Robert A. Koroly v. State of Florida ( 2018 )


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  •            FIRST DISTRICT COURT OF APPEAL
    STATE OF FLORIDA
    _____________________________
    No. 1D17-1381
    _____________________________
    ROBERT A. KOROLY,
    Appellant,
    v.
    STATE OF FLORIDA,
    Appellee.
    _____________________________
    On appeal from the Circuit Court for Escambia County.
    Thomas V. Dannheisser, Judge.
    August 16, 2018
    ROWE, J.
    After consuming fourteen beers, Robert Koroly drove the
    wrong way on Interstate 110 colliding head-on with a vehicle
    driven by Johnny Robinson. Within seconds, a third vehicle driven
    by Clarence Jordan struck Robinson’s vehicle. The crash left
    Jordan with serious injuries, and Robinson died as a result of the
    injuries he sustained in the crash.
    Koroly was charged with DUI manslaughter and DUI with
    serious bodily injury. Koroly elected not to go to trial and entered
    a plea. He was sentenced to 13.25 years’ imprisonment followed
    by 6.75 years’ probation.
    After serving four years of his sentence, Koroly sought to
    withdraw his plea on grounds that his counsel was ineffective for
    failing to retain an accident reconstruction expert to evaluate the
    road conditions that existed at the time of the crash. Koroly
    argued that had his counsel retained an expert, the expert would
    have discovered defective signage on the interstate and hazardous
    weather conditions, both of which could have contributed to the
    crash. Under those circumstances, Koroly asserts that he would
    not have entered a plea. The trial court denied Koroly’s motion,
    concluding that counsel’s performance was not deficient. We agree
    and affirm.
    I. Facts
    Koroly was a commissioned officer in the United States Navy.
    He had served nearly eight years as a naval aviator, with the last
    few years of his military career as a flight instructor stationed at
    the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida. The record is replete
    with references to Koroly’s achievements and honorable service to
    his country. Numerous letters offered at sentencing by Koroly’s
    family, friends, and colleagues recount Koroly’s past
    accomplishments and future potential.
    a. The crash
    On April 30, 2010, Koroly celebrated one aspect of that future.
    He planned to move in with his soon-to-be fiancé and her children.
    Koroly and his friends visited multiple bars that evening in
    downtown Pensacola. The celebration lasted into the early
    morning hours of May 1, 2010.
    Sometime before 5:42 a.m., the celebration ended. It is
    unknown what time Koroly left downtown Pensacola or why he got
    behind the wheel of his SUV. There is no evidence of where he was
    headed or how he came to be driving the wrong way on the
    interstate. What is known is this: with a blood alcohol level of
    over twice the legal limit, Koroly entered a southbound exit ramp
    on Interstate 110 and drove at least 1,700 feet in the wrong
    direction before colliding head-on with 54-year-old Johnny
    Robinson. Robinson, a single father of four, was traveling home
    from work to his home in Navarre, Florida. Robinson and Koroly’s
    2
    vehicles spun out of control before coming to a stop in the center
    lane of the highway. Within seconds, 25-year-old Clarence Jordan
    struck the right side of Robinson’s vehicle.
    The force of the impact trapped Koroly inside his SUV. When
    officers arrived, Robinson was unconscious. Jordan was found
    lying on the ground next to his driver’s side door. He had
    attempted to exit his car and help Robinson and Koroly, but he fell
    due to his right hip being dislocated in the crash.
    An eyewitness told officers that Koroly’s vehicle came out of
    nowhere and had been traveling in the wrong direction. The
    witness, who had pulled over to help the victims, observed that
    Koroly was “out of it.” In the ambulance, two emergency
    responders overheard Koroly admit to drinking fourteen beers.
    The officers noticed Koroly’s eyes were bloodshot and his speech
    was slurred.
    Koroly initially denied being the driver of the SUV. After the
    officers asked him if he was a member of the military, Koroly
    changed his story and admitted that he had been driving and could
    not remember what happened.             He cooperated with law
    enforcement in their investigation by consenting to a blood draw
    at the hospital. The tests revealed Koroly’s blood alcohol content
    was .166.
