State v. Shawn Huff ( 1997 )

IN THE COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS OF TENNESSEE
AT NASHVILLE FILED
MARCH SESSION, 1997 June 30, 1997
Cecil W. Crowson
Appellate Court Clerk
STATE OF TENNESSEE, ) C.C.A. NO. 01C01-9606-CC-00261
)
Appellee, )
) WARREN COUNTY
)
V. )
) HON. CHARLES HASTON, JUDGE
SHAWN HUFF )
)
Appellant. ) (POST-CONVICTION)
FOR THE APPELLANT: FOR THE APPELLEE:
CLEMENT DALE POTTER JOHN KNOX WALKUP
District Public Defender Attorney General & Reporter
MICAELA BURNHAM CLINTO N J. M ORGAN
Assistant Public Defender Assistant Attorney General
314 W est Main Street 450 James Robertson Parkway
McMinnville, TN 37110 Nashville, TN 37243-0493
WILLIAM M. LOCKE
District Attorney General
LARRY G. ROSS
Assistant District Attorney General
Professional Building
P.O. Box 410
McMinnville, TN 37110-0410
OPINION FILED ________________________
AFFIRMED
THOMAS T. WOODALL, JUDGE
OPINION
The Petitioner appeals as of right pursuant to Rule 3 of the Tennessee
Rules of Appellate Procedure from the trial court’s denial of his Petition for Post-
conviction relief. The Petitioner pled guilty to aggravated robbery and was
sentenced to eleven (11) years and six (6) months. He filed a petition for post-
conviction relief on the grounds that he had ineffective assistance of counsel.
The Petitioner argues in this court that his trial counsel was indeed ineffective
and the Petitioner should be granted post-conviction relief. We affirm the
judgment of the trial court.
The Petitioner was indicted for especially aggravated robbery for an
incident which occurred at TranSouth Financial Services in McMinnville,
Tennessee. Two masked men walked into TranSouth Financial Services. During
the robbery, one of the men sprayed an employee with mace. She barely
recognized that a gun was being held in her face, because of the effect of the
mace. Just before the men left, the masked man maced her again. She was in
extreme pain the rest of the day, even after taking a shower. She has had
emotional problems since the incident.
Two co-defendants were also charged following the incident. The
Petitioner pled guilty to aggravated robbery on October 26, 1993. The present
petition for post-conviction relief was filed on March 1, 1995. The trial court held
a hearing and denied this petition. The Petitioner’s sole issue on appeal is that
he was afforded the ineffective assistance of counsel at his guilty plea.
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W hen a conviction results from a jury verdict, in determining whether
counsel provided effective assistance at trial, the court must decide whether
counsel’s performance was within the range of competence demanded of
attorneys in criminal cases. Baxter v. Rose, 523 S.W.2d 930, 936 (Tenn. 1975).
To succeed on a claim that his counsel was ineffective at trial, a petitioner bears
the burden of showing that his counsel made errors so serious that he was not
functioning as counsel as guaranteed under the Sixth Amendment and that the
deficient representation prejudiced the petitioner resulting in a failure to produce
a reliable result. Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 687, reh’g denied, 467
U.S. 1267 (1984); Cooper v. State, 849 S.W .2d 744, 747 (Tenn. 1993); Butler v.
State, 789 S.W .2d 898, 899 (Tenn. 1990). To satisfy the second prong the
petitioner must show a reasonable probability that, but for counsel’s
unreasonable error, the fact finder would have had reasonable doubt regarding
petitioner’s guilt. Strickland, 466 U.S. at 695. This reasonable probability must
be “sufficient to undermine confidence in the outcome.” Harris v. State, 875
S.W .2d 662, 665 (Tenn. 1994).
W hen reviewing trial counsel’s actions, this court should not use the benefit
of hindsight to second-guess trial strategy and criticize counsel’s tactics. Hellard
v. State, 629 S.W .2d 4, 9 (Tenn. 1982). Counsel’s alleged errors should be
judged at the time they were made in light of all facts and circumstances.
Strickland, 466 U.S. at 690; see Cooper 849 S.W.2d at 746.
This two part standard of measuring ineffective assistance of counsel also
applies to claims arising out of the plea process. Hill v. Lockhart, 474 U.S. 52(1985). The prejudice requirement is modified so that the petitioner “must show
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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.
The Petitioner argues that his counsel was ineffective for several reasons.
He argues that his counsel did not investigate the case properly, did not contact
witnesses or file pre-trial motions, failed to advise the Petitioner that his co-
defendants might not be allowed to testify against him, and that the most serious
offense that the Petitioner could have been convicted of in any event was
aggravated robbery, and not the especially aggravated robbery charge for which
he was indicted.
The circumstances surrounding the time period prior to the Petitioner
entering his plea are as follows. The Petitioner admitted that he was involved in
the robbery, but only that he drove the car. The men were in the Petitioner’s
girlfriend’s car before the incident. A gun like that used in the robbery was found
at the Petitioner’s grandfather’s house and his grandmother said that he came to
visit before and after the time of the robbery. The Petitioner stated that the gun
used in the robbery was a toy gun. There were witnesses, in addition to the co-
defendants, who would have testified that the Petitioner bragged about spraying
the worker with mace. At the time of the incident, the Petitioner was on release
status on an appeal bond for an assault charge. That eleven month, twenty-nine
day sentence was dismissed as part of his plea bargain.
The Petitioner’s trial counsel testified at the hearing on the post-conviction
petition. Counsel testified that he did not interview the State’s witnesses because
he had access to their statements through the district attorney’s office. Some of
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these witnesses also testified at the hearing. There were stipulations as to the
testimony of other witnesses. The clear proof was that the statements received
by counsel contained the information the witnesses would have testified to at a
trial. Counsel also stated that he anticipated filing motions concerning the injuries
involved in the incident at trial. However, counsel thought that the motions would
be unsuccessful due to the fact that the question of seriousness of injuries was
a jury question. He also stated that relying on his twenty-five (25) years of
experience he felt confident that the Petitioner would have been convicted of
especially aggravated robbery in a jury trial in Warren County. The Petitioner’s
trial counsel testified that under the circumstances of the case sub judice, he
believed that the best strategy was to get the Petitioner the smallest sentence
possible. He believed that the Petitioner would have been convicted of a Class
A felony and sentenced to fifteen (15) to twenty-five (25) years if he had gone to
trial.
The Petitioner has not shown that his attorney was not properly functioning
as counsel as guaranteed under the Sixth Amendment. Judging counsel actions
at the time that they occurred and not using hindsight to judge his actions, we do
not find that the Petitioner’s counsel provided ineffective assistance of counsel.
Therefore, this issue has no merit. The trial court’s judgment is affirmed.
____________________________________
THOMAS T. W OODALL, Judge
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CONCUR:
___________________________________
JOSEPH M. TIPTON, Judge
___________________________________
JOE G. RILEY, Judge
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