Justia.com Opinion Summary: Defendant appealed the denial of his amended and supplemental motions for postconviction relief and petitioned for writ of habeas corpus where he was convicted of first degree murders and sentenced to death for the commission of a triple homicide. Defendant raised numerous claims before the court on appeal but focused primarily on two of those claims: whether the state presented expert testimony on comparative bullet lead analysis (CBLA), which evidence had now established was no longer a reliable science, and whether newly discovered evidence showed that a critical state witness testified untruthfully. The court held that the 2008 letter at issue clearly qualified as newly discovered evidence; thus, the postconviction court erred in finding that the claim was procedurally barred and that the letter did not constitute newly discovered evidence. Regardless of these errors, the court affirmed the postconviction court's denial of relief because defendant could not demonstrate that consideration of the letter would probably produce an acquittal on retrial under the newly discovered evidence standard. The court also held that, as to the Brady v. Maryland and Giglio v. United States claims, there was no basis for concluding that the state withheld favorable evidence under Brady or knowingly presented evidence at the original trial under Giglio. After the FBI discovered the errors in the original CBLA evidence introduced at trial, defendant was made aware of these errors by letter. The court rejected defendant's ineffectiveness claim because the record showed that trial counsel retained an independent expert to evaluate the FBI's CBLA and the expert provided counsel with no basis to challenge that analysis. Therefore, the court affirmed the postconviction court's denial of relief and also denied defendant's habeas petition.
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Supreme Court of Florida
____________
No. SC08-655
____________
THOMAS ANTHONY WYATT,
Appellant,
vs.
STATE OF FLORIDA,
Appellee.
____________
No. SC09-556
____________
THOMAS ANTHONY WYATT,
Petitioner,
vs.
EDWIN G. BUSS, etc.,
Respondent.
[July 8, 2011]
PER CURIAM.
Thomas Anthony Wyatt, a prisoner under sentence of death, appeals the
denial of his amended and supplemental motions for postconviction relief filed
pursuant to Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.850. Through his postconviction
motions, Wyatt challenges his first-degree murder convictions and sentences of
death for the commission of a May 1988 triple homicide occurring at a Vero
Beach, Florida, Domino‘s Pizza restaurant. Wyatt also petitions this Court for writ
of habeas corpus. We have jurisdiction. See art. V, § 3(b)(1), (9), Fla. Const.
Wyatt raises numerous claims before this Court but focuses primarily on two of
those claims: the State presented expert testimony on comparative bullet lead
analysis (CBLA), which evidence has now established is no longer a reliable
science, and newly discovered evidence shows that a critical State witness testified
untruthfully at trial. For the reasons set forth below, we affirm the postconviction
court‘s denial of relief and deny Wyatt‘s petition for writ of habeas corpus.
FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY
On May 13, 1988, Wyatt and his codefendant, Michael Lovette, escaped
from a North Carolina prison road gang and fled to Florida, engaging in a spree of
crimes along the way, including the murders of three Domino‘s Pizza employees in
Vero Beach and the murder of Cathy Nydegger near Tampa, which occurred just
days apart. In a joint indictment, the State of Florida charged Wyatt and Lovette
with the following crimes: four counts of first-degree premeditated murder, one
count of sexual battery, three counts of kidnapping, two counts of robbery with a
firearm, three counts of grand theft, one count of arson, and one count of
possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Prior to trial, the court severed the
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three Domino‘s murder counts from the Nydegger murder count and also severed
the firearm possession count from the other charges. 1 Wyatt and Lovette were
tried separately.2
The evidence presented at Wyatt‘s trial on the Domino‘s murder counts
revealed the following. On May 16, 1988, Wyatt and Lovette stole a 1983 Cadillac
Seville with a red-burgundy body and white canvas top in Jacksonville, Florida,
and then drove down the east coast of Florida to the Vero Beach/Yeehaw Junction
area near State Road 60. At sometime between 11:00 and 11:45 p.m. on May 17,
both men entered a Vero Beach Domino‘s Pizza restaurant armed with handguns.
While Lovette held William Edwards, the store manager, at gunpoint in the office
until the time lock on the store‘s safe opened, Wyatt took Frances Edwards, who
was William Edwards‘ wife, and Matthew Bornoosh, a deliveryman, to the
1. In a related postconviction case, Wyatt also challenges his first-degree
murder conviction and resulting death sentence arising from the murder of Cathy
Nydegger. He raises nearly identical postconviction claims to those raised here,
and a separate opinion will address those claims. See Wyatt v. State, No. SC08656 (Fla. oral argument held Apr. 6, 2011).
2. Wyatt‘s codefendant, Michael Lovette, was convicted on all counts and
sentenced to death. See Lovette v. State, 636 So. 2d 1304, 1305 (Fla. 1994). On
direct appeal, the Court upheld all of Lovette‘s convictions, except for the sexual
battery offense, but vacated his sentences of death and remanded for a new
penalty-phase proceeding because Lovette disclosed facts of the crime during a
confidential mental health examination without waiving his attorney/client
privilege and the mental health expert testified at trial. Id. at 1308-09. Lovette‘s
case did not return to this Court, and the postconviction order notes that Lovette
was resentenced to three consecutive life sentences.
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restroom in the back of the restaurant. Wyatt forced Bornoosh to remove his
Domino‘s shirt, and Lovette put it on.
During the course of the robbery, Wyatt raped Frances Edwards. After the
safe opened, the men retrieved money from inside the safe, and Wyatt shot all
three victims to death: William Edwards was shot in the head and chest; Frances
Edwards was shot in the head; and Matthew Bornoosh was shot in the left ear and
head. Thereafter, Wyatt and Lovette fled the scene in the stolen Cadillac, heading
west along State Road 60 toward Clearwater. On their way, the men burned the
Cadillac and hitched a ride with a truck driver, who later identified Wyatt as one of
the hitchhikers. Matthew Bornoosh‘s shirt was recovered on the side of State Road
60 between where the burnt Cadillac was found and where the Domino‘s was
located. Handwriting found on several May 18 motel registration cards recovered
from various motels located in Brandon and Clearwater, Florida, matched samples
taken from both Wyatt and Lovette.
At some point, the men then decided to go their separate ways. After
spending several weeks on the west coast of Florida, Wyatt stole another vehicle
and returned to South Carolina. On July 7, 1988, when a police officer stopped a
stolen truck in which Wyatt was a passenger, Wyatt ran but was eventually caught
and arrested.
In January 1991, the jury found Wyatt guilty as charged. Throughout trial,
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Wyatt instructed his counsel that he did not want any witnesses called in
mitigation. However, on the eve of the penalty-phase proceeding, Wyatt changed
course and requested that counsel put on the testimony of his mother and sister. At
the time of this request, Wyatt‘s mother suffered from a mental disorder and was
unable to testify. Her condition was worsening, and there was no prognosis as to
when, or if, she would ever be able to testify. Wyatt‘s sister had pregnancy
complications and could not travel to testify for five months. As a result, Wyatt‘s
counsel moved for a continuance of the penalty phase based on each witness‘s
unavailability, which the trial court denied. Following this denial, Wyatt entered a
written waiver of five statutory mitigating circumstances,3 which the court found to
be freely and voluntarily given. After a brief penalty phase, the jury unanimously
recommended death as to each of the three Domino‘s murders.
The trial court followed the jury‘s recommendation and found that the
evidence established the following seven aggravators: (1) the murders were
committed while Wyatt was under a sentence of imprisonment; (2) Wyatt was
3. In a written waiver executed prior to the penalty phase, Wyatt waived the
following statutory mitigating circumstances: (1) lack of significant history of prior
criminal activity; (2) commission while under the influence of extreme mental or
emotional distress; (3) the victim was a participant in Wyatt‘s conduct or
consented to the act; (4) Wyatt acted under extreme duress or under the substantial
domination of another person; and (5) the capacity of Wyatt to appreciate the
criminality of his conduct or to conform his conduct to the requirements of law
was substantially impaired.
