Morrissette v. State

183 So. 3d 1009, 2014 Ala. Crim. App. LEXIS 110, 2014 WL 7236932
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Alabama
DecidedDecember 19, 2014
DocketCR-13-0952
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 183 So. 3d 1009 (Morrissette v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Morrissette v. State, 183 So. 3d 1009, 2014 Ala. Crim. App. LEXIS 110, 2014 WL 7236932 (Ala. Ct. App. 2014).

Opinion

■ On Return to Remand

KELLUM, Judge.

. Cedric Morrissette appeals the circuit court’s denial of his petition for postconviction relief tiled pursuant to Rule 32, Ala. R.Crim. P., in which he attacked his 2010 convictions for one count of attempted murder, one count of first-degree assault, and two counts of discharging a firearm into an occupied vehicle, and his resulting sentences of life imprisonment for the attempted-murder and assault convictions and 20 years’ imprisonment for the two shooting-into-an-occupied-vehicle convic[1011]*1011tions. This Court affirmed Momssette’s convictions and sentences on direct appeal in an unpublished memorandum issued on September 30, 2011. Morrissette v. State, (No. CR-09-1912) 114 So.3d 164 (Ala. Crim.App.2011) (table).. The Alabama Supreme Court denied certiorari review, and this Court issued a certificate of judgment on December 9, 2011.

Morrissette filed the instant petition, his first, on or about October 1, 2012. In his petition, Morrissette alleged:

(1) That his trial counsel was ineffective for not allowing him to testify on his own behalf and for making allegedly prejudicial comments to the jury during opening statements;
(2) That his conviction was obtained by the action of a petit jury that was unconstitutionally selected because, he said, the trial court erred in not striking for cause prospective juror no. 11;. and
(3) That his conviction was obtained by the use of “unduly prejudicial” evidence, specifically his statement to police, which, he said, contained comments regarding other crimes that were redacted, but which the trial court failed to instruct the jury about. (C. 71.)

On March 27, 2013, Morrissette filed a motion to amend his petition, in which he raised several additional claims. On April 1, 2013, the circuit court denied the motion to amend.1

On March 14, 2014, the State filed a response and motion to dismiss Morris-sette’s petition, arguing that claim (1),- as set out above, was'meritless, that claim (2), as set out above, was precluded by Rules 32.2(a)(2) and (a)(5), Ala. R.Crim. P., and that claim (3), as set out above, was precluded by -Rules 32.2(a)(3) and (a)(5), Ala. R.Crim. P. The State attached to its motion several exhibits, including an affidavit from Morrissette’s trial counsel. On March 17, 2014, the circuit- court issued orders denying Morrissette’s petition on the grounds asserted by the State.2

By order dated August 15, 2014, this Court remanded this case for the circuit court to allow Morrissette an opportunity to prove that portion of claim (1) in which he alleged that his trial counsel was ineffective for refusing to allow him to testify on his own behalf. We held that Morrissette’s claim in this regard was sufficiently pleaded, was not precluded, and [1012]*1012was meritorious on its face, i.e., that, if the facts alleged were true, Morrissette would be entitled to relief. On remand, the circuit court complied with our instructions. The circuit court appointed counsel to represent Morrissette and conducted an evi-dentiary hearing on October 1, 2014, at which Morrissette was given the opportunity to present evidence regarding his claim. On October 14, 2014, the. circuit court issued an order denying Morris-sette’s claim.3 Neither party requested permission to file briefs on return to remand; therefore, we proceed based solely on the parties’ original briefs.

“[W]hen the facts are undisputed and an appellate court is presented with pure questions of law, that court’s review in a Rule 32 proceeding is de novo.” Ex parte White, 792 So.2d 1097, 1098 (Ala. 2001). “However, where there are disputed facts in a postconviction proceeding and the circuit court resolves those disputed facts, ‘[t]he standard of review on appeal ... is whether the trial judge abused his discretion when he denied the petition.’ ” Boyd v. State, 913 So,2d 1113, 1122 (Ala.Crim.App.2003) (quoting Elliott v. State, 601 So.2d 1118, 1119 (Ala.Crim.App.1992)).

Rule 32.7(d), Ala. R.Crim. R, authorizes the circuit court to summarily dismiss a petitioner’s Rule 32 petition

' “[i]f the court determines that the petition is not sufficiently specific, or is precluded, or fails to state a claim, or that no material issue of fact or law exists which would entitle the petitioner to relief under this rule and that no purpose would be served by any further proceedings.... ”

Rule 32.3, Ala. R.Crim. P., states that “[t]he petitioner shall have the burden of pleading and proving by a preponderance of the evidence the facts necessary to entitle the petitioner to relief.” Rule 32.6(b), Ala. R.Crim. R, states that “[t]he petition must contain a clear and specific statement of the grounds upon which relief is sought, including full disclosure of the factual basis of those grounds. A bare allegation that a constitutional right has been violated and mere conclusions of law shall not be sufficient to warrant any- further proceedings.” As this Court noted in Boyd v. State, 913 So.2d 1113 (Ala.Crim.App.2003);

“ ‘Rule 32.6(b) requires that the petition itself disclose the facts relied upon in seeking relief.’ Boyd v. State, 746 So.2d 364, 406 (Ala.Crim.App.1999). In [1013]*1013other words, it is not the pleading of a conchision ‘which, if true, entitle[s] the petitioner to relief.’ Lancaster v. State, 638 So.2d 1370, 1373 (Ala.Crim.App. 1993). It is the allegation of facts in pleading which, if true, entitle[s] a petitioner to relief. After facts are pleaded, which, if true, entitle the petitioner to relief, the petitioner is then entitled to an opportunity, as provided in Rule 32.9, Ala. R.Crim. P., to present evidence proving those alleged facts.”

913 So.2d at 1125.

“Once a petitioner has met his burden. ... to avoid summary disposition pursuant to Rule 32.7(d), Ala. R.Crim. P., he is then entitled to an opportunity to present evidence in order to satisfy his burden of proof.” Ford v. State, 831 So.2d 641, 644 (Ala.Crim.App.2001).

Rule 32.9(a), Ala. R.Crim. P., provides:

“Unless the court dismisses the petition, the petitioner shall be entitled to an evidentiary hearing to determine disputed issues of material fact, with the right to subpoena material witnesses on his behalf. The court in its discretion may take evidence by affidavits, written interrogatories, or depositions, in lieu of an evidentiary hearing, in which event the presence of the petitioner is not required, or the court may take some evidence by such means and other evidence in an evidentiary hearing.”

In Wilkerson v. State, 70 So.3d 442, 451 (Ala.Crim.App.2011), this Court explained:

“‘The burden of proof in a Rule 32 proceeding rests solely with the petitioner, not the State.’ Davis v. State, 9 So.3d 514, 519 (Ala.Crim.App.2006), rev’d on other grounds, 9 So.3d 537 (Ala.2007). ‘[I]n a Rule 32, Ala. R.Crim. P., proceeding, the burden of proof is upon the petitioner seeking post-conviction relief to establish his grounds for relief by a preponderance of the evidence.’ Wilson v. State, 644 So.2d 1326, 1328 (Ala.Crim.App.1994). Rule 32.3, Ala.R.Crim.

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Bluebook (online)
183 So. 3d 1009, 2014 Ala. Crim. App. LEXIS 110, 2014 WL 7236932, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/morrissette-v-state-alacrimapp-2014.