Shultz v. State

1991 OK CR 57, 811 P.2d 1322, 62 O.B.A.J. 1511, 1991 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 57, 1991 WL 78887
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma
DecidedMay 8, 1991
DocketF-89-416
StatusPublished
Cited by44 cases

This text of 1991 OK CR 57 (Shultz v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Shultz v. State, 1991 OK CR 57, 811 P.2d 1322, 62 O.B.A.J. 1511, 1991 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 57, 1991 WL 78887 (Okla. Ct. App. 1991).

Opinions

OPINION

LUMPKIN, Vice-Presiding Judge:

Appellant Vestor Shultz was tried by jury and convicted of Knowingly Possessing Sexual Material Involving the Participation of a Minor Child (Two Counts) in violation of 21 O.S.Supp.1986, § 1021.2 in the District Court of Washita County, Case No. CRF-88-21. The jury recommended as punishment twenty (20) years imprisonment and a twenty-five thousand dollar ($25,000) fine in Count I and twenty (20) years imprisonment and a twenty thousand dollar ($20,000) fine in Count II. The trial court sentenced accordingly, and it is from this judgment and sentence that Appellant appeals. We affirm.

In May 1988, David Merkey and his wife M.M. were moving her personal belongings out of the Cordell home of her step-father, the Appellant. While picking up boxes in the attic, Mr. Merkey discovered a large proof sheet containing numerous small photographs of a nude young girl in various pornographic positions. He showed the photographs to his wife who admitted that she was the subject of the photographs and that the Appellant had taken the photographs when she was approximately ten (10) or twelve (12) years old. It was not until three months later that Mr. Merkey was able to convince his wife to turn the photographs over to the police. Based upon information from M.M., a search warrant for Appellant’s home was issued. Executed on August 10, 1988 the search warrant yielded approximately eleven (11) videotapes of a pornographic nature and numerous pornographic magazines.

At trial, M.M. testified that Appellant had taken a “couple hundred” nude photographs of her and her younger sister. She also described a home videotape made by Appellant of herself, her sister and their young friends, wherein a portion of the tape shows the girls in various stages of undressing and the Appellant participating in sexual intercourse with M.M.

The Appellant testified in his own behalf and denied taking the nude photographs of M.M. He also denied ownership of the videotape, stating that it belonged to his wife who had long ago promised to destroy it.

In his first allegation of error, Appellant contends that he was denied effective assistance of counsel by trial counsel’s filing of a hastily assembled motion to suppress and by counsel’s failure to request a hearing on the motion to suppress to prevent admission of evidence seized during an illegal search.

Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 104 S.Ct. 2052, 80 L.Ed.2d 674 (1984), sets forth a two-part test which must be applied to determine whether a defendant has been denied effective assistance of counsel. First, the defendant must show that counsel’s performance was deficient, and second, he must show the deficient performance prejudiced the defense. Unless the defendant makes both showings, “it cannot be said that the conviction ... resulted from a breakdown in the adversary process that renders the result unreliable.” Id. at 687, 104 S.Ct. at 2064.

The record reflects that defense counsel filed a motion to suppress two days before trial. In the motion, counsel moved for suppression of all evidence, tangible or intangible, as it was seized in violation of the constitutional right to be free from [1327]*1327unreasonable searches. Counsel also requested a hearing to determine the admissibility of the evidence pursuant to Jackson v. Denno, 378 U.S. 368, 84 S.Ct. 1774, 12 L.Ed.2d 908 (1964). (O.R. 72-73) Appellant offers no proof that the motion was in fact prepared hastily. Aside from being brief, we find nothing in the record to support Appellant’s claim that it was prepared without full thought and consideration. Assuming arguendo that the motion was filed in a hurry, this Court has previously held that trial counsel’s lack of sufficient time to prepare, failure to produce important evidence in support of the defense theory, failure to excuse certain jurors, failure to contact key witnesses and failure to object to certain jury instructions was not sufficient to demonstrate inadequate representation under the Strickland standard. Anderson v. State, 719 P.2d 1282, 1284 (Okl.Cr.1986). This Court has refused to adopt a per se rule requiring a specified period of time or a minimum number of hours in which defense counsel must spend in pre-trial investigation and preparation. See Fisher v. State, 736 P.2d 1003, 1012 (Okl.Cr.1987).

As proof of trial counsel’s alleged ineffectiveness, Appellant challenges the sufficiency of the affidavit supporting the search warrant. We have reviewed it and find it sufficient. The affidavit stated that it was based upon information obtained from David Merkey who discovered the proof sheet, attached to the affidavit as Exhibit A, in the attic of Appellant’s house; M.M., Merkey’s wife and the subject of the photographs on the proof sheet; a confidential informant, fifteen (15) years old, also the subject of nude photographs taken by Appellant; and an expert in the field of sexual deviate behavior. Reviewing the affidavit under the standard set forth in Illinois v. Gates, 462 U.S. 213, 103 S.Ct. 2317, 76 L.Ed.2d 527 (1983), that being the validity of an affidavit for a search warrant is to be determined by viewing the affidavit as a whole under the totality of the circumstances, we find the reliability of the information received by the affiant sufficient to find that there was probable cause to believe pornographic materials of minors could be found in Appellant’s home. See Langham v. State, 787 P.2d 1279, 1280 (Okl.Cr.1990).

We have also reviewed Appellant’s allegations that probable cause was based on stale information, that the search warrant itself lacked specificity in the description of material to be seized, and the existence of a technical imperfection on the return of service. None of these alleged errors would have caused the search warrant to fail. The search and seizure of Appellant’s home was constitutional, therefore, trial counsel was not ineffective for failing to argue these specific allegations. The accused assumes the risk of ordinary error in his attorney’s assessment of law and facts, Cooper v. Fitzharris, 586 F.2d 1325, 1330 (9th Cir.1978). The fact that another lawyer would have followed a different course during the trial is not grounds for branding the appointed attorney with the opprobrium of ineffectiveness, or infidelity, or incompetency. Williams v. Beto, 354 F.2d 698, 706 (5th Cir.1965). Absent a showing of incompetence, the Appellant is bound by the decisions of his counsel and mistakes in tactic and trial strategy do not provide grounds for subsequent attack. Davis v. State, 759 P.2d 1033, 1036 (Okl.Cr. 1988).

Here, trial counsel clearly exercised the skills of a reasonably competent attorney. Merely because he was not successful in his challenge to the search and seizure is no reason to brand him incompetent. Reviewing counsel’s overall performance, we cannot say that Appellant was denied effective assistance of counsel. Accordingly, this assignment of error is denied.

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Bluebook (online)
1991 OK CR 57, 811 P.2d 1322, 62 O.B.A.J. 1511, 1991 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 57, 1991 WL 78887, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/shultz-v-state-oklacrimapp-1991.