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previously convicted of a violent felony; (3) Wyatt was engaged in the commission
of felonies when the murders were committed; (4) the murders were committed for
the purpose of avoiding arrest; (5) the murders were committed for pecuniary gain;
(6) the murders were especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel (HAC); and (7) the
murders were cold, calculated, and premeditated (CCP). The trial court did not
assign a specific weight to these aggravators and found that no mitigating
circumstances had been established.
On direct appeal, 4 this Court affirmed Wyatt‘s convictions and death
sentences. Wyatt v. State, 641 So. 2d 1336, 1341 (Fla. 1994). However, the Court
struck the CCP aggravator as not supported by the evidence, but concluded that
4. Wyatt raised the following claims on direct appeal: (1) the trial court
erred in conducting voir dire; (2) the trial court erred in denying Wyatt‘s motions
to suppress physical evidence and statements; (3) the trial court erred in admitting
testimony regarding DNA evidence; (4) it was reversible error to allow the State to
inform the jury that Wyatt was an escaped convict; (5) the trial court erred in
allowing collateral crime and character evidence to be admitted; (6) the shackling
of Wyatt was prejudicial and resulted in reversible error; (7) the trial court erred in
refusing to permit a proffer on whether Wyatt‘s fingerprints were illegally
obtained; (8) the medical examiner‘s testimony was speculative; (9) the trial court
erred in instructing the jury; (10) the prosecutor‘s improper closing remarks
resulted in fundamental error; (11) the trial court improperly denied Wyatt‘s
motion for continuance of the penalty phase so that defense counsel could present
mitigation; (12) the CCP and HAC aggravators are unconstitutional; (13) the trial
court erred by allowing evidence during the penalty phase that was outside the
scope of aggravating and mitigating circumstances; (14) the trial court improperly
admitted evidence of Wyatt‘s prior violent felonies and a photograph; (15) the use
of hearsay during the penalty phase violated the Confrontation Clause; (16) the
prosecutor‘s closing argument during the penalty phase was improper; and (17)
Florida‘s death-penalty sentencing scheme is unconstitutional.
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eliminating this aggravating circumstance was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt
in light of the six remaining aggravating circumstances and the lack of mitigation.
Id. This Court also found that ―the record [was] clear that Wyatt effectively
waived presentation of mitigating evidence‖ and that ―the trial court did not abuse
its discretion by refusing to suspend the penalty proceedings indefinitely.‖ Id. at
1340.
Wyatt‘s postconviction proceedings spanned several years in light of
complex public-records litigation. When Wyatt filed his final amended motion, he
raised a total of twenty-seven claims, some of which included multiple subclaims. 5
5. Wyatt‘s final amended motion raised the following claims: (1) the State
withheld public records in violation of Florida law; (2) section 119.19, Florida
Statutes (Supp. 1998), and Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.852 are
unconstitutional on their face and as applied to Wyatt and both violate the
separation of powers; (3.I.) ineffective assistance of counsel for (A) counsel‘s
cumulative error; (B) counsel‘s use of cocaine during trial; (C) failing to object to
perpetuation of testimony from lead investigator Ronald Blanton; (D) failing to
object to testimony of Larry Bouchette; (E) failing to properly object to the
prosecutor forcing Wyatt to testify as to veracity of State‘s witnesses; (F) failing to
object to questions regarding Wyatt‘s collateral crimes; (G) failing to object to
testimony from Rick Lindsey; (H) failing to object to testimony of Darrell Booth;
(I) failing to investigate Wyatt‘s drug and alcohol problem; (J) failing to rebut
testimony of Patrick McCoombs; and (K) failing to secure a complete mental
health evaluation; (3.II.) the trial court erred in: (A) failing to suppress unrecorded
oral statements Wyatt made while in custody; (B) permitting McCoombs to testify
regarding the ―convict code‖; (C) denying the motion to exclude DNA evidence;
(D) refusing to instruct the jury on third-degree murder; (E) failing to conduct an
individual voir dire of prospective jurors on the issue of pretrial publicity and their
views regarding the death penalty; and (F) allowing cumulative error; (3.III.) the
State erred by: (A) conducting improper cross-examination of Wyatt; (B)
misstating evidence; (C) having an improper relationship with McCoombs; (D)
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making improper comments during the penalty-phase closing; and (E) permitting
cumulative error; (4) Wyatt‘s convictions are unreliable because of newly
discovered evidence of McCoombs‘ fabricated testimony; (5) the State withheld
material and exculpatory evidence and presented misleading testimony in regard to
McCoombs; (6) counsel was ineffective for failing to move for individual voir dire
in regard to pretrial publicity; (7) counsel was ineffective for failing to obtain an
adequate mental health evaluation and to provide necessary information to the
mental health consultant in violation of Ake v. Oklahoma, 470 U.S. 68 (1985);
(8.I.) trial counsel was ineffective with respect to: (A) the introduction of gruesome
photographs during the guilt and penalty phases and (B) the penalty-phase
testimony regarding details of Wyatt‘s prior violent felony and (8.II.) appellate
counsel was ineffective for failing to properly litigate these issues on appeal; (9)
trial counsel was ineffective for failing to: (A) adequately investigate mitigating
evidence; (B) inform Wyatt of all available mitigation before he waived its
presentation; and (C) proffer mitigating evidence to the trial judge before
sentencing; (10) the penalty-phase jury instruction improperly shifted the burden of
proof, and counsel was ineffective for failing to challenge this instruction; (11) the
jury received inadequate guidance on the avoid arrest and CCP aggravators, and
counsel was ineffective for failing to challenge both; (12) the ―during commission
of a felony‖ aggravator is unconstitutional, the jury instruction on that aggravator
was inadequate, and counsel was ineffective for failing to challenge both; (13) the
―pecuniary gain‖ aggravator is unconstitutional, the jury instruction on that
aggravator was inadequate, and counsel was ineffective for failing to challenge
both; (14) the ―under the sentence of imprisonment‖ aggravator is unconstitutional,
the jury instruction on that aggravator was inadequate, and counsel was ineffective
for failing to challenge both; (15) the trial court erred in instructing the jury on the
HAC aggravator because it did not apply, the jury instruction on that aggravator
was unconstitutional, and counsel was ineffective for failing to challenge both;
(16) counsel was ineffective for failing to request a jury instruction on mercy or
sympathy; (17) trial and appellate counsel were ineffective for failing to litigate the
issue that the trial court and prosecutor misled the jury by minimizing its role in
sentencing; (18) the rule prohibiting the defendant from interviewing jurors is
unconstitutional and denies the defendant effective assistance of postconviction
counsel; (19) Florida‘s method of execution is unconstitutional; (20) Florida‘s
capital sentencing statute is unconstitutional; (21) counsel was ineffective for
failing to ensure that a complete record was available on direct appeal; (22) this
Court‘s harmless-error analysis with respect to the elimination of the CCP
aggravator was constitutionally inadequate; (23) counsel was ineffective for failing
to preserve the issue of Wyatt‘s shackling for appeal; (24) the trial court and jury
-8-
Following two separate Huff6 hearings, the postconviction court ordered that an
evidentiary hearing take place on claim 3 (ineffective assistance of counsel and
judicial and prosecutorial misconduct), claim 4 (newly discovered evidence), claim
5 (Brady7 and Giglio8 violations), claim 6 (ineffective assistance of counsel during
jury selection), claim 7 (ineffective assistance of counsel for failure to investigate
and prepare for the penalty phase), claim 9 (ineffective assistance of counsel for
failure to investigate mitigating evidence), and claim 26 (newly discovered
evidence on the discontinuation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of
CBLA).
