Garrison v. Warden, Belmont Correctional Institution

District Court, S.D. Ohio·Decided October 1, 2019·No. 2:18-cv-01152·Unknown

Opinion

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF OHIO EASTERN DIVISION AT COLUMBUS

STEPHEN M. GARRISON,

Petitioner, : Case No. 2:18-cv-1152

- vs - Chief Judge Algenon L. Marbley Magistrate Judge Michael R. Merz

DAVID GRAY, Warden, Belmont Correctional Institution,

: Respondent. SUPPLEMENTAL REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS

This habeas corpus case is before the Court on Petitioner’s Objections (ECF No. 30) to the Magistrate Judge’s Substituted Report and Recommendations (ECF No. 25). Chief Judge Marbley has recommitted the case for reconsideration in light of the Objections (ECF No. 31).

Ground One: Improper Admission of Photographs

In his First Ground for Relief, Garrison asserted he was denied due process and a fair trial by the admission of five photographs of the victim taken by Deputy Sheriff Hamilton. The Substituted Report reached the merits of the constitutional claims and found that the decision of the Fifth District Court of Appeals on direct appeal was not an objectively unreasonable application of Supreme Court precedent (ECF No. 24, PageID 947). In his Objections, Garrison acknowledges that, to overcome this finding, he must show that the Fifth District’s “decision is contrary to, or involved an unreasonable application of clearly established federal law as determined by the United States Supreme Court” (ECF No. 30, PageID 998.) Having recited generally applicable law, Garrison argues: “This court is able to review the evidentiary ruling of the trial court for consistency with Due Process.” Id. at PageID 999. To the contrary, habeas corpus review looks to the last reasoned state court decision on an issue. Ylst v. Nunnemaker, 501 U.S. 797 (1991). In this case, it is the decision of the Fifth District Court of

Appeals, and not that of the trial court, the Common Pleas Court of Muskingum County. In deciding this claim on appeal, the Fifth District stated the Ohio rule that even improper admission of evidence does not constitute reversible error unless a defendant is prejudiced. State v. Garrison, 2018-Ohio-463 ¶ 14 (5th Dist. Fed. 2, 2018), citing State v. Barnes, 94 Ohio St. 3d 21 (2002). It held, “Assuming arguendo admission of the photographs was error, Appellant has not demonstrated prejudice from their admission.” Id. The appeals court went on to decide that there was no prejudice demonstrated because Deputy Hamilton testified the victim’s injuries as shown in the photographs were less severe than he observed in person. Id. The Substituted Repot accepted this conclusion, but Garrison argues he was prejudiced because the photographs were

irrelevant (Objections, ECF No. 30, PageID 1002). Garrison now argues the Fifth District “did not decide the merits of this federal constitutional claim,” to wit, admission of the photographs denied him due process and fair trial.” Id. at PageID 1003. Thus, he says this Court should not defer to that court’s decision. Id. But Garrison’s merit brief on appeal mentions nothing about due process or a fair trial. Instead, he argued about the admission of the photographs entirely in terms of Ohio law (State Court Record, ECF No. 7, PageID 84). This Court could therefore readily find that Garrison procedurally defaulted his First Ground for Relief by not fairly presenting it to the Ohio courts as a federal constitutional claim. Although Respondent defended this claim on the merits and did not raise a procedural default defense, this Court is entitled to do so sua sponte. Sowell v. Bradshaw, 372 F.3d 821, 830 (6th Cir. 2004); Lorraine v. Coyle, 291 F.3d 416 (6th Cir. 2002)(§ 2254 capital case); White v. Mitchell, 431 F.3d 517, 514 (6th Cir. 2005)(capital case); Elzy v. United States, 205 F.3d 882 (6th Cir. 2000)(§ 2255 case). See also, Trest v. Cain, 522 U.S. 87, 89 (1997)(denying knowledge “of any precedent stating that a habeas court must raise [the procedural default] matter

where the State itself does not do so,” and leaving open the question whether and under what circumstances habeas courts might do so). There is no merit at all to Garrison’s claim that the photographs are irrelevant. They were authenticated as copies of photographs taken by the investigating detective who himself testified to the injuries he observed.

Ground Two: Failure to Instruct on Disorderly Conduct as a Lesser-Included Offense or on Self-Defense

In his Second Ground for Relief, Garrison complains that the trial court failed to give a lesser-included offense instruction or a self-defense instruction to the jury. Respondent asserted Garrison had procedurally defaulted this claim by failing to object to the instructions in the trial court. The Substituted Report upheld that procedural default defense, applying the standard for procedural default adopted by the Sixth Circuit in Maupin v. Smith, 785 F.2d 135, 138 (6th Cir. 1986)(Substituted Report, ECF No. 25, PageID 951-56). Alternatively, the Substituted Report found Ground Two to be without merit because the Supreme Court has never held the Constitution requires giving a lesser-included offense instruction in a non-capital case. Id. at PageID 956. As to self-defense, the Fifth District determined that the evidence did not warrant such an instruction because Garrison testified he did not touch the victim. Id. at PageID 957. In his Objections, Garrison claims he can show cause and prejudice to excuse the procedural default, to wit, the ineffective assistance of his trial counsel in failing to object (ECF No. 30, PageID 1009). That claim fails. The Fifth District’s conclusion that the claim is without merit shows it was not ineffective assistance of trial counsel to fail to raise it, given the twin requirements to show deficient performance and resulting prejudice under Strickland v.

Washington, 466 U.S. 668 (1984). In objecting to the Substituted Report’s conclusion that the Supreme Court has never held a lesser-included instruction is constitutionally required, Garrison responds, “The Supreme Court is silent as to this issue. . . . [T]here is also no Supreme Court ruling that unequivocally states that the constitution does not provide this protection.” (Objections, ECF No. 30, PageID 1011). He concludes that this is a case that would require the Supreme Court to pronounce on the question. Id. at PageID 1012. But that misstates this Court’s authority. We have authority to grant the writ of habeas corpus only if the constitutional right in question had already been recognized by the Supreme Court as of the time of a petitioner’s state court decision. Lockyer v. Andrade, 538 U.S.

63, 71 (2003).

Ground Three: Ineffective Assistance of Trial Counsel

In his Third Ground for Relief, Garrison raised eleven claims of ineffective assistance of trial counsel. The Substituted Report concluded this Court should defer to the Fifth District’s decision on these claims. That court had applied the correct constitutional standard from Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668 (1974), and its application was not objectively unreasonable (Substituted Report, ECF No. 25, PageID 960-71). Garrison objects as to each sub- claim in turn.

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