Mann v. State

245 S.W.3d 897, 2008 Mo. App. LEXIS 72, 2008 WL 142375
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedJanuary 16, 2008
Docket28273
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 245 S.W.3d 897 (Mann 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
Mann v. State, 245 S.W.3d 897, 2008 Mo. App. LEXIS 72, 2008 WL 142375 (Mo. Ct. App. 2008).

Opinion

PER CURIAM.

Appellant Tony L. Mann (“Movant”) appeals the motion court’s denial following an evidentiary hearing of his Rule 29.15 motion. 1 Movant asserts six points of motion court error. We affirm the findings of fact and conclusions of law of the motion court.

The record reveals Movant was charged by Felony Information with one count of the Class A felony of assault of a law enforcement officer in the first degree, a violation of section 565.081.1, and one count of the unclassified felony of armed criminal action, a violation of section 571.015.

A bench trial was held on August 19, 2002. 2 The following evidence was adduced at trial. 3

On the evening of October 4, 2001, several Springfield police officers were positioned outside of Movant’s home in an *900 unmarked police car conducting surveillance on Movant. While the officers were outside his home, Movant erratically drove a motorized scooter past the officers and began to swerve the scooter into oncoming traffic. The officers attempted a traffic stop of Movant; however, Movant evaded the officers. Moments later the officers encountered Movant again, but Movant had discarded his motorized scooter in favor of a bicycle. The officers again attempted to stop Movant and Movant eluded them by riding his bicycle between two houses, thus, disappearing from their view.

Officer David Shanholtzer (“Officer Shanholtzer”) left his patrol vehicle and followed Movant on foot with his flashlight in hand. Officer Shanholtzer saw Movant in the backyard of a home where Movant was standing next to a fence. Officer Shanholtzer was unable to see Movant’s hands and he yelled to Movant to show his hands. When Movant raised his hands, he had a gun and he fired a shot at Officer Shanholtzer. 4 Officer Shanholtzer took cover behind a shed, drew his own gun, and called for back-up. The other officers arrived and when they looked out from behind the shed, Movant was gone. The officers retreated to their vehicle and awaited assistance in locating Movant.

Shortly thereafter an officer with a canine arrived at the scene and was able to track Movant’s scent back to his residence a short distance away. Police officers deployed gas into Movant’s home and he emerged several minutes later at which time he was arrested.

At the close of all the evidence, the trial court found Movant guilty of the crimes charged in the Felony Information. Mov-ant was sentenced to life in prison for assault of a law enforcement officer in the first degree and 10 years for armed criminal action, with the sentences to run concurrently to each other and to a federal offense Appellant was already serving.

Movant filed his pro se Rule 29.15 motion on July 12, 2004. He was appointed counsel and an Amended Motion to Vacate, Set Aside or Correct Sentence and Judgment was filed on October 8, 2004.

A motion hearing on Movant’s motion was held on September 14, 2006. Following the hearing, the motion court denied Movant’s request for Rule 29.15 postcon-viction relief. This appeal by Movant followed.

Appellate review of a motion court’s ruling on a Rule 29.15 motion for postconviction relief is limited to a determination of whether the motion court’s findings of fact and conclusions of law issued in support thereof are clearly erroneous. Rule 29.15(k); see Moss v. State, 10 S.W.3d 508, 511 (Mo. banc 2000). The findings of the motion court are presumptively valid. Wilson v. State, 813 S.W.2d 833, 835 (Mo. banc 1991). “Findings and conclusions are clearly erroneous if, after a review of the entire record, the appellate court is left with the definite impression that a mistake has been made.” State v. Taylor, 944 S.W.2d 925, 938 (Mo. banc 1997).

To prevail on a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel, Movant must establish by *901 a preponderance of the evidence that counsel failed to exercise the customary skill and diligence that a reasonably competent attorney would perform under similar circumstances, and that he was prejudiced thereby. State v. Simmons, 955 S.W.2d 729, 746 (Mo. banc 1997); see Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 104 S.Ct. 2052, 2064-65, 80 L.Ed.2d 674 (1984). To satisfy the performance prong, Movant “must overcome the presumptions that any challenged action was sound trial strategy and that counsel rendered adequate assistance and made all significant decisions in the exercise of professional judgment.” Simmons, 955 S.W.2d at 746. Prejudice exists where there is a reasonable probability that the outcome of the proceeding would have been different but for counsel’s ineffectiveness. Id. If either the performance or the prejudice prong of the test is not met, then we need not consider the other, and Movant’s claim of ineffective assistance of counsel must fail. Id.

In his first point relied on Movant maintains the motion court erred in finding Movant received effective assistance of counsel in that his trial counsel “failed to investigate the crime scene and consult with and call as a witness a crime scene investigator.” He asserts that “[h]ad such a witness been retained and called, there is a reasonable probability that the outcome of the trial would have been different.”

“When a movant claims ineffective assistance of counsel for failure to locate and present expert witnesses, he must show that such experts existed at the time of trial, that they could have been located through reasonable investigation, and that the testimony of these witnesses would have benefited movant’s defense.” Kluck v. State, 30 S.W.3d 872, 876 (Mo.App.2000). “It is not ineffective assistance of counsel to fail to locate and obtain the testimony of an expert who would not necessarily provide a defense in the case.” Id.

The selection of witnesses and the introduction of evidence are questions of trial strategy. Helmig v. State, 42 S.W.3d 658, 667 (Mo.App.2001). “ ‘This is because strategic choices made after a thorough investigation of law and facts relevant to plausible options are virtually unchallengeable.’” Id. (quoting State v. Harris, 870 S.W.2d 798, 816-17 (Mo. banc 1994)). “Allegations of ineffective assistance of counsel relating to matters of trial strategy do not provide a basis for post-conviction relief for counsel is allowed wide latitude in conducting the defense and is entitled to use his or her best judgment in matters of trial strategy.”

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
245 S.W.3d 897, 2008 Mo. App. LEXIS 72, 2008 WL 142375, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mann-v-state-moctapp-2008.