Deckard v. State

110 S.W.3d 891, 2003 Mo. App. LEXIS 1212, 2003 WL 21751403
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedJuly 30, 2003
Docket24811
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 110 S.W.3d 891 (Deckard v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Deckard v. State, 110 S.W.3d 891, 2003 Mo. App. LEXIS 1212, 2003 WL 21751403 (Mo. Ct. App. 2003).

Opinion

JAMES K. PREWITT, Judge.

Following jury trial, Ulysses Ray Deck-ard (“Movant”) was convicted of second degree murder, § 565.021.1(1), RSMo 1994, and one count of armed criminal action, § 571.015, RSMo 1994, for the shooting and killing of Wade Hisey. He was sentenced to two consecutive terms of life imprisonment. His convictions and sentences were affirmed on direct appeal in State v. Deckard, 18 S.W.3d 495 (Mo. App.2000).

Following an evidentiary hearing, the motion court denied Movant’s Rule 29.15 motion for post-conviction relief. Movant appeals that denial here and presents two points relied on, both of which allege he received ineffective assistance of counsel in violation of his constitutional rights.

Our review of a motion court’s denial of post-conviction relief is limited to a determination of whether the findings and conclusions of the motion court are clearly erroneous. Rousan v. State, 48 S.W.3d 576, 581 (Mo.banc 2001). Such findings and conclusions are clearly erroneous only if, after a review of the entire record, this Court is left with the definite and firm impression that a mistake has been made. State v. Ervin, 835 S.W.2d 905, 928 (Mo. banc 1992).

To obtain relief on a post-conviction claim of ineffective assistance of counsel, a movant must show, by a preponderance of the evidence, that (1) trial counsel failed to exercise the customary skill and diligence of a reasonably competent attorney under similar circumstances, and that (2) trial counsel’s deficient performance prejudiced the defendant. Leisure v. State, 828 S.W.2d 872, 874 (Mo.banc 1992); see Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 687, 104 S.Ct. 2052, 2064, 80 L.Ed.2d 674 (1984). Movant must overcome a strong presumption that trial counsel provided competent assistance. Leisure, 828 S.W.2d at 874.

Movant cannot succeed on a post-conviction claim of ineffective assistance of counsel unless he demonstrates that there is a reasonable probability that without trial counsel’s error, the result of the trial would have been different. State v. Step-ter, 794 S.W.2d 649, 656 (Mo.banc 1990). Such a claim may be denied if there is no showing of prejudice. Sanders v. State, 738 S.W.2d 856, 857 (Mo.banc 1987).

*893 We summarize the facts, which are detailed in Deckard, 18 S.W.3d 495. Lisa Lawson, Movant’s on-and-off, live-in girlfriend of several years, worked at Mazzio’s Pizza in Lebanon, Missouri, where Hisey was the manager. Four months prior to Hisey’s death, Movant confronted Hisey regarding Hisey’s relationship with Lawson and told Hisey that “if he didn’t leave Lisa alone that he would kill him.”

On June 13, 1996, after Lawson had asked him to move out of the home they shared, Movant went to the home of Lawson’s parents to retrieve a shotgun another member of the family had borrowed. Later that day, Movant took Lawson to work and after he returned home, Lawson’s sister informed him that Hisey planned to take her and Lawson’s daughter “cruising” that night. After telling Movant that information, Lawson’s sister witnessed Mov-ant take the shotgun out of the trunk of his car and place it on the front seat. He then drove to Mazzio’s and asked Lawson whether the information was true; she denied knowing anything about it.

Movant then retrieved the shotgun out of his car and went inside Mazzio’s. Mov-ant confronted Hisey, yelling at him and trying to get him to go outside. Hisey’s sister attempted to intervene, but Movant shoved her out of the way. Hisey reached for a phone, at which time Movant raised the shotgun to his shoulder and pointed it at Hisey’s head. Movant ordered Hisey to put down the phone by stating, “[y]ou going to pick up that fucking phone, I’m going to blow your fucking head off....” Hisey placed the phone in the receiver and Movant fired the shotgun, killing Hisey.

Movant was charged with one count of murder in the first degree and one count of armed criminal action. At trial, among the instructions proffered by Movant was one that followed the form provided by MAI-CR 3d 313.10 for submission of involuntary manslaughter. The trial court refused the instruction. The jury did receive instructions patterned after MAI-CR 3d 313.02 for murder in the first degree, MAI-CR 3d 313.04 for murder in the second degree, and MAI-CR 3d 332.02 for armed criminal action.

During jury deliberations, the jurors sent several notes requesting information or clarification from the court. One of the notes read: “If a verdict was selected on murder in the second degree on life imprisonment, how long before parole is an option?” The trial court indicated its proposed response was that the jury was to be guided in its deliberations by the evidence as they remembered it as well as the instructions of law they have been given. The State agreed, and Movant’s trial counsel responded, “Under the circumstances, we agree to that.”

Another note from the jury read: “If the verdict of life imprisonment was given in the second degree as an [sic] in instruction sheet number seven and if our verdict on count two, armed criminal action [is] life imprisonment, can we stipulate these sentences run concurrently or consecutively?” The court asked if there were any objections to it providing the jury with the same response as with the previous note and trial counsel responded, “No.”

On the first count, the jury returned a verdict of guilty of murder in the second degree. For Count II, the jury found Movant guilty of armed criminal action. They recommended a sentence of life imprisonment for both counts. At the bottom of the verdict form for Count I, the foreperson wrote the following message: “Whether binding or non binding we the jury unamously [sic] ask of the court that both sentences shall run consecutively.” The verdicts were filed on February 20, 1998.

*894 On April 28, 1998, trial counsel filed a motion for new trial and alleged, in part, that the trial court erred by failing to submit Movant’s proffered instruction on involuntary manslaughter. On April 30, 1998, Movant was sentenced to life imprisonment on both counts, with the sentences to be served consecutively.

On direct appeal, Movant alleged trial court error for its failure to submit Mov-ant’s proffered instruction on involuntary manslaughter. Because the error was un-preserved, we reviewed for plain error and found that no manifest injustice or miscarriage of justice resulted from the trial court’s actions in denying the proffered instruction. 1 Deckard, 18 S.W.3d at 504.

Movant filed a pro se Rule 29.15 motion for post-conviction relief on September 21, 2000.

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Bluebook (online)
110 S.W.3d 891, 2003 Mo. App. LEXIS 1212, 2003 WL 21751403, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/deckard-v-state-moctapp-2003.