McInnis v. State of Maine

Superior Court of Maine·Decided January 13, 2014·No. KENcr-11-270·Unpublished

Opinion

STATE OF MAINE SUPERIOR COURT KENNEBEC, ss CRIMINAL ACTION DOCKET NO.

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JACOB MCINNIS,

Petitioner

v. DECISION AND ORDER ON PETITION FOR

STATE OF MAINE, POST-CONVICTION REVIEW

Respondent

On June 27, 2008, after a three-day jury trial, the petitioner was found guilty of class A robbery, class B conspiracy to commit robbery, class B burglary, class A kidnapping, and class C theft. On July 11, 2008, he received a sentence of twenty-five years incarceration, all but sixteen years suspended, and four years of probation on the robbery offense and lesser sentences of incarceration on the other offenses, to be served concurrently with the sentence on the robbery offense. The sentences were to be served consecutively to a sentence imposed in York County.

The petitioner's appeal of his convictions was denied on 2118 I 10. The petitioner's request for leave to appeal from sentence was denied on 4110109. His motion to modify his sentence was denied on 10 I 15 I 12.

In his petition, 1 the petitioner alleges he received ineffective assistance of counsel at trial, at sentencing, and on his direct appeal as follows:

1. the trial attorney failed to conduct adequate pretrial investigation, including failure to investigate the petitioner's alibi and present evidence of the alibi at trial;

2. the trial attorney failed to obtain an eye witness identification expert and failed to obtain a footprint expert;

1 The parties stipulated that the petitioner satisfied the jurisdictional requirement for post- conviction review.

3. the trial attorney failed to consult with the petitioner and keep him adequately apprised on developments in his case;

4. the trial attorney failed to present mitigating circumstances, character witnesses, and comparative sentences at sentencing and failed to prepare the petitioner for sentencing;

5. the trial attorney had a conflict of interest because the attorney represented the petitioner's father, who should have been an alibi witness for the petitioner;

6. the State violated Brady v. Maryland and the trial attorney should have requested more time and/ or sanctions as a result of the State's delivery of discovery the day before trial; and

7. the appellate attorney failed to discuss the appeal with the petitioner, failed to adequately prepare for the appeal, and failed to include appropriate issues on appeal.

At the hearing on the petition for post-conviction review, the petitioner and the trial attorney testified. For the following reasons, the petition is denied. FINDINGS A. Trial The petitioner was represented by two attorneys prior to his representation by his trial attorney. The trial attorney was appointed on 11/14/07. 2 The trial attorney has represented hundreds of criminal clients and averages three jury trials annually. After his appointment to represent the petitioner, the trial attorney obtained the file and filed a motion to suppress and request for a Franks hearing, all denied; a motion for funds for a DNA expert, which was granted; a motion for funds for a psychologist, which was denied; a motion for discovery; and a motion for funds for service of subpoenas, which was granted.

2 The petitioner testified that he had three or four attorneys before his trial attorney was appointed and testified his trial attorney was appointed four months prior to trial.

The petitioner stated that he wanted his trial attorney to speak to the people the petitioner was with on the day of t.lte crimes, including his father, James Mcinnis, Sr.; his father's wife, Dee; Dee's sister, Toni Chaett, and a friend, Larry Shumway. The petitioner stated he was in southern Maine when the crimes were committed and not in Windsor, where the crimes were committed. 3 The petitioner gave his trial attorney the telephone number for James Mcinnis, Sr., the petitioner's father. Although the petitioner had minimal conversations with his father near the time of trial, the petitioner believed his father would have testified if called as a witness at trial that the petitioner was with his father in Parsonfield at the time the crimes were committed.

The petitioner testified at the hearing on the petition for post-conviction review that he had no conversation with his trial attorney regarding the attorney's representation of James Mcinnis, Sr. The petitioner also testified that the trial attorney's civil case with James Mcinnis, Sr. was more important than the petitioner's criminal case and if the trial attorney called the petitioner's father to testify in the criminal case, the civil case would have been adversely affected. The trial attorney believed the interests of the petitioner and his father were consistent and there was no conflict.

On the day of trial, the petitioner asked his trial attorney why no witnesses were in court. According to the petitioner, his trial attorney replied that he thought it best not to ask the jury to choose between the petitioner and his brother, James Mcinnis, Jr., a co- defendant who pleaded guilty and who testified at trial the petitioner committed the crimes. Similarly, the trial attorney did not want to ask the jury to choose between the petitioner's brother and father. Trial counsel determined to let the jury listen to the petitioner's brother and judge his credibility. The petitioner testified that he objected to this plan but it was "too late."

3 A demand for notice of alibi and a notice of alibi were filed.

The trial attorney agreed that the petitioner wanted to present alibi witnesses. The trial attorney spoke to the petitioner's father, who was prepared to testify at trial. The trial attorney told the petitioner the attorney "would not do it." The trial attorney made his decision based on what he understood the petitioner's brother, James Mcinnis, Jr., would testify about as opposed to what the petitioner's father would testify about. James Mcinnis, Jr. testified at the trial that after the crimes were committed, he and his co-defendants, including the petitioner, went to Biddeford to buy drugs with the stolen money. (Trial Tr. at 316-17.)

The trial attorney was wary of pitting one faction of the Mcinnis family against a second faction. The trial attorney testified that during his representation of the petitioner's father, a federal judge had not believed the testimony of James Mcinnis, Sr., Joshua Mcinnis, and James Mcinnis, Sr.'s wife, Dee. The trial attorney was concerned the jury would make the same credibility determination as the judge and the jurors would return a verdict based on whom they believed and whom they liked. The trial attorney felt strongly about this decision and stated it was a strategic decision an attorney must make.

After a photo lineup, a woman picked the petitioner as a person who was involved in the crimes. (Mot. to Suppress Tr. May 8, 2008; Trial Tr. 136-78; 210-16; 221- 24; 254-55; 542-23.) The petitioner testified that he and his brother, Joshua Mcinnis, look very much alike. Joshua Mcinnis's photo was not shown to the woman. The petitioner testified that the woman might have picked Joshua Mcinnis if his photo had been part of the photo lineup.

The trial attorney received a fax the day before trial. Through this fax, the State informed the trial attorney that a detective would testify that footprints found at the scene matched the tread of the petitioner's footwear. The trial attorney did not speak to

an expert regarding the footwear. The petitioner testified an expert "would have made a difference." The trial attorney argued before trial that the evidence should be excluded. The presiding justice did not agree. (Trial Tr. 25-30.) The testimony was not conclusive but suggested the petitioner's footwear could have made the footprint at the scene. (Trial Tr. at 25-30; 196-200; 220-21; 473-75; 500; 504-09.)

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