    Johnny Robinson was pronounced dead at Baptist Hospital
    from the injuries he sustained in the crash. Clarence Jordan
    suffered from a broken hand, four broken fingers, a gash on his
    right leg, and a dislocated hip. He required eight days of
    hospitalization and underwent hip surgery, followed by extensive
    physical therapy. Koroly was charged with DUI manslaughter for
    the death of Robinson. He was charged with DUI with serious
    bodily injury for causing Jordan’s injuries.
    b. Retaining counsel
    Koroly’s parents retained defense attorney Clinton Couch to
    defend Koroly. The Korolys were intimately involved with the
    case. Residents of Philadelphia, Mr. and Mrs. Koroly flew to
    Florida at least four times during a nine-month period to meet with
    3
    Couch about Koroly’s defense. They often prepared written
    questions for Couch. They wanted to understand the gravity of the
    charges and what sentence Koroly could be facing.
    Early in Couch’s representation of Koroly, the Korolys
    discussed with Couch the possibility of retaining an accident
    reconstruction expert. According to Mr. Koroly, the Korolys had
    family friends who were defense attorneys in Philadelphia; those
    friends stressed to the Korolys that obtaining an accident
    reconstruction report should be their top priority. Such a report
    could help explain the cause of the crash. The Korolys conveyed
    this information to Couch. They asked him to research whether
    there had been a history of traffic problems near and around the
    crash site. They also sought information on the road signage,
    hoping to uncover an alternative cause of the crash unrelated to
    Koroly’s intoxication. During every conversation, whether in
    person or via telephone, the Korolys asked Couch about the
    reconstruction expert and whether one could be retained. Money
    was not an issue. Couch’s response was always that he would look
    into the road signage issues, but the accident reconstruction expert
    would have to wait until there was a plea offer or trial.
    At some point, Couch did contact an accident reconstruction
    expert, Christopher Bloomberg. According to Couch, he sent
    Bloomberg a copy of the traffic homicide report and photographs of
    the scene of the crash. He asked Bloomberg to conduct a
    “preliminary evaluation” to see if there was anything in the
    documents that raised “any red flags.” Bloomberg, according to
    Couch, reviewed the documents and determined there was nothing
    that would justify a more comprehensive accident reconstruction.
    Following this communication, Couch did not retain
    Bloomberg, or any other expert to perform a more comprehensive
    accident reconstruction. He never told the Korolys that he
    consulted with Bloomberg; instead, he told them that an accident
    reconstruction report would not help Koroly’s case and suggested
    Koroly enter a plea.
    4
    c. Plea and sentencing
    On advice from Couch, Koroly entered a straight-up plea. At
    sentencing, Koroly and his family offered emotional apologies to
    the Robinson family and to Clarence Jordan. Koroly accepted full
    responsibility for “his negligent behavior” and anticipated a period
    of imprisonment. Koroly admitted that he was solely responsible
    and that he would never forgive himself for his poor judgment on
    the morning of the crash. He revealed that he had successfully
    completed a twelve-step program with a promise to never consume
    alcohol again. Koroly vowed to turn the Robinson family’s tragedy
    into a life-long mission by joining the movement against drinking
    and driving. He wanted to help other members of the military who
    may be unknowingly suffering from alcoholism. After completion
    of his sentence, Koroly planned to start a military program to
    reinforce the dangers of drunk driving.