At the first evidentiary hearing, Wyatt presented the testimony of several
witnesses, and the State did not put on any evidence. Before the postconviction
court ruled upon Wyatt‘s final amended motion, Wyatt filed a supplement to his
amended motion pending before the court. In this supplement, Wyatt raised four
used unconstitutionally obtained prior convictions as aggravators in violation of
Johnson v. Mississippi, 486 U.S. 578 (1988); (25) Wyatt‘s convictions and
sentences are unconstitutional under Ring v. Arizona, 536 U.S. 584 (2002); (26)
newly discovered evidence exists regarding a 2005 press release issued by the
Federal Bureau of Investigation, which announced that agency‘s discontinuation of
CBLA; and (27) Florida‘s lethal injection statute and procedures are
unconstitutional.
6. Huff v. State, 622 So. 2d 982 (Fla. 1993).
7. Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83 (1963).
8. Giglio v. United States, 405 U.S. 150 (1972).
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additional grounds for postconviction relief, numbered claims 28 through 31. 9 The
court designated the supplement as a successive postconviction motion and denied
Wyatt leave to amend. The court issued a sixty-page order denying all claims
related to Wyatt‘s final amended motion (claims 1 through 27). Following Wyatt‘s
appeal of those claims, he filed a motion to relinquish jurisdiction to litigate the
supplement, which this Court initially denied. Consequently, the postconviction
court stayed Wyatt‘s supplement pending his appeal of claims 1 through 27.
On January 23, 2009, Wyatt filed another motion to relinquish jurisdiction
after postconviction counsel came into possession of letters, dated August 7 and
October 22, 2008, from the FBI stating that at Wyatt‘s trial, an FBI agent testified
regarding CBLA in a manner that exceeded the limits of the science and could not
be supported by the agency. This Court granted Wyatt‘s motion, allowing Wyatt
leave to amend his previous supplement to include this claim and further directing
the postconviction court to hold an evidentiary hearing on both the allegations
regarding CBLA and the further allegations that State witness, Patrick McCoombs,
9. These four claims, which resume the numerical order set forth in Wyatt‘s
final amended postconviction motion, were as follows: (28) Florida‘s lethal
injection procedures are unconstitutional; (29) the Department of Corrections
improperly delegated its authority to the Attorney General‘s Office to create and
implement lethal injection procedures; (30) newly discovered evidence based on
November 2007 reports by 60 Minutes and the Washington Post that FBI expert
testimony exceeded the limits of CBLA science; and (31) newly discovered
evidence from Emilio Bravo that State witness, Patrick McCoombs, lied at trial.
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lied at trial. These claims were to be considered cumulatively with Wyatt‘s prior
postconviction claims. Thereafter, the postconviction court lifted the stay on
Wyatt‘s supplemental motion, and Wyatt filed an amended supplemental
postconviction motion, specifically revising claim 30 to include allegations
regarding his receipt of the 2008 FBI letters.
In June 2009, the postconviction court determined that an additional
evidentiary hearing would be held on claim 30 (challenging CBLA evidence) and
claim 31 (inmate Emilio Bravo‘s statement that McCoombs lied at trial). The State
conceded that CBLA evidence had been ―withdrawn by the FBI and [was] no
longer supported by the scientific community.‖ At the second evidentiary hearing,
Wyatt presented the testimony of several witnesses to support his challenges to the
CBLA evidence used at trial and the truthfulness of McCoombs‘ testimony. The
State again did not put on any evidence. Following the evidentiary hearing, the
postconviction court issued another order denying relief as to Wyatt‘s final four
claims.
This appeal follows, and Wyatt simultaneously petitions this Court for a writ
of habeas corpus.
ANALYSIS
I. RULE 3.850 CLAIMS
Wyatt raises multiple issues in his appeal of the postconviction court‘s
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denial of relief. 10 Initially, we note that Wyatt‘s claim that trial counsel was
ineffective for improperly conceding, or failing to object, to the admissibility of
gruesome photographs is insufficiently argued and therefore waived for the
purposes of appeal. 11 In addition, we also find that three other claims—Wyatt‘s
10. Wyatt argues: (1)(A) the 2008 FBI letter concerning CBLA testimony
constitutes newly discovered evidence that would probably produce an acquittal on
retrial, (B) because the FBI had knowledge of the flaws in CBLA at the time of
Wyatt‘s trial, the State‘s knowing presentation of FBI Special Agent John Riley‘s
false testimony violated Giglio, (C) the State‘s failure to disclose that Agent
Riley‘s testimony was unscientific and unsound violated Brady, and (D) to the
extent defense counsel failed to challenge CBLA as ―junk science,‖ they rendered
ineffective assistance under Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668 (1984); (2)(A)
the State withheld material impeachment material regarding witness Patrick
McCoombs in violation of Brady, (B) the State allowed for the presentation of
McCoombs‘ false testimony in violation of Giglio, and (C) newly discovered
evidence exists that McCoombs‘ trial testimony was fabricated, and if presented to
the jury would probably produce an acquittal or lesser sentence on retrial; (3) the
postconviction court erred in summarily denying his claims that counsel was
ineffective for (A) improperly conceding, or failing to object, to the admissibility
of unnecessary, cumulative, and gruesome photographs presented to the jury, (B)
not objecting to the admission of penalty-phase testimony detailing Wyatt‘s prior
violent felonies, and (C) failing to properly preserve the issue that he was shackled
throughout trial; (4) Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.852 and section 119.19,
Florida Statutes, unconstitutionally restrict his right to public-records access under
the Florida and United States Constitutions and violate the separation of powers;
(5) the penalty-phase jury instructions given at trial were unconstitutional; and (6)
Florida‘s death penalty statute is unconstitutional and death by electrocution or
lethal injection constitutes cruel and unusual punishment.
11. See Geralds v. State, 35 Fla. L. Weekly S503, S513 (Fla. Sept. 16,
2010) (denying habeas claim regarding the admission of gruesome and cumulative
photographs as insufficiently pled because defendant failed to specify which
photographs he was challenging, did not articulate why the photographs were
particularly inflammatory, and did not explain why they were inadmissible under
governing case law).
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claims that the postconviction court erred in summarily denying his allegations that
trial counsel was ineffective for not objecting to the admission of testimony
detailing Wyatt‘s prior violent felonies and for failing to preserve the issue that he
was shackled throughout trial, and his claim that the penalty-phase jury
instructions were unconstitutional—are procedurally barred, without merit, or
both.12 We next address in more detail the remainder of Wyatt‘s postconviction
claims.
CBLA Claims
In his first issue on appeal, Wyatt raises four subclaims regarding CBLA
evidence that the State proffered through the testimony of FBI Special Agent John
12. As to the testimony regarding Wyatt‘s prior violent felonies, this claim
is without merit because the record demonstrates that counsel repeatedly, and
strenuously, objected to the State‘s elicitation of specific details concerning
Wyatt‘s prior crimes. With regard to the shackling issue, this claim was raised and
decided on direct appeal, see Wyatt, 641 So. 2d at 1340 n.4, and is therefore
procedurally barred, see Schoenwetter v. State, 46 So. 3d 535, 562 (Fla. 2010).
This claim lacks merit as well since the record demonstrates that counsel did, in
fact, preserve this issue for appeal by objecting. Finally, as to Wyatt‘s substantive
challenge to the constitutionality of the jury instructions used during the penalty
phase, this claim is procedurally barred because ―[c]laims regarding the adequacy
or constitutionality of jury instructions should be raised on direct appeal.‖ Israel v.
State, 985 So. 2d 510, 520 (Fla. 2008); see also Thompson v. State, 759 So. 2d
650, 665 (Fla. 2000) (―The substantive challenges to these jury instructions are
procedurally barred because Thompson could have raised these claims on direct
appeal.‖).
