Greer v. State

406 S.W.3d 100, 2013 WL 4419338, 2013 Mo. App. LEXIS 948
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedAugust 20, 2013
DocketNo. ED 98913
StatusPublished
Cited by21 cases

This text of 406 S.W.3d 100 (Greer 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
Greer v. State, 406 S.W.3d 100, 2013 WL 4419338, 2013 Mo. App. LEXIS 948 (Mo. Ct. App. 2013).

Opinion

ROY L. RICHTER, Presiding Judge.

Tracy Greer (“Movant”), appeals from the denial of his Rule 29.15 post-conviction relief motion without an evidentiary hearing. In State v. Greer, 348 S.W.3d 149 (Mo.App. E.D.2011) this Court affirmed in part and reversed and remanded in part Movant’s underlying convictions. Movant now argues that his claims of ineffective assistance of counsel entitle him to post-conviction relief. We affirm in part and reverse and remand in part.

I. BACKGROUND

A jury convicted Movant of three counts of assault in the first degree, in violation of Section 565.050, RSMo 2000; three counts of armed criminal action, in violation of Section 571.015, RSMo 2000; six counts of endangering a corrections employee, in violation of Section 565.085, RSMo Supp. 2006; and one count of possession of a weapon in a correctional facility, in violation of Section 217.360, RSMo Supp.2006. The trial court sentenced Movant as a prior and persistent offender to a total of twenty-five (25) years’ imprisonment. On appeal, this Court remanded the case to correct the sentences on the six counts of endangering a corrections employee, but affirmed the judgment in all other respects. Greer, 348 S.W.3d at 158. In Greer, swpra, we set forth in detail the underlying facts which resulted in Mov-ant’s aforementioned convictions. Therefore, in this opinion we will recount only those facts relevant to the issues presented in the Rule 29.15 post-conviction appeal.

Movant filed a timely motion for post-conviction relief pursuant to Rule 29.15. Counsel was appointed to represent Mov-ant, and an amended motion was filed. The amended motion alleged, for various reasons, Movant was provided with ineffective assistance by his Trial Counsel. The amended motion was denied without an evidentiary hearing and the motion court issued its Findings of Fact, Conclusions of Law and Order.

This appeal now follows.

[104]*104II. DISCUSSION

Movant advances two points on appeal. In his first point, Movant argues the motion court erred in denying him an eviden-tiary hearing on his Rule 29.15 postconviction relief claim, in that Trial Counsel was ineffective for failing to object to certain remarks proffered during the State’s closing argument, in violation of the Fifth, Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments of the United States Constitution and Article I, Sections 10 and 18(a) of the Missouri Constitution. Specifically, Movant contends Trial Counsel was ineffective for failing to object and request a mistrial after the State referred to Movant’s physical appearance as “Taliban-looking.”

Next, Movant asserts the motion court erred in denying him an evidentiary hearing on his Rule 29.15 post-conviction relief claim, in that Trial Counsel was ineffective for failing to object to the sentencing court’s alleged consideration of Movant’s exercise of his constitutional right to proceed to trial when imposing sentence, in violation of the Fifth, Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments of the United States Constitution and Article I, Sections 10 and 18(a) of the Missouri Constitution.

Standard of Review

Appellate review of a denial of a 29.15 motion for post-conviction relief is limited to determine whether the motion court’s “findings of fact and conclusions of law are clearly erroneous.” Worthington v. State, 166 S.W.3d 566, 572 (Mo. banc 2005). This Court deems a motion court’s findings of fact and conclusions of law clearly erroneous only if a full review of the record leaves us with a definite and firm impression that a mistake has been made. Clark v. State, 261 S.W.3d 565, 568 (Mo.App. E.D.2008).

Pursuant to Rule 29.15, an eviden-tiary hearing is not required “[i]f the court shall determine the motion and the files and records of the case conclusively show that the movant is entitled to no relieff.]” Rule 29.15(h). Accordingly, the motion court is only required to grant an eviden-tiary hearing on a Rule 29.15 motion for post-conviction relief if the movant satisfies three requirements: (1) the movant must allege facts, not conclusions, warranting relief; (2) the facts alleged must raise matters not refuted by the files and records in the case; and (3) the matters complained of must have resulted in prejudice to the movant. Matthews v. State, 175 S.W.3d 110, 113 (Mo. banc 2005).

When, as in the present case, the requested evidentiary hearing involves a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel, the movant must show by a preponderance of the evidence both that the counsel’s performance failed to conform to the degree of skill, care and diligence of a reasonably competent attorney and that such deficiency prejudiced the movant. Dickerson v. State, 269 S.W.3d 889, 892 (Mo. banc 2008); Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 687, 104 S.Ct. 2052, 80 L.Ed.2d 674 (1984); see also Rule 29.15(i). First, the performance component requires counsel to exercise the “skill and diligence that a reasonably competent attorney would exercise under similar circumstances.” Sanders v. State, 738 S.W.2d 856, 858 (Mo. banc 1987) (quoting Thomas v. Lockhart, 738 F.2d 304, 307 (8th Cir.1984)) (emphasis in original). Because this Court reviews the reasonableness of trial counsel’s conduct not from hindsight but from counsel’s perspective at the time of trial, movant must overcome a “strong presumption” that the trial counsel’s performance was reasonable and effective. Nelson v. State, 372 S.W.3d 892, 895 (Mo.App. E.D.2012); see also Vogel v. State, 31 S.W.3d 130, 135 (Mo.App. W.D.2000) (“In determining whether counsel’s performance was defi-[105]*105dent, the courts must refrain from using hindsight to second-guess decisions of trial strategy.”)- Second, the prejudice prong requires movant “show there is a reasonable probability that, but for Counsel’s errors, the outcome of the proceedings would have been different.” Nelson, 372 S.W.3d at 895.

Analysis

Point I — Closing Argument

In his first point on appeal, Movant alleges the motion court erred in denying him an evidentiary hearing on his Rule 29.15 post-conviction relief claim because he received ineffective assistance of counsel. Specifically, Movant contends Trial Counsel was ineffective for failing to object and request a mistrial after the State referred to Movant’s appearance as Taliban-looking during the State’s closing rebuttal argument, because that statement was improper and likely to inflame and excite the prejudices of the jury. But for Trial Counsel’s failure to object during closing argument, Movant asserts there is a reasonable probability the outcome of his trial would have been different.

Trial counsel is granted vast latitude and judgment about whether or when to make objections. Helmig v. State,

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Bluebook (online)
406 S.W.3d 100, 2013 WL 4419338, 2013 Mo. App. LEXIS 948, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/greer-v-state-moctapp-2013.