Porterfield v. State

897 S.W.2d 672, 1995 Tenn. LEXIS 208
CourtTennessee Supreme Court
DecidedMay 1, 1995
StatusPublished
Cited by55 cases

This text of 897 S.W.2d 672 (Porterfield v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Tennessee Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Porterfield v. State, 897 S.W.2d 672, 1995 Tenn. LEXIS 208 (Tenn. 1995).

Opinions

OPINION

O’BRIEN, Justice.

Petitioner, Sidney Porterfield, was convicted of murder in the first degree and sentenced to death on 16 January 1986.1 On 7 July 1987, while the matter was pending on appellate review, petitioner filed a pro se petition for post-conviction relief.2 The original pro se petition was supplemented by appointed counsel. Subsequently the trial court entered an order denying relief on the petition. Appeal was taken and because it was a capital case the Court of Criminal Appeals transferred the proceedings to this Court on 21 June 1990. This Court bifurcated the proceedings and remanded the issue of effective assistance of counsel at trial to the Court of Criminal Appeals. That Court affirmed the trial court’s dismissal of the petition for post-conviction relief on the issue of effective assistance of counsel at trial. Petitioner appealed.

This Court remanded the issue of effective assistance of counsel on appellate review to the trial court for an evidentiary hearing and held petitioners application for permission to appeal in abeyance pending disposition of that issue. The trial court heard proof on the issue and denied relief. Petitioner appealed. Subsequently this Court granted both applications for permission to appeal.

The issues of effective assistance of counsel at trial and on appellate review were consolidated for disposition by this Court. In the interval a pro se motion for appointment of new post-conviction counsel and to continue oral argument was filed by petitioner. Disposition of the motion was deferred to be considered by the Court on the date the case was set for oral argument. On the date of the hearing the Court concluded that the motion filed by petitioner did not state sufficient grounds to replace appointed counsel despite an apparent long-standing disagreement between petitioner and his counsel. Appointed counsel indicated to the Court that he did not think there was any reason why he could not represent petitioner. The Court proceeded to hear oral argument. Thereafter, apparently with assistance of volunteer counsel from the Capital Case Resource Center, a supplemental brief in support of the motion for appointment of counsel and to continue oral argument was filed. The case is now ripe for disposition.

It appears, that beginning with defendant’s trial and conviction, the facts and circumstances of this case have been considered and reviewed by the trial court, first in the initial [674]*674proceedings and then on post-conviction; by the appellate courts of this State on review of the trial and post-conviction proceedings; and by the United States Supreme Court on review of petitioner’s conviction proceedings. While we do not deprecate petitioner’s right, in a matter of such grave significance to exhaust every remedy available to set aside his conviction, we conclude that if there was any merit to be found in his assertions for reversal of his convictions it would have long since been brought to light.

We begin this review by considering petitioner’s charge of ineffective assistance of counsel at trial. The original pro se post-conviction petition consisted of more than 20 pages of generally conclusory allegations of incompetence on the part of petitioner’s court-appointed trial counsel. The cause ultimately came on to be heard in the trial court upon an amended and supplemental petition for post-conviction relief filed by petitioner’s court-appointed counsel for the post-conviction hearing. During the course of the evidentiary hearing the Court heard testimony from the petitioner, from the two (2) attorneys appointed to represent him at the trial level, and statements of post-conviction counsel for the petitioner and the assistant district attorney general assigned to the case. The trial court found that petitioner’s testimony consisted of an attack on his court-appointed counsel’s performance in basically three (3) areas: (1) Pre-trial, (2) trial, and (3) sentencing. In reference to the pre-trial issue petitioner testified that his trial counsel improperly waived his right to a preliminary hearing, did not obtain statements from all the witnesses listed on the indictment or on a list submitted by petitioner to counsel, did not adequately argue the suppression of pretrial statements made by him and his co-defendant. Petitioner expressed the view that counsel performed only perfunctory procedures pre-trial. In reference to purported trial inadequacy petitioner testified that counsel did not present an adequate defense, failed to make objections, failed to request special jury instructions and conspired with the State. Petitioner asserted that counsel failed to adequately represent him during the sentencing phase by not excluding certain aggravating circumstances and by not obtaining an independent FBI “rap sheet.”

The trial court further found that on cross-examination petitioner admitted that he had been advised of the grand jury proceeding that would determine probable cause following the waiver of a preliminary hearing. He admitted counsel filed many motions on his behalf, including his own pro se motions. He admitted receiving copies of witness statements, lab reports and the autopsy report. He testified to discussions with counsel regarding the State’s evidence, the meaning of probable cause and the results of counsel’s attempts to interview both the State’s list and petitioner’s list of witnesses.

One of petitioner’s two (2) trial counsel testified he was employed by the Shelby County Public Defender’s Office as the coordinator of the Capital Defense Team. He had tried over 100 cases in criminal court, including approximately 30 capital cases. He testified he had met with the petitioner approximately 17 to 20 times, some of which were prior to the preliminary hearing. He advised petitioner that a waiver was in order to obtain certain statements and discovery material earlier than if they had waited for a preliminary hearing, and because it was likely there would be a finding of probable cause. He testified that he and a public defender investigator had attempted to interview all the witnesses listed by the State and the petitioner. He testified in reference to the various motions filed on petitioner’s behalf including motions to suppress the co-defendant’s statement and identification of the defendant, as well as several supporting legal memoranda. He employed a handwriting expert and provided petitioner copies of all requested documents. He testified that he made all relevant objections, requested limiting instructions to the jury and filed amended and supplemental motions for new trial.

Co-counsel confirmed much of the same information. He testified there was no conflict of interest in his representation of petitioner and that petitioner elected not to testify and was informed of the defense strategy pursued by counsel at trial.

The post conviction trial judge held that having carefully considered the issues he [675]*675found the petition to be without merit. He based his judgment on the standards mandated by this Court in Baxter v. Rose, 523 S.W.2d 930 (Tenn.1975) and on federal standards set forth in Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 104 S.Ct. 2052, 80 L.Ed.2d 674 (1984).

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Bluebook (online)
897 S.W.2d 672, 1995 Tenn. LEXIS 208, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/porterfield-v-state-tenn-1995.