We also deny Wyatt‘s claim that the postconviction court erred in failing to
attach portions of the record to its order summarily denying relief because in the
order, the court stated its rationale for the summary denial. See Demps v. Dugger,
714 So. 2d 365, 367 (Fla. 1998).
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Riley at Wyatt‘s trial in 1991. Specifically, Wyatt argues as follows: (1) the 2008
letter issued by the FBI in this case constitutes newly discovered evidence that
would probably produce an acquittal on retrial; (2) because the FBI had knowledge
of the flaws in CBLA at the time of Wyatt‘s trial, the State‘s knowing presentation
of Agent Riley‘s false testimony violated Giglio; (3) the State‘s failure to disclose
that Agent Riley‘s testimony was unscientific and unsound violated Brady; and (4)
to the extent that defense counsel failed to challenge CBLA as ―junk science,‖
counsel rendered ineffective assistance under Strickland.
For the reasons explained below, we conclude that the 2008 letter clearly
qualified as newly discovered evidence; thus, the postconviction court erred in
finding that the claim was procedurally barred and that the letter did not constitute
newly discovered evidence. Regardless of these errors, we affirm the
postconviction court‘s denial of relief because Wyatt cannot demonstrate that
consideration of the letter would probably produce an acquittal on retrial under the
newly discovered evidence standard. As to the Brady and Giglio claims, there is
no basis for concluding that the State withheld favorable evidence under Brady or
knowingly presented false evidence at the original trial under Giglio. After the
FBI discovered the errors in the original CBLA evidence introduced at trial, Wyatt
was made aware of these errors by letter. Finally, we reject Wyatt‘s
ineffectiveness claim because the record shows that trial counsel retained an
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independent expert to evaluate the FBI‘s comparative bullet lead analysis, and the
expert provided counsel with no basis to challenge that analysis.
Background Facts
At trial, the State employed the testimony of Agent Riley to link bullets
recovered from the victims‘ bodies with bullets identified to be in Wyatt‘s
possession subsequent to the murders. Agent Riley testified as an expert on
CBLA, which compares the elemental composition of lead bullets for forensic
value. Specifically, Agent Riley opined that by comparing the elemental
composition of the respective bullets, he was able to determine that the bullets
found inside the victims and the bullets Wyatt was known to possess after the
murders ―came from the same box of ammunition . . . or from another box of
ammunition that was manufactured at the same place, on or about the same date.‖
Agent Riley qualified his explanation, stating that this was not ―the only box that
was manufactured that had this composition,‖ but that ―it came from a batch of
bullets made . . . at the same factory on or about the same date.‖
Since Wyatt‘s trial, various studies, including a February 10, 2004, report
issued by the National Research Council (NRC), have undermined the scientific
reliability of the correlation Agent Riley drew at trial. On September 1, 2005, the
FBI, which was the only agency conducting CBLA in the United States, issued a
press release announcing that the agency was discontinuing its use of CBLA.
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Several years later, the State received a letter from the FBI dated August 7, 2008,
which referenced Wyatt‘s case and stated in pertinent part:
After reviewing the testimony of the FBI‘s examiner, it is the
opinion of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Laboratory that the
examiner stated or implied that the evidentiary specimen(s) could be
associated to a single box of ammunition. This type of testimony
exceeds the limits of the science and cannot be supported by the FBI.
Your office is encouraged to consult appellate specialists in
your jurisdiction to determine whether you have any discovery
obligations with respect to the finding stated above. As directed by
the Department of Justice, we are notifying the Chief Judge of the
court in which this case was tried of the results of our review by
copying him or her on this letter.
Additionally, you should be aware that the FBI is cooperating
with the Innocence Project. The Innocence Project is interested in
determining whether improper bullet lead analysis testimony was
material to the conviction of any defendant, and, if so, to ensure
appropriate remedial actions are taken.
(Emphasis added.) The State later supplied this letter to Wyatt‘s postconviction
counsel. After conducting two evidentiary hearings, the postconviction court
denied relief on Wyatt‘s CBLA claims.
Newly Discovered Evidence Claim
Wyatt first contends that the postconviction court erred in its two-fold ruling
that the FBI letter in this case did not constitute newly discovered evidence and
that a claim relating to the letter‘s subject matter was procedurally time-barred
because it should have been raised within a year from the date the 2004 NRC
report was issued. On appeal, the State subscribes to the same position as the
postconviction court‘s ruling.
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As an initial matter, the State contends that Wyatt‘s claim is procedurally
time-barred because a motion for postconviction relief in a capital case must be
filed within one year from the date the new facts become known. According to the
State, Wyatt should have raised this claim within one year from the date the NRC
issued its February 10, 2004, report, which undermined the scientific reliability of
the testimony that Agent Riley gave at trial, or one year from September 1, 2005,
the date the FBI issued a press release announcing it was discontinuing its usage of
CBLA. We reject the State‘s position.
The record reflects that unlike the NRC report or the FBI press release, the
2008 letter was based on the FBI‘s own review of Agent Riley‘s 1991 testimony in
this case. Although the letter did not invalidate all of Agent Riley‘s testimony, the
agency clearly determined that his statement or implications ―that the evidentiary
specimen(s) could be associated to a single box of ammunition . . . exceed[ed] the
limits of science and [could not] be supported by the FBI.‖ In contrast, neither the
2004 NRC report nor the 2005 press release involved a concession that the
testimony the FBI offered in past cases was unreliable and were only prospective
in nature. Thus, we hold that a newly discovered evidence claim predicated upon a
case-specific letter from the FBI discrediting the CBLA testimony offered at trial is
not procedurally barred if timely raised. In the present case, upon receipt of the
FBI‘s 2008 letter, Wyatt timely filed a supplemental motion for postconviction
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relief, alleging that the letter constituted newly discovered evidence warranting a
new trial, and, therefore, this claim is not time-barred.
We now turn to the merits of Wyatt‘s newly discovered evidence claim.
This Court has held that a defendant bears the burden of establishing two
requirements in order for a conviction to be set aside on the basis of newly
discovered evidence: (1) the asserted evidence must have been unknown by the
trial court, by the party, or by counsel at the time of trial, and it must appear that
the defendant or defense counsel could not have known of it by the use of
diligence; and (2) the newly discovered evidence must be of such a nature that it
would probably produce an acquittal on retrial. Jones v. State (Jones II), 709 So.
2d 512, 521 (Fla. 1998). The postconviction court held that the 2008 letter did not
fall within the confines of the first prong of the ―newly discovered evidence‖ test
because the evidence was not ―in existence at the time of trial,‖ relying on a
statement in Kearse v. State, 969 So. 2d 976, 987 (Fla. 2007). Wyatt challenges
this ruling, asserting that the postconviction court erred in relying on this statement
from Kearse. For the reasons that follow, we agree with Wyatt and recede from
the statement in Kearse—which involved different circumstances—that the
evidence ―must have existed . . . at the time of trial.‖ Id.
In Jones v. State (Jones I), 591 So. 2d 911 (Fla. 1991), this Court defined the
first prong of the newly discovered evidence as facts that ―must have been
- 18 -
unknown by the trial court, by the party, or by counsel at the time of trial‖ and that
―the defendant or his counsel could not have known them by the use of diligence.‖
591 So. 2d at 916 (quoting Hallman v. State, 371 So. 2d 482, 485 (Fla. 1979)). In
Jones II, we reaffirmed our abidance with that definition. See Jones II, 709 So. 2d
at 521. In Kearse, we addressed a claim regarding newly discovered evidence
where the defendant asserted a newly discovered evidence claim based on a mental
health expert‘s conduct, which occurred after the resentencing proceeding and
involved a different defendant in a different state. Kearse, 969 So. 2d at 987. This
Court rejected his claim, summarily holding that the allegations failed to meet
either prong of the Jones II test. In our analysis, we noted that ―the evidence did
not exist at the time of the resentencing.‖ Id. We now clarify that the language
―must have existed . . . at the time of trial,‖ which was promulgated by this Court
in Kearse and applied by the postconviction court in this case, has never been a
part of newly discovered evidence analysis and was an incorrect recitation of the
test set forth in the Jones decisions.13
This holding is in accord with our prior decisions, which have recognized
newly discovered evidence claims predicated upon new testing methods or
13. To the extent that Porter v. State, 653 So. 2d 374, 380 (Fla. 1995), and
Wright v. State, 857 So. 2d 861, 871 (Fla. 2003), utilize language similar to that
found in Kearse, we also conclude that such statements constitute incorrect
recitations of the definition for newly discovered evidence.
