Richard Myers Caldwell v. State

358 P.3d 794, 159 Idaho 233, 2015 Ida. App. LEXIS 71
CourtIdaho Court of Appeals
DecidedAugust 14, 2015
Docket42153
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 358 P.3d 794 (Richard Myers Caldwell v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Idaho Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Richard Myers Caldwell v. State, 358 P.3d 794, 159 Idaho 233, 2015 Ida. App. LEXIS 71 (Idaho Ct. App. 2015).

Opinions

MELANSON, Chief Judge.

Richard Myers Caldwell appeals from the district court’s judgment summarily dismissing part of his petition for post-conviction relief in which he alleged ineffective assistance of counsel. Caldwell also contends that the district court erred by failing to address Caldwell’s claims that his trial counsel was ineffective for failing to consult with him about or file an appeal and that his conditions of confinement violated his Eighth Amendment rights. For the reasons set forth below, we affirm.

I.

FACTS AND PROCEDURE

In 2010, a jury found Caldwell guilty of two counts of lewd conduct with a minor child under the age of sixteen, I.C. § 18-1508; five counts of sexual abuse of a minor child under the age of sixteen, I.C. § 18-1506; and acquitted him of one count of lewd conduct. The district court sentenced Caldwell to concurrent unified terms of twenty years, with minimum periods of confinement of three years. Caldwell did not appeal from the judgment of conviction and sentences.

Caldwell filed a petition for post-conviction relief, alleging various claims of ineffective assistance of trial counsel, prosecutorial misconduct, and violations of his Eighth Amendment rights due to the conditions of his confinement. The ineffective assistance of counsel claims included allegations that Caldwell’s trial counsel was ineffective for failing to interview and call a psychiatrist on Caldwell’s behalf and for failing to consult with him about or file an appeal. The district court appointed counsel, who filed an amended petition that realleged or incorporated most of the claims Caldwell raised in his initial petition, including the ineffective assistance of counsel and Eighth Amendment claims. The state filed an answer and motion for summary dismissal, arguing that the ineffective assistance of counsel claim regarding the failure to interview and call the psychiatrist should be summarily dismissed because the psychiatrist’s proffered testimony — that Caldwell did not exhibit pedophilic or criminal sexual tendencies — was inadmissible character evidence. The state’s answer provided no other basis for summary dismissal of that claim and did not address Caldwell’s ineffective assistance claim regarding the failure to file an appeal of his Eighth Amendment claim. After a hearing, the district court granted summary dismissal of several claims, including the ineffective assistance for failure to call the psychiatrist claim on the basis that the proffered opinion testimony would have been inadmissible, thereby failing to show prejudice. The few remaining claims proceeded to an evidentiary hearing; however, the district court did not specifically address either the failure to file an appeal or Eighth Amendment claim.

At the evidentiary hearing, both Caldwell and his trial counsel testified. Caldwell neither raised nor presented any evidence in support of his failure to file an appeal and Eighth Amendment claims. After the hearing, the district court dismissed the remainder of Caldwell’s claims; however, the district court again did not specifically address either the failure to file an appeal or Eighth Amendment claim. Caldwell did not object to this failure or otherwise pursue any post-judgment action to have the failure to file an appeal and Eighth Amendment claims addressed. Caldwell appeals.

II.

STANDARD OF REVIEW

A petition for post-conviction relief initiates a proceeding that is civil in nature. I.C. § 19-4907; Rhoades v. State, 148 Idaho 247, 249, 220 P.3d 1066, 1068 (2009); State v. Bearshield, 104 Idaho 676, 678, 662 P.2d 548, 550 (1983); Murray v. State, 121 Idaho 918, 921, 828 P.2d 1323, 1326 (Ct.App.1992). Like a plaintiff in a civil action, the petitioner must prove by a preponderance of evidence the allegations upon which the request for post-conviction relief is based. Goodwin v. State, 138 Idaho 269, 271, 61 P.3d 626, 628 (Ct.App. 2002). A petition for post-conviction relief differs from a complaint in an ordinary civil [237]*237action. Dunlap v. State, 141 Idaho 50, 56, 106 P.3d 376, 382 (2004). A petition must contain much more than a short and plain statement of the claim that would suffice for a complaint under I.R.C.P. 8(a)(1). Rather, a petition for post-conviction relief must be verified with respect to facts within the personal knowledge of the petitioner, and affidavits, records, or other evidence supporting its allegations must be attached or the petition must state why such supporting evidence is not included with the petition. I.C. § 19-4903. In other words, the petition must present or be accompanied by admissible evidence supporting its allegations or the petition will be subject to dismissal. Wolf v. State, 152 Idaho 64, 67, 266 P.3d 1169, 1172 (Ct.App.2011).

Idaho Code Section 19-4906 authorizes summary dismissal of a petition for post-conviction relief, either pursuant to a motion by a party or upon the court’s own initiative, if it appears from the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions and agreements of fact, together with any affidavits submitted, that there is no genuine issue of material fact and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. When considering summary dismissal, the district court must construe disputed facts in the petitioner’s favor, but the court is not required to accept either the petitioner’s mere conclusory allegations, unsupported by admissible evidence, or the petitioner’s conclusions of law. Roman v. State, 125 Idaho 644, 647, 873 P.2d 898, 901 (Ct.App.1994); Baruth v. Gardner, 110 Idaho 156, 159, 715 P.2d 369, 372 (Ct.App.1986). Moreover, the district court, as the trier of fact, is not constrained to draw inferences in favor of the party opposing the motion for summary disposition; rather, the district court is free to make the most probable inferences that can be drawn from uncontroverted evidence. Hayes v. State, 146 Idaho 353, 355, 195 P.3d 712, 714 (Ct.App.2008). Such inferences will not be disturbed on appeal if the uneontroverted evidence is sufficient to justify them. Id.

Claims may be summarily dismissed if the petitioner’s allegations are clearly disproven by the record of the criminal proceedings, if the petitioner has not presented evidence making a prima facie ease as to each essential element of the claims, or if the petitioner’s allegations do not justify relief as a matter of law. Kelly v. State, 149 Idaho 517, 521, 236 P.3d 1277, 1281 (2010); DeRushé v. State, 146 Idaho 599, 603, 200 P.3d 1148, 1152 (2009). Thus, summary dismissal of a claim for post-conviction relief is appropriate when the court can conclude, as a matter of law, that the petitioner is not entitled to relief even with all disputed facts construed in his or her favor. For this reason, summary dismissal of a post-conviction petition may be appropriate even when the state does not controvert the petitioner’s evidence. See Roman, 125 Idaho at 647, 873 P.2d at 901.

Conversely, if the petition, affidavits, and other evidence supporting the petition allege facts that, if true, would entitle the petitioner to relief, the post-conviction claim may not be summarily dismissed. Charboneau v.

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Bluebook (online)
358 P.3d 794, 159 Idaho 233, 2015 Ida. App. LEXIS 71, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/richard-myers-caldwell-v-state-idahoctapp-2015.