    On March 24, 2011, the court sentenced Koroly to the
    minimum sentence allowable under the Criminal Punishment
    Code. For DUI manslaughter, a second-degree felony punishable
    by up to 15 years’ imprisonment, Koroly was sentenced to 13.25
    years’ imprisonment followed by 1.75 years’ probation. For DUI
    with serious bodily injury, a third-degree felony punishable by up
    to 5 years’ imprisonment, Koroly was sentenced to 5 years’
    probation.
    d. Postconviction motion
    After serving two years of his sentence, Koroly retained
    mechanical engineer Donald Fournier to conduct a comprehensive
    accident reconstruction analysis of the crash. Fournier examined
    the traffic homicide report and the crash scene photos. He also
    visited the scene of the accident and attempted to identify Koroly’s
    travel pattern. Fournier uncovered four plausible routes Koroly
    could have driven from downtown Pensacola to a southbound
    Interstate 110 exit ramp. He concluded that the roads were
    deficiently signed, marked, and painted, and that the weather
    conditions on the morning of the crash were foggy and dark. It was
    his opinion that as configured, the roadway geometry and signage
    would actively mislead a driver unfamiliar with the area to enter
    5
    the southbound exit and that any driver could have found
    themselves going the wrong way on southbound Interstate 110.
    Based on Fournier’s findings, Koroly filed a postconviction
    motion alleging Couch was ineffective for failing to retain an
    accident reconstruction expert. Had Couch retained an expert,
    Koroly argued, the deficiencies in the road signage would have
    been discovered and Koroly would have elected to go to trial.
    At the evidentiary hearing on the motion, Couch, Fournier,
    and Bloomberg testified. Board certified criminal defense attorney
    Michael Kessler and Koroly’s father, Robert Koroly, Sr., also
    testified. Fournier estimated the distance Koroly drove the wrong
    way on Interstate 110 was between 1,700 feet (the length of at least
    five football fields) and two miles. Fournier admitted that he had
    not taken into account Koroly’s blood alcohol level of .166.
    Bloomberg, the expert who had been contacted by Couch,
    recalled speaking to Couch on the phone but could not remember
    the specific content of their conversation. Bloomberg testified that
    Couch hired him to “essentially evaluate some materials that were
    sent in.” He performed a preliminary review in order to determine
    what else would be needed to complete a more comprehensive
    evaluation and analysis. Following their initial contact, Couch
    never directed Bloomberg to do anything additional with Koroly’s
    file, and Bloomberg never heard from Couch again. In preparation
    for his testimony at the postconviction hearing, Bloomberg
    reviewed Fournier’s report. Bloomberg testified that he would
    have been able to produce a similar reconstruction analysis. But
    on cross-examination, Bloomberg acknowledged that Koroly’s
    blood alcohol level would have been an issue.
    Couch’s testimony at the hearing contradicted Bloomberg’s
    testimony in some respects. Couch stated that he retained
    Bloomberg to conduct a preliminary investigation to see if there
    were any anomalies in the traffic homicide report and photographs
    that would justify a more comprehensive accident reconstruction.
    He recalled that after Bloomberg’s review of the documents,
    Bloomberg gave him the impression that there was nothing in the
    records that would warrant a more comprehensive reconstruction.
    Relying on Bloomberg’s opinion, Couch went to the Korolys and
    6
    told them that an accident investigation would not improve
    Koroly’s circumstances. Couch added that if he had ignored
    Bloomberg’s preliminary opinion and retained an expert for a more
    comprehensive accident reconstruction, he would not have been
    acting as a good steward of Koroly’s funds and could have risked
    creating a compelling expert witness for the State.
    The trial court denied Koroly’s motion for postconviction
    relief, finding Couch’s performance was not deficient. The court
    determined that Couch had retained Bloomberg for the purpose of
    conducting a preliminary investigation and then made a strategic
    decision not to go forward with a more comprehensive accident
    reconstruction after Bloomberg’s initial review. In so finding, the
    court also noted that “[n]o expert witness could alter the fact” that
    Koroly’s operation of a motor vehicle while under the influence
    caused or contributed to the accident. This appeal followed.
    II. Analysis
    A claim of ineffective assistance of counsel is governed by
    Strickland v. Washington, 
    466 U.S. 668
    (1984).             To prove
    ineffective assistance, an appellant must allege: 1) the specific acts
    or omissions of counsel which fell below a standard of
    reasonableness under prevailing professional norms, see 
    id. at 690;
    and 2) that the appellant’s case was prejudiced by these acts or
    omissions such that the outcome of the case would have been
    different, see 
    id. at 692.