- 19 -
techniques that did not exist at the time of trial, but are used to test evidence
introduced at the original trial. See, e.g., Preston v. State, 970 So. 2d 789, 798
(Fla. 2007) (―There is no dispute that the DNA evidence concerning the pubic hair,
showing that it did not belong to the victim, is newly discovered evidence.‖);
Hildwin v. State, 951 So. 2d 784, 788-89 (Fla. 2006) (holding that new DNA
testing of evidence indicating that semen and saliva on victim‘s panties and
washcloth excluding defendant as source and which refuted the trial serology
evidence constituted newly discovered evidence). Moreover, we have also
recognized newly discovered evidence claims predicated upon a witness who
testified at trial but then subsequently recanted his or her testimony; the witness‘s
recantation, which did not exist at the time of trial, constituted newly discovered
evidence. See, e.g., Hurst v. State, 18 So. 3d 975, 992-93 (Fla. 2009) (recognizing
the statements made by State witness after trial acknowledging that defendant did
not confess to the crime was newly discovered evidence of recantation). 14
We reaffirm our continued adherence to the definition adopted by this Court
14. That is not to say that all new evidence, although not in existence at the
time of trial but related to a case, is the equivalent of newly discovered evidence
for the purposes of establishing a postconviction claim. See, e.g., Kearse, 969 So.
2d at 987 (holding that evidence of conduct by State‘s expert witness in a separate,
federal criminal case that postdated the appellant‘s trial did not constitute newly
discovered evidence of impeachment material); Porter, 653 So. 2d at 379-80
(denying appellant‘s claim that his good prison conduct after trial constituted
newly discovered evidence for the purposes of his original trial in which a death
sentence was imposed).
- 20 -
in Jones I and Jones II: under the first prong of the newly discovered evidence test,
the asserted evidence must have been unknown by the trial court, by the party, or
by counsel at the time of trial, and it must appear that the defendant or defense
counsel could not have known of it by the use of diligence. See Jones II, 709 So.
2d at 521. Here, the 2008 letter explicitly states that Agent Riley‘s testimony that
the ―evidentiary specimen(s) could be associated to a single box of ammunition . . .
exceed[ed] the limits of science and [could not] be supported by the FBI.‖
Although the FBI did not actually write the letter until August 2008, more than
fifteen years after Wyatt‘s trial, the flaws inherent in CBLA science were unknown
or not publicly acknowledged at the time of trial. Accordingly, we hold that the
case-specific letter authored by the FBI in this case constitutes newly discovered
evidence because the letter consists of facts that Wyatt could not have known at the
time of trial, and Wyatt or defense counsel could not have known of the facts by
the use of diligence.
With these determinations in mind, we now turn to the second prong of the
test set forth in Jones I and Jones II. We conclude that Wyatt cannot prevail
because he is unable to demonstrate that consideration of the 2008 letter would
probably produce an acquittal on retrial. Importantly, the State did not base its
case on the CBLA evidence alone; the jury obviously credited the extensive
testimony offered by other witnesses who linked Wyatt to the murders. Testimony
- 21 -
presented at trial revealed the following facts: DNA evidence matching Wyatt‘s
DNA was found inside one of the victims; Wyatt admitted to stealing the
distinctively colored Cadillac, being less than a mile from the Domino‘s on the
night of the murders, and possessing a 38-caliber pistol; Wyatt made inculpatory
statements to law enforcement officers after his arrest in South Carolina; all the
victims were shot with the same 38-caliber weapon; and one witness observed that
a red and white vehicle was parked outside the Domino‘s at a quarter to midnight
on May 17 and when she returned with the police at midnight, the vehicle was no
longer there. Further, Agent Riley‘s CBLA testimony simply linked the bullets
found inside the victims to bullets that Wyatt possessed after the crime; the
testimony did not indicate whether Wyatt, in fact, purchased those bullets or fired
the murder weapon. Therefore, we ultimately conclude that the newly discovered
2008 letter regarding Agent Riley‘s unreliable testimony was not of such nature
that it would probably produce an acquittal on retrial.
Giglio Claim
Wyatt next contends that the State violated Giglio because the State failed to
correct false testimony given by Agent Riley. In support, Wyatt asserts that Agent
Riley‘s testimony that the FBI‘s CBLA analysts were able to give an opinion as to
whether a certain bullet originated from a certain box of ammunition was false
because the 2008 letter categorically rejects that proposition. Wyatt further
- 22 -
contends that Agent Riley falsely testified that the FBI‘s analysts conducted
voluminous research on the composition of various bullets. The postconviction
court denied relief on this claim, finding that Wyatt presented no evidence that the
prosecutor had knowledge of these alleged falsehoods. We agree.
To establish a Giglio violation, Wyatt must show that: ―(1) the testimony
given was false; (2) the prosecutor knew the testimony was false; and (3) the
statement was material.‖ Guzman v. State, 868 So. 2d 498, 505 (Fla. 2003).
―[T]he false evidence is material if there is any reasonable likelihood that the false
testimony could have affected the judgment of the jury.‖ Id. at 506 (internal
quotation marks omitted). ―The State, as the beneficiary of the Giglio violation,
bears the burden to prove that the presentation of false testimony at trial was
harmless beyond a reasonable doubt.‖ Id. Giglio claims present mixed questions
of law and fact. Accordingly, this Court defers to those factual findings supported
by competent, substantial evidence, but reviews de novo the application of the law
to the facts. Green v. State, 975 So. 2d 1090, 1106 (Fla. 2008).
Wyatt first argues that Agent Riley‘s testimony, in which Riley stated that he
was able to give an opinion as to whether bullets originated from a certain box of
ammunition, was false because the FBI rejected that position in the 2008 letter it
issued in this case. Wyatt‘s postconviction expert, statistician Dr. Clifford
Spiegelman, established that the 2008 letter was the first time the FBI actually
- 23 -
acknowledged that the testimony offered by Agent Riley in Wyatt‘s case exceeded
the limits of science and could not be supported by the FBI. As a result, it
logically follows that the prosecutor could not correct false testimony based on
information contained in a letter written and issued to the State over fifteen years
after the conclusion of Wyatt‘s trial. We therefore conclude that Wyatt‘s reliance
on the 2008 letter to establish a Giglio violation is misplaced.
As to Wyatt‘s second argument, he takes issue with Agent Riley‘s testimony
that the FBI ―had to do a lot of research‖ and had ―a lot of base data in order to
reach conclusions‖ regarding CBLA. At the time of Wyatt‘s trial, CBLA appeared
to be an accepted science. During the evidentiary hearings, forensic metallurgist
William Tobin testified that his own ―pioneering research‖ uncovering the flaws in
CBLA did not begin until 1999 and that he did not publish his first study on the
subject until 2004 or 2005. Tobin further acknowledged that CBLA had been used
in courts for forty years, that the FBI was the only laboratory that routinely offered
such bullet lead comparisons, and that prior to 1991, CBLA was admitted in an
overwhelming majority of cases and generally accepted by courts. However,
Tobin‘s current research reflected that the FBI never conducted any meaningful or
comprehensive studies of the underlying assumptions used in the practice of CBLA
and that the comparative aspect of the science was never wholly subjected to peer
review. Along similar lines, Dr. Spiegelman testified that when compiling data for
- 24 -
the 2004 NRC report, the FBI presented no comprehensive or meaningful research
studies to establish the underlying premise of CBLA.
Based on the evidentiary hearing testimony, it is arguable that Agent Riley‘s
testimony to the effect that the FBI had ―a lot of base data‖ and had performed ―a
lot of research‖ may have been false at the time of trial. Yet, even if we were to
assume that Agent Riley‘s testimony in this regard were false, the postconviction
court properly found that Wyatt presented no evidence that the prosecutor had
knowledge of these alleged falsehoods. As Wyatt‘s own experts indicated,
research uncovering flaws in CBLA did not surface until well after Wyatt‘s trial.
