Ratliff v. State

2016 ND 129, 881 N.W.2d 233, 2016 N.D. LEXIS 133, 2016 WL 3551352
CourtNorth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedJune 30, 2016
Docket20150352
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 2016 ND 129 (Ratliff v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering North Dakota Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Ratliff v. State, 2016 ND 129, 881 N.W.2d 233, 2016 N.D. LEXIS 133, 2016 WL 3551352 (N.D. 2016).

Opinion

*236 KAPSNER, Justice.

[¶ 1] A jury found Nathan Ratliff guilty of robbery, burglary, aggravated assault, theft of property, and felonious restraint. We upheld Ratliffs conviction in State v. Ratliff, 2014 ND 156, 849 N.W.2d 183. Ratliff then filed an application for post-conviction relief in October 2014. Ratliff was appointed counsel, and counsel filed a supplemental application. The district court held a hearing and dismissed Ratliffs application. Ratliff now appeals from the district court’s order. He argues he received ineffective assistance of counsel, and he was improperly sentenced as an habitual offender. We affirm.

I

Post-conviction relief proceedings are civil in nature and are governed by the North Dakota Rules of Civil Procedure. In post-conviction relief proceedings, a district court’s findings of fact will not be disturbed unless they are clearly erroneous under N.D.R.Civ.P. 52(a). A finding of fact is clearly erroneous if it is induced by an erroneous view of the law, if it is not supported by the evidence, or if, although there is some evidence to support it, a reviewing court is left with a definite and firm conviction that a mistake has been made. Questions of law are fully reviewable on appeal of a post-conviction proceeding.

Syvertson v. State, 2005 ND 128, ¶ 4, 699 N.W.2d 855 (quoting Greywind v. State, 2004 ND 213, ¶ 5, 689 N.W.2d 390).

[¶ 2] Ratliff argues he was provided ineffective assistance of counsel because his trial counsel did not demand a speedy trial and did not call Ratliff to testify at trial. “Whether a petitioner received ineffective assistance of counsel is a mixed question of law and fact and is fully reviewable on appeal.” Sambursky v. State, 2008 ND 133, ¶7, 751 N.W.2d 247.

The Sixth Amendment of the United States Constitution guarantees a criminal defendant the right to effective assistance of counsel. In order to prevail on a post-conviction claim of ineffective assistance, the petitioner bears a heavy burden. The petitioner must prove that (1) counsel’s representation fell below an objective standard of reasonableness, and (2) the petitioner was prejudiced by counsel’s deficient performance.
As to the first prong, the petitioner must overcome the strong presumption that counsel’s representation fell within the wide range of reasonable professional assistance. An attorney’s performance is measured considering the prevailing professional norms. In assessing the reasonableness of counsel’s performance, courts must consciously attempt to limit the distorting effect of hindsight. Courts must consider all the circumstances and decide whether there were errors so serious that defendant was not accorded the “counsel” guaranteed by the Sixth Amendment.
In order to meet the second prong, the petitioner must show there is a reasonable probability that, but for counsel’s unprofessional errors, the result of the proceeding would have been different. The petitioner must prove not only that counsel’s representation was ineffective, but must specify how and where counsel was incompetent and the probable different result. If it is easier to dispose of an ineffective assistance of counsel claim on the ground of lack of sufficient prejudice, that course should be followed.

Chisholm v. State, 2015 ND 279, ¶ 8, 871 N.W.2d 595 (quoting Roth v. State, 2007 ND 112, ¶¶ 7-9, 735 N.W.2d 882).

*237 A

[¶ 3] Ratliff argues he was denied the right to testify on his own behalf, and his trial counsel was ineffective by not calling him as a witness.

Criminal defendants have a constitutional right to testify on their own behalf. Rock v. Arkansas, 483 U.S. 44, 49-53, 107 S.Ct. 2704, 2707-10, 97 L.Ed.2d 37 (1987). Testifying is a personal right, and only the defendant may waive it. Jones v. Barnes, 463 U.S. 745, 751, 103 S.Ct. 3308, 3312-13, 77 L.Ed.2d 987 (1983). However, unlike other constitutional rights that can be waived only after the court makes a formal inquiry, the court does not have a duty to verify that the defendant who is riot testifying has waived his or her right voluntarily. United States v. Pennycooke, 65 F.3d 9, 11 (3rd Cir.1995) (providing a list of federal case law supporting this contention and explaining “a trial court’s advice as to the right to testify could inappropriately influence the defendant to waive his or her constitutional right not to testify”). Instead, the court is entitled to presume the attorney and the client discussed the right, and the defendant voluntarily agreed upon the final decision. Pennycooke, 65 F.3d at 12.

State v. Antoine, 1997 ND 100, ¶ 5, 564 N.W.2d 637.

[¶ 4] The district court heard conflicting testimony concerning whether Ratliff desired, to testify in his own defense. Ratliff claims he told trial counsel he wanted to testify, , and his counsel refused to call him. Ratliffs trial counsel testified he advised Ratliff not to testify, but he also informed Ratliff it was his right to do so. The district court found Ratliffs constitutional right to testify was not violated because he did not affirmatively assert it. The court also found Ratliff has not met the second prong of the ineffective assistance of counsel standard because he has not shown how his testimony would have changed the outcome. We find the district, court’s reasoning sound and conclude its findings are not clearly erroneous. .

B.

[¶ 5] Ratliff argues he was denied effective assistance of counsel because his attorney failed to demand a speedy trial on his behalf. Ratliffs charges were dated April 30, 2012. At the post-conviction relief hearing, trial counsel testified he did not file a demand for speedy trial because the court would have found good cause for delay. During a pretrial conference held in March 2013, Ratliff orally asserted his right to a speedy trial. At that same conference, the court set trial for June 2013. When determining whether a defendant has been denied the right to a speedy trial, courts must balance four factors: ■

(1) the length of the delay, (2) the reason’ for the delay, (3) the accused’s assertion of his right to a speedy trial, and (4) the prejudice to the accused. No single factor is controlling; the court must weigh all the factors' in a difficult and sensitive balancing process.

Grand Forks v. Gale, 2016 ND 58, ¶ 6, 876 N.W.2d 701 (citations omitted). ‘When an appellant raises a speedy trial issue, we review the district court’s findings of fact under a clearly erroneous standard; we review its speedy trial determination de novo.” Id. at ¶ 8 (citing State v. Moran, 2006 ND 62, ¶ 8, 711 N.W.2d 915).

[¶ 6] The district court found Ratliff was not denied the right to a speedy trial:

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
2016 ND 129, 881 N.W.2d 233, 2016 N.D. LEXIS 133, 2016 WL 3551352, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ratliff-v-state-nd-2016.