his prior history could come out if he
    testified and (2) that Preston indicated that he understood. The trial court also
    explained Preston’s right to testify to him and emphasized that the final decision
    was up to him, but Preston responded that he did not want to testify. Indeed, on
    appeal, Preston seems to concede that, at the very least, the jury would have
    learned that he was a convicted felon if he testified. Under these circumstances,
    Preston did not establish that there was not even “any reasonable argument” that
    counsel satisfied Strickland’s deferential standard by advising him not to testify.
    
    Harrington, 562 U.S. at 105
    .
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    Moreover, even if counsel had misadvised Preston, he has not established—
    as he must—that there is no “reasonable argument” that he did not suffer prejudice
    as a result. The facts that Preston says he would have testified to in order to
    support his claim of self-defense were largely duplicative of the balance of the
    evidence at trial. He claims that he would have added a few details—for instance,
    that the victim had a tire iron and directed someone else to get a shotgun, and that
    Preston and the victim were struggling over a gun when Preston shot him. These
    differences, though, do not clearly establish a reasonable probability that the
    outcome would have been different, particularly where the other testimony already
    showed that the victim and/or his friends had a tire iron and boat paddle during the
    incident. See 
    Strickland, 466 U.S. at 693
    –94 (emphasizing that it is not enough to
    show that the error may have had some conceivable effect on the outcome).
    Moreover, as already explained, if Preston had testified, he would have been
    subject to cross-examination and the jury would have learned that he had a
    criminal history, which could have damaged his credibility and undermined his
    self-defense claim. Accordingly, on the facts here, Preston has not shown—
    certainly not to a degree that might satisfy § 2254’s stringent standard—that the
    outcome of his trial would have been different had he testified.
    III
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    Preston next argues that his trial counsel rendered ineffective assistance by
    failing to move for a mistrial and request that the trial judge recuse herself. In
    particular, Preston contends that his lawyer should have moved for a mistrial and
    the trial judge’s recusal on the grounds that the judge reprimanded his lawyer
    several times in front of the jury, glared at his lawyer, and had a “personal
    vendetta” against counsel—all of which, Preston contends, undermined the fairness
    of the trial.
    Defendants have the right to an impartial jury and judge. Wellons v.
    Warden, Ga. Diagnostic and Classification Prison, 
    695 F.3d 1202
    , 1211 (11th Cir.
    2012). In particular, due process requires a jury that is willing to decide the case
    solely on the evidence before it, and a trial judge who is watchful to prevent
    prejudicial occurrences and to determine the effect of such occurrences when they
    happen. 
    Id. There are
    a few situations in which the probability of a judge’s actual
    bias is too high to be constitutionally tolerable—for instance, where the judge has a
    pecuniary interest in the outcome of the case. Whisenhant v. Allen, 
    556 F.3d 1198
    ,
    1209 (11th Cir. 2009). When, as here, a judge is alleged to have demonstrated bias
    based on comments made during trial, those comments must be pervasive and
    prejudicial. Hamm v. Members of Bd. of Regents of State of Fla., 
    708 F.2d 647
    ,
    651 (11th Cir. 1983). Neither rulings adverse to a party nor friction between the
    court and counsel constitute pervasive bias. 
    Id. Where a
    judge reprimands counsel
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    for failing to follow established rules, and where those reprimands were largely
    given out of the presence of the jury, the court has not displayed bias sufficient to
    warrant recusal. United States v. Pritchett, 
    908 F.2d 816
    , 819 n.4 (11th Cir. 1990).
    Here, Preston did not establish that there was no “reasonable argument” (1)
    that his lawyer satisfied Strickland’s deferential standard in declining to move for a
    mistrial or seek the judge’s recusal or (2) that he was prejudiced by his lawyer’s
    failure to do so. 
    Harrington, 562 U.S. at 105
    .
    First, it is not beyond “reasonable argument” that Preston’s lawyer
    performed deficiently by failing to move for a mistrial or recusal. 