Thus, Wyatt has failed to satisfy the second prong of Giglio, and we therefore deny
relief on this claim.
Brady Claim
Next, Wyatt argues that the State suppressed favorable evidence in violation
of Brady. Specifically, Wyatt contends that the State failed to disclose that the
CBLA technique to which Agent Riley testified at trial was unscientific and
unsound and that there was a lack of comprehensive research necessary to ensure
the reliability of CBLA results.
To meet the requirements of Brady, Wyatt must show that (1) favorable
evidence—either exculpatory or impeaching, (2) was willfully or inadvertently
suppressed by the State, and (3) because the evidence was material, the defendant
- 25 -
was prejudiced. See Strickler v. Greene, 527 U.S. 263, 281-82 (1999); see also
Way v. State, 760 So. 2d 903, 910 (Fla. 2000). To meet the materiality prong, the
defendant must demonstrate ―a reasonable probability that the jury verdict would
have been different had the suppressed information been used at trial.‖ Smith v.
State, 931 So. 2d 790, 796 (Fla. 2006) (citing Strickler, 527 U.S. at 289, 296). A
reasonable probability is a probability sufficient to undermine confidence in the
outcome. See Way, 760 So. 2d at 913; see also Strickler, 527 U.S. at 290.
There is no question the 2008 letter and research showing that Agent Riley‘s
testimony regarding the bullet match cannot be supported by science are favorable.
This claim fails, however, because Wyatt has not satisfied the second prong of
Brady. Wyatt‘s own experts testified that neither the 2008 letter nor any
comprehensive research uncovering the flaws in CBLA existed until well after
Wyatt‘s trial in 1991. Accordingly, the State could not have willfully or
inadvertently suppressed such information. See Mungin v. State, 932 So. 2d 986,
998 n.10 (Fla. 2006) (―The State could not suppress information that was not
available.‖); Duckett v. State, 918 So. 2d 224, 235 (Fla. 2005) (concluding that
because favorable information contained within a report did not exist until after
defendant‘s trial, defendant ―fail[ed] to establish that the State ‗either willfully or
inadvertently‘ suppressed the information‖). We therefore affirm the
postconviction court‘s denial of relief on this claim.
- 26 -
Ineffective Assistance of Counsel Claim
In his final CBLA claim, Wyatt contends that counsel rendered ineffective
assistance by failing to challenge the faulty premise underlying Agent Riley‘s
CBLA testimony to the extent that counsel could have known that CBLA was
―junk science.‖ Following the United States Supreme Court‘s decision in
Strickland, this Court has held that for ineffective assistance of counsel claims to
be successful, two requirements must be satisfied:
First, the claimant must identify particular acts or omissions of the
lawyer that are shown to be outside the broad range of reasonably
competent performance under prevailing professional standards.
Second, the clear, substantial deficiency shown must further be
demonstrated to have so affected the fairness and reliability of the
proceeding that confidence in the outcome is undermined.
Schoenwetter, 46 So. 3d at 546 (quoting Maxwell v. Wainwright, 490 So. 2d 927,
932 (Fla. 1986)). We deny this claim because Wyatt has failed to establish that
counsel was deficient.
At the 2007 evidentiary hearing, defense attorney Diamond Litty testified
that prior to Wyatt‘s trial, the defense retained Dr. Raymond Hart, a metallurgist,
to review the FBI‘s analysis of the bullet lead in this case. Litty explained that
because Dr. Hart did not render an opinion favorable to the defense, counsel chose
not to proffer his testimony at trial. Further, as previously stated, Wyatt‘s own
experts testified that comprehensive research uncovering the flaws in CBLA did
not exist until well after Wyatt‘s trial. Accordingly, Wyatt has failed to meet the
- 27 -
first prong of the Strickland standard. See Smith, 931 So. 2d at 801 (denying
defendant‘s claim that counsel was ineffective for failing to challenge an FBI
expert‘s testimony regarding CBLA under the first prong of Strickland where
counsel hired an expert to examine the CBLA evidence in order to challenge it, the
expert found no problems with the FBI analysis, and defendant‘s own expert
admitted at the postconviction hearing that no research, including the expert‘s own
research, was available to challenge the FBI evidence at retrial).
Claims Regarding State Witness Patrick McCoombs
Newly Discovered Evidence Claim
With regard to Patrick McCoombs, a key State witness at trial, Wyatt
contends that newly discovered evidence shows that McCoombs fabricated his
testimony on the stand and that if the jury was aware of this information, it would
probably have acquitted him or he would probably have received a lesser sentence.
While the parties and postconviction court use the word ―recantation‖ in discussing
this claim, Wyatt is not raising an actual recantation claim because McCoombs
testified during the evidentiary hearing that he was not recanting his trial
testimony. Instead, Wyatt is asserting that new evidence demonstrates that
McCoombs fabricated his trial testimony and that this evidence would be
admissible in a retrial to impeach McCoombs‘ original trial testimony. In support
of his claim, Wyatt relies principally upon the perpetuated testimony of inmates
- 28 -
Scott Rollins and Dennis Morrison, as well as the affidavit of inmate Emilio
Bravo,15 all of whom asserted that McCoombs allegedly admitted that his trial
testimony against Wyatt was ―significantly untruthful‖ while he was serving a
prison sentence at ADX Florence, a federal maximum security prison in Colorado.
During trial, McCoombs provided incriminating testimony against Wyatt.
He testified that he was housed in the Greenville County Jail in South Carolina
from mid-March to mid-May of 1989, and that during this time period, he was in
the cell next to Wyatt prior to Wyatt‘s extradition to Florida. During the course of
numerous conversations the two men shared, Wyatt relayed to McCoombs intimate
details about the Domino‘s robbery and murders. Specifically, Wyatt reported to
McCoombs that he had committed a crime at a pizza restaurant in Vero Beach with
an individual named Michael Lovette, whom McCoombs had never met. Wyatt
informed McCoombs that after shooting the manager, who had begged for his life,
Wyatt told the others that they ―were dead‖ because he could not leave any
witnesses. According to Wyatt, the woman began to cry and ―the Cuban‖ started
15. When the parties attempted to perpetuate the deposition testimony of
Bravo, Bravo refused to submit to cross-examination. As a result, Bravo‘s
testimony was not offered at the evidentiary hearing, and only his affidavit was
available. The postconviction court accepted the defense‘s argument that Bravo‘s
affidavit constituted newly discovered evidence, but ruled that the affidavit would
not constitute substantive evidence because it was inadmissible hearsay and Bravo
was never declared to be ―unavailable‖ under section 90.804(1), Florida Statutes
(2009). We agree with this ruling.
- 29 -
praying. Because Wyatt did not want to hear the woman crying, he shot her in the
head. Wyatt also stuck the gun in ―the Cuban‘s‖ ear and said something to the
effect of ―[l]isten real close because you are going to hear it coming.‖ Wyatt then
shot ―the Cuban‖ in the ear, but because the shot was not fatal, Wyatt shot him
again in the head. According to McCoombs, Lovette was at the front counter
wearing ―the Cuban‘s‖ Domino‘s shirt while the shootings occurred.
At the 2007 evidentiary hearing, through their perpetuated testimony,
inmates Rollins and Morrison both testified that McCoombs admitted that his trial
testimony was untruthful. However, when pressed for specifics, Rollins could not
recall any of the details regarding what McCoombs said, other than that it had
something to do with the police requesting McCoombs to find out certain
information about guns and advising McCoombs that if Wyatt did not discuss this
matter, McCoombs should say that he heard Wyatt admit to statements about guns.
According to Morrison, McCoombs admitted that Wyatt did not confess and that
McCoombs had received the information to which he testified at trial from the
police. Morrison also stated McCoombs reported to him that the police wanted
Wyatt to discuss the location of a gun, which the police already possessed, and told
McCoombs that he should testify that Wyatt did reveal this fact, even if he did not.
