Sanders v. Commonwealth

89 S.W.3d 380, 2002 Ky. LEXIS 136, 2002 WL 1307445
CourtKentucky Supreme Court
DecidedJune 13, 2002
Docket1999-SC-0115-MR, 1999-SC-0195-MR, 1999-SC-0395-MR
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 89 S.W.3d 380 (Sanders v. Commonwealth) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Kentucky Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Sanders v. Commonwealth, 89 S.W.3d 380, 2002 Ky. LEXIS 136, 2002 WL 1307445 (Ky. 2002).

Opinions

WINTERSHEIMER, Justice.

This appeal is taken from an order of the Madison Circuit Court denying a RCr 11.42 motion by Sanders and his motion pursuant to CR 59.05. Sanders seeks relief from his conviction for two capital murders and two robberies for which he received two death sentences and two twenty-year sentences.

In 1987, Sanders was convicted of killing and robbing the proprietor of a convenience store and a visitor who was in the store. Each victim was shot once in the back of the head. At trial, insanity was the sole defense. In 1990, this Court affirmed the conviction on direct appeal in Sanders v. Commonwealth, Ky., 801 S.W.2d 665 (1990). Sanders filed a petition for writ of certiorari in the United States Supreme Court which was denied in Sanders v. Kentucky, 502 U.S. 831, 112 S.Ct. 107, 116 L.Ed.2d 76 (1991), and rehearing was subsequently denied in Sanders v. Kentucky, 502 U.S. 1000, 112 S.Ct. 623, 116 L.Ed.2d 645 (1991). In 1993, he filed a RCr 11.42 motion in the circuit court which was denied by an order en[385]*385tered January 28, 1999, without a hearing. In February 1999, Sanders filed a pro se notice of appeal and motion to suspend the rules until appointment of counsel. Shortly thereafter, counsel for the Department of Public Advocacy filed a CR 59 motion to reconsider. The attorney who filed the CR 59 motion also filed a notice of appeal from the January 1999 order denying RCr 11.42 relief. The circuit judge denied the CR 59.05 motion on March 9, 1999. A notice of appeal from this order was also filed. The three appeals in this case have been consolidated in this opinion.

I. Standard of Review

We believe it is prudent to again set out the standard of review of claims raised in a collateral attack pursuant to RCr 11.42. Such a motion is limited to issues that were not and could not be raised on direct appeal. Sanborn v. Commonwealth, Ky., 975 S.W.2d 905 (1998). An issue raised and rejected on direct appeal may not be relitigated in these proceedings by claiming it amounts to ineffective assistance of counsel. Brown v. Commonwealth, Ky., 788 S.W.2d 500 (1990); Stanford v. Commonwealth, Ky., 854 S.W.2d 742 (1993).

Even in a capital case, a RCr 11.42 movant is not automatically entitled to an evidentiary hearing. Stanford, supra. An evidentiary hearing is not required concerning issues refuted by the record of the trial court. Stanford. Con-clusionary allegations which are not supported by specific facts do not justify an evidentiary hearing because RCr 11.42 does not require a hearing to serve the function of a discovery deposition. San-born, supra.

Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 104 S.Ct. 2052, 80 L.Ed.2d 674 (1984), upheld the decision of a state court not to conduct an evidentiary hearing on claims of ineffective assistance of counsel. Strickland, supra, notes that the presumption that a criminal judgment is final is at its strongest in collateral attacks on that judgment.

II. The Flenning Report

The right to confrontation was not violated because defense counsel cross-examined Dr. Walker without restriction. Due process does not require the prosecutor to disclose information already known by the defendant or counsel and available from a third party.

Sanders contends that the prosecutor was constitutionally required to obtain Dr. Fleming’s report and provide it to his counsel pursuant to Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83, 83 S.Ct. 1194, 10 L.Ed.2d 215 (1963). We cannot agree. Essentially, his argument is that his attorney could have done a better job of arguing his insanity if he had additional information contained in the Flenning report. In considering the report together with all other reports involved, the conclusion by Dr. Flenning is not inconsistent with Dr. Walker’s testimony at trial.

Sanders never denied his involvement in the crime, but he claims that the report supports his defense of insanity. Any evidence withheld must be favorable to the accused and be material to either guilt or punishment. Brady, supra. Our review of the Flenning report indicates that it is not exculpatory and it does not support the defense of insanity. Here, the only question to consider as to whether the report is exculpatory is if it supports the insanity defense. Original trial counsel had access to the report of Dr. Walker in which she summarized the interview with Dr. Flenning. Because this report did not support the defense of insanity and could [386]*386actually damage Sanders, it was not necessary to call the doctor as a witness.

Reliance by Sanders on Pennsylvania v. Ritchie, 480 U.S. 39, 107 S.Ct. 989, 94 L.Ed.2d 40 (1987), is misplaced because that case involved a government investigation of child abuse conducted by social workers employed by a Pennsylvania agency. The U.S. Supreme Court held that the investigation file should be reviewed by the trial court for potential exculpatory or impeachment information under Brady and rejected the argument that only a review by defense counsel would be constitutionally adequate. The investigators were not acting at the request of defense counsel and did not submit a report for review by defense counsel.

Sanders has the burden of establishing that there is a reasonable probability that the result of the trial would have been different if the allegedly withheld exculpatory documents were disclosed to the defense. Strickler v. Greene, 527 U.S. 263, 119 S.Ct. 1936, 144 L.Ed.2d 286 (1999). Claim of error must establish prejudice so as to produce ineffective assistance of counsel. It is not enough for the defendant to show that the error by counsel had some conceivable effect on the outcome of the proceeding. Strickland.

Sanders argues that Strickland should not apply to his trial lawyer because that counsel was subsequently disbarred in an unrelated matter after this trial. Kentucky Bar Ass’n v. Kevin Charters, Ky., 89-SC-148-KB. There is no persuasive authority submitted by Sanders to presume that counsel was incompetent to try his criminal case. Other courts have applied Strickland in similar cases after rejecting the per se ineffectiveness argument. See United States v. Rondon, 204 F.3d 376 (2d Cir.2000); State v. McCroy, 259 Neb. 709, 613 N.W.2d 1 (2000). A reviewing court should consider the overall performance of counsel throughout the case in order to determine whether the acts or omissions overcome the presumption that counsel rendered reasonable professional assistance. Cf. Strickland. A reasonable investigation is not the investigation that the best criminal defense lawyer in the world, blessed not only with unlimited time and resources but also with the inestimable benefit of hindsight would conduct. Thomas v. Gilmore,

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Bluebook (online)
89 S.W.3d 380, 2002 Ky. LEXIS 136, 2002 WL 1307445, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sanders-v-commonwealth-ky-2002.