    The appellant must make a sufficient
    showing of both deficient performance and prejudice in order to
    obtain postconviction relief. See 
    id. at 697;
    Valle v. Moore, 
    837 So. 2d
    905, 910-11 (Fla. 2002). To prove the first prong, the appellant
    must “identify the acts or omissions of counsel that are alleged not
    to have been the result of reasonable professional judgment.”
    
    Strickland, 466 U.S. at 690
    ; Johnston v. State, 
    70 So. 3d 472
    , 477
    (Fla. 2011). “A reviewing court must then, in light of all the
    circumstances, determine whether the identified acts or omissions
    were outside the wide range of professionally competent
    assistance.” 
    Johnston, 70 So. 3d at 477
    (internal quotations
    omitted). The prejudice prong requires that the appellant
    demonstrate a reasonable probability that, but for counsel’s errors,
    the result of the proceeding would have been different. See
    
    Strickland, 466 U.S. at 694
    . “A reasonable probability is a
    7
    probability sufficient to undermine confidence in the outcome.” 
    Id. Thus, the
    appellant must demonstrate a likelihood of a different
    result which is substantial and not just conceivable. Harrington
    v. Richter, 
    562 U.S. 86
    , 112 (2011).
    a. Deficient Performance
    In evaluating whether an attorney’s conduct is deficient,
    counsel’s errors must be “so serious that counsel was not
    functioning as the ‘counsel’ guaranteed the defendant by the Sixth
    Amendment.” 
    Strickland, 466 U.S. at 687
    ; see also Bradley v.
    State, 
    33 So. 3d 664
    , 671 (Fla. 2010). The defendant “bears the
    burden of proving that counsel’s representation was unreasonable
    under prevailing professional norms and that the challenged
    action was not sound strategy.” Brown v. State, 
    755 So. 2d 616
    ,
    628 (Fla. 2000) (citing 
    Strickland, 466 U.S. at 688-89
    ); Long v.
    State, 
    118 So. 3d 798
    , 803 (Fla. 2013); Occhicone v. State, 
    768 So. 2d
    1037, 1048 (Fla. 2000). Courts perform a “context-dependent
    consideration” and analysis of counsel’s conduct to determine
    whether counsel’s decisions were “reasonable” under the
    circumstances at the time of the alleged deficient performance.
    Wiggins v. Smith, 
    539 U.S. 510
    , 523 (2003) (quoting 
    Strickland, 466 U.S. at 688-89
    ); Williams v. Taylor, 
    529 U.S. 362
    , 391 (2000)
    (noting the Strickland test “of necessity requires a case-by-case
    examination of the evidence”).
    Koroly asserts that Couch’s decision not to retain an expert to
    conduct a more comprehensive accident reconstruction was
    unreasonable under prevailing professional norms, focusing on
    two reasons Couch provided for his decision. Koroly asserts that
    Couch’s desire to be a good steward of Koroly’s funds and to avoid
    creating an expert witness for the State could not be considered
    reasonable strategy. However, Koroly fails to address Couch’s
    primary, most significant reason for deciding against obtaining an
    expert report: His reliance on Bloomberg’s preliminary, expert
    opinion that the circumstances of Koroly’s crash did not warrant a
    more comprehensive accident reconstruction analysis. Couch had
    no reason to disbelieve or challenge Bloomberg’s expert opinion.
    While Couch and Bloomberg recounted different versions of their
    telephone conversation, the trial court found Couch’s testimony
    more credible. Wait v. State, 
    212 So. 3d 1082
    , 1085 (Fla. 1st DCA
    8
    2017) (“This Court will not substitute its judgment for that of the
    trial court on questions of fact, the credibility of the witnesses, and
    the weight given to the evidence.”). After examining the damaging
    evidence against Koroly, including Koroly’s admission and blood
    alcohol level as well as the circumstances surrounding a plea
    compared to a loss at trial, Couch decided against requesting that
    Bloomberg provide a more comprehensive accident reconstruction
    report. While he could have requested such a report, we find
    Couch’s decision not to was reasonable given the circumstances.
