Leavitt v. State

982 So. 2d 981, 2008 Miss. App. LEXIS 73, 2008 WL 222715
CourtCourt of Appeals of Mississippi
DecidedJanuary 29, 2008
DocketNo. 2006-CP-01654-COA
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 982 So. 2d 981 (Leavitt v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Mississippi primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Leavitt v. State, 982 So. 2d 981, 2008 Miss. App. LEXIS 73, 2008 WL 222715 (Mich. Ct. App. 2008).

Opinion

ROBERTS, J.,

for the Court.

SUMMARY OF THE CASE

¶ 1. Scott Leavitt pleaded guilty to four counts of child exploitation, in violation of Mississippi Code Annotated section 97-5-33 (Rev.2006), in the Circuit Court of Marshall County. Subsequent to his guilty plea, Leavitt motioned the court for post-conviction collateral relief, but he was denied as the trial court opined that his motion was time-barred. Leavitt’s now appeals.

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

¶ 2. On September 19, 2002, Leavitt was indicted on four counts of sexual battery, in violation of Mississippi Code Annotated sections 97 — 3—95(l)(a) and 97 — 3—95(l)(c) (Rev.2006), and four counts of child exploitation in violation of Mississippi Code Annotated section 97-5-33 (Rev.2006). On May 18, 2003, Leavitt submitted to the Circuit Court of Marshall County his petition requesting to submit an open plea of guilty to the four counts of child exploitation. More specifically, he wished to plead guilty to taking sexually explicit photographs of his girlfriend’s two daughters. The remaining four counts of sexual battery would eventually be retired to the files by the State. Following a plea hearing on May 19, 2003, the trial court accepted Leavitt’s open guilty plea and, after reviewing a pre-sentence report, sentenced him on May 30, 2003, to twenty years per count, with twelve years suspended per count, and all sentences to run consecutively. Additionally, Leavitt was ordered to pay court costs and fees totaling $1,250.50.

¶ 3. Leavitt filed his motion for post-conviction collateral relief pursuant to the Mississippi Uniform Post-Conviction Collateral Relief Act, Mississippi Code Annotated section 99-39-1-99-39-29 (Rev.2007), on May 8, 2006. The trial court denied Leavitt’s request for relief stating:

After reviewing the documents filed by the Petitioner, as well as the court file in this case, and considering all matters in a light most favorable to the Petitioner, [983]*983it appears to the Court that the Petitioner is requesting relief that is time barred. The Court is of the opinion that the Petitioner is not entitled to the requested relief. Accordingly, the relief is hereby DENIED.

¶ 4. Aggrieved, Leavitt appeals and raises several issues, including ineffective assistance of counsel; the involuntariness of his guilty plea; and violations of his constitutional rights. He also claims that the trial court erred by denying his motion for post-conviction collateral relief as time-barred. Finding the trial court’s holding, denying Leavitt’s motion as time-barred, was made in error, we reverse and remand for further consideration consistent with this opinion.

ANALYSIS

I. WHETHER THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN DENYING LEAVITT’S MOTION FOR POST-CONVICTION COLLATERAL RELIEF AS TIME-BARRED.

¶ 5. We begin our analysis of Leavitt’s points of argument with his last enumerated assignment of error. Namely, he claims the trial court erred in denying his motion as time-barred. After reviewing the record, we agree.

¶ 6. Mississippi Code Annotated section 99-39-5(2) (Rev.2007) states, in pertinent part, “[a] motion for relief under this article shall be made ... in [the] case of a guilty plea, within three (3) years after entry of the judgment of conviction.” Miss.Code Ann. § 99-39-5(2). Leavitt pleaded guilty on May 19, 2003, and an order accepting his plea was filed the same day. Therefore, he had until May 19, 2006, to timely file a motion requesting relief under the Mississippi Uniform Post-Conviction Collateral Relief Act. Leavitt filed his motion on May 8, 2006. Accordingly, his motion was timely filed, and the trial court erred in holding otherwise.

¶ 7. Regarding the other issues raised by Leavitt in his motion for post-conviction collateral relief, we note that whether the trial court reviewed the remaining issues in holding Leavitt’s motion was time-barred is ambiguous at best. The trial court stated it was “of the opinion that the Petitioner is not entitled to the requested relief.” However, the trial court is presumed to have reviewed Leavitt’s claims in accordance with the statutory mandate of Mississippi Code Annotated section 99-39-11 (Rev.2007) which states that “[t]he original motion, together with all the files, records, transcripts and correspondence relating to the judgment under attack, shall be examined promptly by the judge to whom it is assigned.” Miss.Code Ann. § 99-39-11(1) (Rev.2007). Furthermore, a petitioner’s motion for post-conviction collateral relief may only be dismissed “[i]f it plainly appears from the face of the motion, any annexed exhibits and the prior proceedings in the case that the movant is not entitled to any relief_” Miss.Code Ann. § 99-39-11(2) (Rev.2007) (emphasis added). Therefore, having found Leavitt’s motion was properly before the trial court, we now address his remaining issues on appeal in an effort to promote judicial efficiency and provide the trial court guidance on those issues worthy of further scrutiny.

II. WHETHER LEAVITT RECEIVED INEFFECTIVE ASSISTANCE OF COUNSEL.

¶ 8. Leavitt asserts several instances of ineffective assistance of counsel based upon his hired attorney’s actions and inac-tions throughout the proceedings in the circuit court. A majority of Leavitt’s claims of ineffective assistance are totally devoid of merit and will be discussed be[984]*984low. One, however, requires additional inquiry, and it is remanded to the trial court for further consideration.

¶ 9. All criminal defendants, regardless of the severity of their crimes, have a constitutional right to effective assistance of counsel. See, U.S. Const, amend. VI. However, in order to succeed on a claim of ineffective assistance, a defendant must show that “counsel’s representation fell below an objective standard of reasonableness.” Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 687, 104 S.Ct. 2052, 80 L.Ed.2d 674 (1984).

¶ 10. To meet the burden placed upon a defendant alleging ineffective assistance of counsel the defendant must satisfy a familiar two-step inquiry. A defendant must show not only that his counsel’s performance was deficient, but also he was prejudiced by the deficient representation. Jones v. State, 962 So.2d 1263, 1273(¶ 41) (Miss.2007) (quoting Strickland, 466 U.S. at 687, 104 S.Ct. 2052). This second hurdle requires the defendant show that “there is a reasonable probability that, but for counsel’s unprofessional errors, the result of the proceeding would have been different.” Strickland, 466 U.S. at 694, 104 S.Ct. 2052. The supreme court has recognized that “a strong presumption of competence exists in favor of the attorney.” Havard v. State, 928 So.2d 771, 780(¶ 7) (Miss.2006) (citing Mohr v. State, 584 So.2d 426, 430 (Miss.1991)).

¶ 11. When reviewing claims of ineffective assistance of counsel, the supreme court has stated:

This Court looks at the totality of circumstances to determine whether counsel’s efforts were both deficient and prejudicial.

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982 So. 2d 981, 2008 Miss. App. LEXIS 73, 2008 WL 222715, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/leavitt-v-state-missctapp-2008.