During the hearing, McCoombs denied that he had lied at trial.
The postconviction court reviewed all of the testimony and found that
- 30 -
McCoombs‘ testimony at the evidentiary hearing was more credible than the
testimony of Rollins and Morrison. Of particular importance to the postconviction
court, McCoombs‘ trial testimony included statements that were consistent with,
and corroborated by, other trial testimony and evidence, including: the Domino‘s
employees were taken to the bathroom during the robbery; Wyatt pistol-whipped
the restaurant‘s manager before killing him; Matthew Bornoosh had been shot with
a gun that was placed inside his ear; Wyatt had stolen a car in Madeira Beach,
Florida; and Wyatt used two types of bullets to kill the victims. Wyatt attempted
to prove that McCoombs learned about this information from other sources
because Wyatt allegedly shared legal documents with McCoombs while they were
housed together. However, as the postconviction court noted, Wyatt did not prove
a source for McCoombs‘ knowledge other than Wyatt sharing the information
himself because the only discovery document Wyatt may have had at the time both
men were housed in the Greenville facility was the State‘s extradition affidavit,
which did not contain the facts to which McCoombs testified at trial. Moreover,
these facts had not been released to the media.
When ―evaluating a trial court‘s order, ‗this Court will not substitute its
judgment for that of the trial court on . . . the credibility of the witnesses and the
weight to be given to the evidence,‘ provided its order is supported by competent,
substantial evidence.‖ Cherry v. State, 959 So. 2d 702, 709 (Fla. 2007) (quoting
- 31 -
Porter v. State, 788 So. 2d 917, 923 (Fla. 2001)). Under this standard, this Court is
―highly deferential to the trial court‘s judgment on the issue of credibility.‖ Archer
v. State, 934 So. 2d 1187, 1196 (Fla. 2006). This is because ―the trial judge is
there and has a superior vantage point to see and hear the witnesses presenting the
conflicting testimony.‖ State v. Spaziano, 692 So. 2d 174, 178 (Fla. 1997). Here,
the postconviction court denied relief, holding that McCoombs‘ testimony was
more credible than the inmates‘ testimony and was consistent with the record. The
record provides competent, substantial evidence supporting the postconviction
court‘s findings. In fact, it is unclear whether the statements made by Rollins and
Morrison concerning the gun would have any relevance to this case because no
murder weapon was ever found or presented at trial. Their statements would be
inadmissible during retrial as substantive evidence, and even if admitted to
impeach McCoombs, they would do little to refute facts conclusively established
by the record due to their lack of detail, and their testimony would not weaken the
evidence of Wyatt‘s role in this crime. Thus, we affirm the postconviction court‘s
ruling on this claim. 16
16. As a corollary claim, Wyatt contends that McCoombs could be
impeached at retrial with his evidentiary-hearing testimony in which he gave
inconsistent responses when questioned about why he wrote his 2002 recantation
letter, which he later withdrew. However, the postconviction court found
McCoombs‘ testimony to be credible and that he did not recant his trial testimony
but merely made veiled threats of recantation to call attention to the harsh
- 32 -
Undisclosed Federal Sentence Reduction Agreement
Wyatt also contends that the State violated Brady by failing to disclose
evidence of an agreement it made with McCoombs that in exchange for testifying,
McCoombs would receive mitigation of his federal sentence. Wyatt further alleges
that McCoombs‘ testimony at trial that he was not receiving any benefit was false,
and, by failing to correct this testimony, the State violated Giglio. The
postconviction court denied these interrelated claims, finding that Wyatt presented
no evidence to refute the testimony of McCoombs and State prosecutor David
Morgan that at the time of the Wyatt trials in 1991, an agreement for sentence
mitigation did not exist. A review of the record supports the postconviction court‘s
findings, and we affirm the court‘s denial of these claims.
At the time of Wyatt‘s trial on the Domino‘s murder counts in 1991,
McCoombs was serving a federal sentence for his role in a South Carolina armed
bank robbery. When called as a State witness, McCoombs testified that neither the
State nor the federal government promised him anything in exchange for his
testimony. McCoombs specifically stated that because he was in federal, and not
State, custody, he did not believe any type of assistance from Florida officials
would be possible and that his federal sentence was fixed pursuant to federal
conditions of confinement eleven years after he was a government witness at
Wyatt‘s trial. These findings are supported by competent, substantial evidence.
- 33 -
guidelines. Moreover, McCoombs never asked the State for a reduction in the
sentence he was currently serving. On redirect, McCoombs reiterated that he had
nothing to gain by testifying, was not promised anything in exchange for testifying,
that his sentence had not been altered, and only noted that he was supposed to be
placed in the witness protection program within the federal prison system.
Likewise, at the evidentiary hearing, prosecutor Morgan testified that
McCoombs had never requested anything in return for his testimony except for
protection because he was concerned that Wyatt would use inside contacts to ―get
at him.‖ Morgan only promised McCoombs that he would do his best to ensure
that authorities were made aware that McCoombs should be properly protected.
On February 12, 1992, prosecutor Morgan wrote a letter to federal authorities
stating that McCoombs had assisted the State in Wyatt‘s cases and recommending
sentence mitigation for McCoombs. However, this was not based on any prior
agreement. An Assistant United States Attorney in South Carolina subsequently
filed a motion for a reduction in McCoombs‘ federal sentence based on this letter.
The federal court ultimately granted the motion and reduced McCoombs‘ sentence
by around twenty months.
The first prong of Brady requires Wyatt to demonstrate that ―the State
possessed evidence favorable to the accused because it was either exculpatory or
impeaching.‖ Allen v. State, 854 So. 2d 1255, 1259 (Fla. 2003). While this Court
- 34 -
has previously held that evidence that a witness is receiving a benefit in exchange
for testifying could be subject to a Brady challenge, see Guzman, 868 So. 2d at
508-09, and Morgan did testify that he sent a letter to federal authorities
recommending sentence mitigation, there was no evidence that a deal was in fact
made, as the postconviction court correctly found.
Wyatt asserts that the lack of a ―smoking gun document‖ evidencing such an
agreement is not dispositive of this claim. However, there is no record evidence
that the prosecutor‘s post-trial letter to the federal government demonstrated proof
of a pretrial agreement of assistance in exchange for McCoombs‘ trial testimony.
Wyatt has failed to meet his burden of showing there was, in fact, an agreement
and thus the existence of evidence to withhold, and we therefore deny his Brady
claim. See, e.g., Davis v. State, 928 So. 2d 1089, 1115-16 (Fla. 2005) (rejecting
defendant‘s Brady claim that State suppressed information regarding a deal that
State witness would receive gain time for his sentence in exchange for testifying
because even though State did in fact write a letter on witness‘s behalf, there was
no evidence that an agreement between the witness and the State was made).
Wyatt‘s Giglio claim suffers from the same problem. Giglio requires Wyatt
to demonstrate that ―the prosecutor presented or failed to correct false testimony.‖
Green, 975 So. 2d at 1106. Because the record is devoid of evidence to support his
contention that Morgan‘s letter or post-trial assistance rendered McCoombs‘ trial
- 35 -
testimony false or misleading in any way, Wyatt has failed to demonstrate that he
is entitled to relief under Giglio. See, e.g., Jones v. State, 998 So. 2d 573, 580 (Fla.
2008) (denying defendant‘s Giglio claim because ample evidence in the record
supported the trial court‘s finding that no promise of leniency in exchange for
favorable testimony between the State and a key trial witness existed, and that,
therefore, witness‘s testimony denying that any promise had been made was not
false).17
Penalty Phase Ineffectiveness
In his next claim, Wyatt contends that trial counsel was ineffective for
failing to fully investigate and present mitigating evidence for the penalty phase.