    See 
    Wiggins, 539 U.S. at 523
    ; 
    Strickland, 466 U.S. at 690
    -91
    (“[S]trategic choices made after thorough investigation of law and
    facts relevant to plausible options are virtually unchallengeable; .
    . . counsel has a duty to make reasonable investigations or to make
    a reasonable decision that makes particular investigations
    unnecessary.”). Accordingly, the trial court correctly determined
    that Koroly did not meet his burden of proving Couch’s
    performance was deficient. See Nelson v. State, 
    43 So. 3d 20
    , 28
    (Fla. 2010) (“[T]he defendant carries the burden to overcome the
    presumption that, under the circumstances, the challenged action
    might be considered sound trial strategy.”).
    b. Prejudice
    In addition to failing to establish deficient performance,
    Koroly also failed to demonstrate prejudice. In Hill v. Lockhart,
    
    474 U.S. 52
    , 58 (1985), the Supreme Court applied the Strickland
    test to claims of ineffective assistance of counsel in the context of
    a defendant pleading guilty to a crime. The Court modified the
    Strickland prejudice requirement, stating that in plea cases the
    issue is “whether counsel’s constitutionally ineffective
    performance affected the outcome of the plea process. In other
    words, in order to satisfy the ‘prejudice’ requirement, the
    defendant must show that there is a reasonable probability that,
    but for counsel’s errors, he would not have pleaded guilty and
    would have insisted on going to trial.” 
    Id. at 59;
    see also Brazeail
    v. State, 
    821 So. 2d 364
    , 368 (Fla. 1st DCA 2002).
    Importantly, “[t]he prejudice component of a Hill claim
    involves a legal standard and is not a purely factual
    determination.” Capalbo v. State, 
    73 So. 3d 838
    , 841 (Fla. 4th DCA
    2011). “Courts should not upset a plea solely because of post hoc
    9
    assertions from a defendant about how he would have pleaded but
    for his attorney’s deficiencies.” Jae Lee v. United States, 
    137 S. Ct. 1958
    , 1967 (2017). Rather, in determining whether a defendant
    was prejudiced, we must objectively consider the totality of the
    circumstances at the time of the plea:
    [I]n determining whether a reasonable probability
    exists that the defendant would have insisted on going
    to trial, a court should consider the totality of the
    circumstances surrounding the plea, including such
    factors as whether a particular defense was likely to
    succeed at trial, the colloquy between the defendant
    and the trial court at the time of the plea, and the
    difference between the sentence imposed under the
    plea and the maximum possible sentence the
    defendant faced at a trial.
    Grosvenor v. State, 
    874 So. 2d 1176
    , 1181-82 (Fla. 2004) (emphasis
    added).
    Here, Koroly testified that if Couch had provided him with the
    information from an accident reconstruction expert like Fournier,
    there was “no question” he would have elected to go to trial. Couch
    seemingly agreed:
    Whether or not it would have changed my client’s
    opinion, I think it probably would have, to tell you the
    truth, because of his complete lack of any kind of history
    of this type of thing, his complete standing as an officer
    in the Navy and making sound decisions in combat. I
    know that this was bewildering to him: How in the
    world could I have possibly found myself in this
    position?
    So it may have changed his mind. He may have decided
    this is why I was there is because of inadequate signage,
    and I made a mistake that anybody could have made. So
    he may have said, I understand what you are saying,
    Clint, but I want to take this to trial. I can’t say today
    that he would have wanted – you know, entered a plea
    or taken the case to trial.
    10
    However, under Lee, we cannot upset Koroly’s plea based
    solely on his post hoc assertions that he would have elected to go
    to trial had he obtained an expert report. 
    Lee, 137 S. Ct. at 1967
    .