    Harrington, 562 U.S. at 105
    . For starters, those motions had no reasonable likelihood of success.
    Denson v. United States, 
    804 F.3d 1339
    , 1342 (11th Cir. 2015) (counsel is not
    required to raise meritless arguments). Although the trial judge admonished
    Preston’s counsel on several occasions, the majority of those instances were
    outside the hearing of the jury. The few instances in which the judge admonished
    Preston’s lawyer in front of the jury pertained to the conduct of the trial, not to
    “extrajudicial sources.” 
    Hamm, 708 F.2d at 651
    . In any event, any supposed
    friction between the court and Preston’s counsel did not constitute the required
    “pervasive” bias, and the court’s reprimands that occurred in front of the jury did
    not represent bias because (in context) they were merely “gentle reminders.” See
    
    id. (friction between
    the court and counsel could not constitute pervasive bias);
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    United States v. Pritchett, 
    908 F.2d 816
    , 819 n.4 (11th Cir. 1990) (“gentle
    reminders” in front of the jury do not represent bias). Similarly, under established
    Florida law, the trial judge was permitted to reprimand Preston’s counsel in front
    of the jury because he had continually failed to follow the judge’s orders. Gomez
    v. State, 
    751 So. 2d 630
    , 633 (Fla. 3d Dist. Ct. App. 1999).
    Moreover, and in any event, although Preston’s lawyer did not move for a
    mistrial or recusal during the trial, he did file a motion for a new trial after the trial
    ended. Counsel’s strategic decision to refrain from asking for a mistrial and
    instead to move for a new trial after the conclusion of the proceedings was
    reasonable here, particularly given the tension that had developed between him and
    the trial judge. See United States v. Burke, 
    257 F.3d 1321
    , 1324 (11th Cir. 2001)
    (decision to refrain from asking for a mistrial is a tactical decision entrusted to
    defense counsel). Under these circumstances, Preston did not establish that there
    was no “reasonable argument” that counsel satisfied Strickland’s deferential
    standard. 
    Harrington, 562 U.S. at 105
    .
    Nor has Preston established that there is no “reasonable argument” that he
    suffered no prejudice as a result of his lawyer’s decision. As already explained,
    most of the trial judge’s admonishments occurred outside the presence of the jury,
    and those that the jury heard qualify (again, in context) as “gentle reminders.” The
    judge also carefully instructed the jurors that the lawyers were not the ones on trial
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    and that their feelings about the lawyers should not influence their decision in the
    case. Finally, when Preston’s lawyer told the trial judge that she had been shaking
    her head and glaring, the court disagreed and explained that she had been watching
    the jury to protect against prejudice. The judge reiterated the same points when
    she denied Preston’s motion for a new trial. And, of course, the court’s denial of
    the new-trial motion further indicates that a mistrial motion or recusal motion
    likewise would have failed. Under these circumstances, Preston has not shown
    that there was no “reasonable argument” that he suffered no prejudice as result of
    his lawyer’s failure to move for a mistrial or recusal.
    IV
    Finally, Preston raises three additional ineffective-assistance claims, but they
    are beyond the scope of the COA granted by the district court. Appellate review is
    limited to the issues specified in the COA. See, e.g., Williams v. Allen, 
    598 F.3d 778
    , 795 (11th Cir. 2010).
    To the extent that Preston now contends that the COA should have been
    expanded to include other issues in his § 2254 petition, the time for seeking that
    relief has passed. Preston filed a motion to expand the COA with this Court,
    arguing that a COA should have been granted on each of his other claims as well.
    This Court denied his motion. Preston subsequently moved for an extension of
    time to file a motion for reconsideration of the denial of his motion to expand the
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    COA. This Court granted Preston a 14-day extension, but Preston never filed a
    motion for reconsideration. He cannot resurrect that argument now.
    AFFIRMED.
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