    Instead, we must apply the Grosvenor factors and consider the
    totality of the circumstances surrounding his plea. In doing so, we
    find that the contemporaneous evidence from the time of Koroly’s
    plea does not substantiate his post hoc preference for trial. First,
    Koroly received a dramatically lower prison sentence than what he
    would have been subjected to had he elected to go to trial. Charged
    with second- and third-degree felonies, Koroly was facing up to
    twenty years’ imprisonment with a four-year mandatory
    minimum. But as a result of the plea, Koroly received the lowest
    permissible sentence under the Criminal Punishment Code—
    13.25 years’ imprisonment. Second, Koroly signed an agreement
    acknowledging the consequences of entering a plea, and the
    sentencing court conducted a sufficient plea colloquy to ensure
    Koroly understood those rights he was forfeiting, including the
    right to trial and the right to present any and all defenses.
    As to the final factor, any defense Koroly could have raised by
    virtue of obtaining a more comprehensive accident reconstruction
    had little to no likelihood of succeeding at trial. Despite the clear
    language in Grosvenor, Koroly asserts that the success of any
    potential defense is not a relevant consideration in determining
    whether Couch’s deficient performance prejudiced him. However,
    the United States Supreme Court recently clarified that where a
    defendant’s decision about going to trial turns on his prospects of
    success, and the attorney’s alleged error affected those prospects
    of success, “the defendant must also show that he would have been
    better off going to trial.” 
    Lee, 137 S. Ct. at 1966
    . The Court
    explained that the prejudice inquiry “demands a case-by-case
    examination of the totality of the evidence” and focuses on a
    defendant’s decision-making:
    A defendant without any viable defense will be highly
    likely to lose at trial. And a defendant facing such long
    odds will rarely be able to show prejudice from accepting
    a guilty plea that offers him a better resolution than
    would be likely after trial. But that is not because the
    prejudice inquiry in this context looks to the probability
    11
    of a conviction for its own sake. It is instead because
    defendants obviously weigh their prospects at trial in
    deciding whether to accept a plea. Where a defendant has
    no plausible chance of an acquittal at trial, it is highly
    likely that he will accept a plea if the Government offers
    one.
    
    Id. (internal citations
    omitted).
    Had Koroly obtained a more comprehensive accident
    reconstruction, he argues he would have advanced a defense at
    trial that it was not his intoxicated driving that caused the crash,
    but rather the defective road signs and poor weather conditions
    that caused him to drive the wrong way onto the interstate. But
    evidence of poor road conditions and inadequate signage would
    have had very little probative value in light of the overwhelming
    evidence of Koroly’s intoxication and the extremely low threshold
    for proving causation under the DUI manslaughter statute. See §
    316.193, Fla. Stat. (2011). Under the plain language of the statute,
    the State was not required to prove that Koroly’s intoxicated
    driving was the sole cause of the fatal crash. As we recently
    explained in Pryear v. State, 43 Fla. L. Weekly D491 (Fla. 1st DCA
    Feb. 28, 2018):
    DUI manslaughter requires proof that a defendant
    operated a vehicle while impaired within the meaning of
    section 316.193(1), Florida Statutes (2013), and, “by
    reason of such operation, cause[d] or contribute[d] to
    causing . . . [t]he death of any human being . . . .” §
    316.193(3)(c)3.a., Fla. Stat. (2013) (emphasis added).
    “[T]he fact that someone is intoxicated and drives a
    particular vehicle which causes another person’s death
    should be enough to satisfy the elements of DUI
    manslaughter.” State v. Hubbard, 
    751 So. 2d 552
    , 563
    (Fla. 1999). “The causation element of the amended
    statute was interpreted by [the Florida Supreme Court]
    in [Magaw v. State, 
    537 So. 2d 564
    , 567 (Fla. 1989),] as
    not requiring that the conduct of the operator of the
    vehicle be the sole cause.” 
    Hubbard, 751 So. 2d at 564
        (emphasis in original). “The statute requires only that
    the operation of the vehicle should have caused the
    12
    accident. Therefore, any deviation or lack of care on the
    part of a driver under the influence to which the fatal
    accident can be attributed will suffice.” Magaw, 
    537 So. 2d
    at 567.
    
    Id. at *5.
    1
    That Koroly’s intoxicated driving contributed to the death of
    Robinson and Jordan’s injuries was indisputable. Koroly’s blood
    alcohol level was over twice the legal limit. Two emergency
    responders overheard Koroly say that he had consumed fourteen
    beers. The officers responding to the scene noticed Koroly’s eyes
    were bloodshot and his speech was slurred. Although Koroly’s
    point of entry is unknown, the expert testimony examined several
    possible routes, the closest of which placed the scene of the crash
    at least 1,700 feet away from the nearest entry point. Even if
    inadequate signage and poor road conditions led Koroly the wrong
    way, had Koroly not been intoxicated he likely would have noticed
    the interstate median on his right and the headlights of any
    oncoming vehicles and corrected his actions before traveling the
    length of over five football fields and colliding head-on with Johnny
    Robinson. See 
    Hubbard, 751 So. 2d at 563
    (citing Ingram v. Pettit,
    
    340 So. 2d 922
    , 924-25 (Fla. 1976) (“Intuitively, someone who is
    intoxicated will not be able to control his or her automobile in a
    safe manner and make quick decisions and execute maneuvers
    that will avoid accidents.”)). No expert testimony could have
    refuted the fact that Koroly’s driving under the influence
    contributed to the cause of Robinson’s death and Jordan’s injuries.
    Koroly’s purported defense had virtually no possibility of
    succeeding at trial. See 
    Hill, 474 U.S. at 59
    (“[W]here the alleged
    error of counsel is a failure to advise the defendant of a potential
    affirmative defense to the crime charged, the resolution of the
    1 In Pryear, we noted that the current version of the DUI
    manslaughter statute contains an even lower threshold for
    establishing causation than the version of the statute interpreted
    in Magaw and Hubbard. 
    Id. The previous
    version of the statute
    required that operating a vehicle while intoxicated “cause” a death,
    whereas the current version requires operating a vehicle while
    intoxicated “cause or contribute to” the victim’s death. See §
    316.193(3)(c)3., Fla. Stat. (2013) (emphasis added).
    13
    ‘prejudice’ inquiry will depend largely on whether the affirmative
    defense likely would have succeeded at trial.”); Grosvenor, 
    874 So. 2d
    at 1181 (“The merits of any defense . . . is relevant to the
    credibility of the defendant’s assertion that he would have insisted
    on going to trial. If the defense was meritless, the defendant’s
    claim carries much less weight.”).
    Viewing the totality of the circumstances as required by
    Grosvenor, and applying the Court’s clarification of the standard
    in Lee, we find that Koroly has not established that but for Couch’s
    failure to obtain a more comprehensive accident reconstruction
    report, he would have elected to go to trial. Koroly acknowledged
    the consequences of his plea and received a far better sentence
    than would be likely after trial. Considering the minimum
    threshold for proving causation for the offenses of DUI
    manslaughter and DUI with serious bodily injury, Koroly did not
    meet his burden of proving that his defense of defective road
    signage would have succeeded at trial in light of the overwhelming
    evidence of his intoxication. Because Koroly failed to establish
    either deficient performance or prejudice, we affirm the trial
    court’s denial of postconviction relief.
    M.K. THOMAS concurs; B.L. THOMAS, C.J., concurs in result only.
    _____________________________
    Not final until disposition of any timely and
    authorized motion under Fla. R. App. P. 9.330 or
    9.331.
    _____________________________
    Michael Ufferman of Michael Ufferman Law Firm, P.A.,
    Tallahassee, for Appellant.
    Pamela Jo Bondi, Attorney General, and Samuel B. Steinberg,
    Assistant Attorney General, Tallahassee, for Appellee.
    14