He first alleges that his waiver of mitigation was invalid because defense counsel
failed to conduct an adequate penalty-phase investigation into Wyatt‘s social
history, which would have unearthed substantial mitigating evidence relating to
17. Wyatt similarly contends that the State‘s post-trial assistance to
McCoombs in the years following his trial (i.e., through phone calls, letters, and
public-records assistance) evidences proof of a pretrial, clandestine ―quid pro quo‖
agreement that the State failed to disclose in violation of Brady and rendered
McCoombs‘ trial testimony false in violation of Giglio. Wyatt supports these
claims only with speculation, and we therefore deny relief. See Maharaj v. State,
778 So. 2d 944, 951 (Fla. 2000) (―Postconviction relief cannot be based on
speculation or possibility.‖). In addition, to the extent that Wyatt asserts that the
State‘s misconduct in this case precluded him from effectively cross-examining a
key State witness or presenting a defense, Wyatt has failed to fully brief and argue
these points, and he has therefore waived them for the purposes of this appeal. See
Coolen v. State, 696 So. 2d 738, 742 n.2 (Fla. 1997) (―Coolen‘s failure to fully
brief and argue these points constitutes a waiver of these claims.‖).
- 36 -
Wyatt‘s troubled childhood, and hence, counsel could not advise him regarding the
ramifications of waiving mitigation. Wyatt also asserts that trial counsel failed to
adequately investigate and present the testimony of a mental-health expert, and
further, that counsel failed to proffer to the trial court mitigating evidence
regarding his mental health in light of his waiver of mitigation.
Waiver of Mitigation and Counsel’s Failure to Proffer Evidence
We review this claim in the context of Wyatt‘s waiver of mitigation at trial.
As this Court found on direct appeal, ―Wyatt instructed his counsel throughout the
trial that he did not want any witnesses called in mitigation,‖ and ―the record [was]
clear that Wyatt effectively waived presentation of mitigating evidence.‖ Wyatt,
641 So. 2d at 1340. Wyatt contends as a threshold matter that trial counsel were
ineffective because they failed to proffer all available mitigation prior to Wyatt‘s
waiver in violation of this Court‘s holding in Koon v. Dugger, 619 So. 2d 246 (Fla.
1993). In Koon, this Court outlined the proper procedure by which trial courts
must abide when a defendant waives the presentation of mitigating evidence:
[C]ounsel must inform the court on the record of the defendant‘s
decision. Counsel must indicate whether, based on his investigation,
he reasonably believes there to be mitigating evidence that could be
presented and what that evidence would be. The court should then
require the defendant to confirm on the record that his counsel has
discussed these matters with him, and despite counsel‘s
recommendation, he wishes to waive presentation of penalty phase
evidence.
Id. at 250. ―The underlying purpose for this framework is to protect against ‗the
- 37 -
problems inherent in a trial record that does not adequately reflect a defendant‘s
waiver of his right to present any mitigating evidence.‘ ‖ Waterhouse v. State, 792
So. 2d 1176, 1184 (Fla. 2001) (quoting Koon, 619 So. 2d at 250). However, this
Court‘s decision in Koon was issued more than two years after Wyatt‘s January
1991 penalty phase, and the Koon decision applied only prospectively. See Allen
v. State, 662 So. 2d 323, 329 (Fla. 1995). Thus, ―[t]rial counsel cannot be deemed
deficient for failing to foresee Koon.‖ Anderson v. State, 822 So. 2d 1261, 1268
(Fla. 2002).
Regardless of Koon‘s applicability, the record reflects that during several
exchanges in which Wyatt informed the trial court of his decision to waive
mitigation, defense counsel noted on the record that Wyatt‘s mother and sister
could be used to establish mitigation relating to Wyatt‘s upbringing and abusive
childhood. Defense attorney Ernon Sidaway also explained that he was aware of,
and would have available, family members and non-family members who could
testify as to possible mitigation. Later, at Wyatt‘s sentencing hearing, defense
counsel acknowledged that he caused subpoenas to be issued for several witnesses
for the sake of penalty-phase testimony, but those witnesses did not appear in light
of Wyatt‘s specific instructions. The record also shows that the trial court did
engage in several on-the-record colloquies with Wyatt to ensure that his decision to
waive mitigation was knowing and voluntary. In addition, prior to the penalty
- 38 -
phase, Wyatt signed an express waiver of five statutory mitigating circumstances.
Thus, the purpose sought by the Koon decision was essentially accomplished in
this case, and Wyatt is not entitled to relief.
Investigation into Wyatt’s Personal and Family Life
Wyatt argues that penalty-phase counsel failed to conduct a reasonable
investigation into certain aspects of Wyatt‘s personal and family life (i.e., his social
history), which would have unearthed substantial mitigating evidence that could
have been presented at trial. He contends that this error rendered his waiver of
mitigation invalid. In support, Wyatt relies principally on the evidentiary-hearing
testimony of Dr. Faye Sultan, a clinical psychologist, who spoke to several of
Wyatt‘s family members and a family friend, all of whom reported that Wyatt had
a troubled childhood characterized by physical and emotional abuse at the hands of
his father and stepfather, a mentally ill mother who was neglectful and diagnosed
with schizophrenia, and a drug and alcohol abuse problem beginning in middle
school and that he suffered sexual abuse at the hands of an elementary school
teacher.
This Court‘s precedent establishes that ―a defendant may waive the
presentation of mitigation evidence so long as [his or] her waiver is knowingly,
voluntarily, and intelligently made.‖ State v. Larzelere, 979 So. 2d 195, 204 (Fla.
2008). However, the Court has also ―recognized that a defendant‘s waiver of his
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right to present mitigation does not relieve trial counsel of the duty to investigate
and ensure that the defendant‘s decision is fully informed.‖ Grim v. State, 971 So.
2d 85, 100 (Fla. 2007). As explained in State v. Pearce, 994 So. 2d 1094, 1102
(Fla. 2008), irrespective of a defendant‘s waiver of mitigation,
an attorney‘s obligation to investigate and prepare for the penalty
portion of a capital case cannot be overstated because this is an
integral part of a capital case. See State v. Lewis, 838 So. 2d 1102,
1113 (Fla. 2002) (citing Rose [v. State], 675 So. 2d 567 [(Fla. 1996)]
(holding that an attorney‘s failure to conduct a reasonable
investigation for possible mitigating evidence may render counsel‘s
assistance ineffective)). Although a defendant may waive mitigation,
he should not do so blindly. Counsel must first investigate and advise
the defendant so that the defendant reasonably understands what is
being waived and reasonably understands the ramifications of a
waiver. The defendant must be able to make an informed, intelligent
decision.
Consistent with Pearce, Wyatt contends that trial counsel did not adequately
investigate possible mitigating evidence regarding Wyatt‘s personal and family life
during childhood and adolescence and that counsel failed to apprise him of such
evidence, the results of which rendered his waiver of mitigation invalid.
The record in this case demonstrates that contrary to Wyatt‘s contention,
counsel conducted a reasonable investigation into Wyatt‘s personal history and
family life and informed him of the results of that investigation before Wyatt
decided to waive the presentation of mitigation. Both Sidaway and Litty testified
at a hearing during the trial proceedings that despite their client‘s wishes, they still
continued to develop mitigation by retaining an investigator and traveling to North
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and South Carolina to interview Wyatt‘s family members, non-family members,
and neighbors. Sidaway and Litty were aware of potentially helpful mitigation
regarding Wyatt‘s personal and family life, did in fact obtain and review relevant
records, were prepared to present at least twelve witnesses in mitigation, and had
subpoenas issued, but not delivered, for the witnesses who had been notified that
they might be called to testify. At the 2007 evidentiary hearing, Litty confirmed
that throughout her investigation into Wyatt‘s childhood for potential mitigation,
she would present her findings to Wyatt as potential mitigation, but Wyatt refused
to allow her to offer it even after she tried to persuade him. We conclude that
defense counsel conducted a reasonable investigation into Wyatt‘s personal and
family life prior to his decision to waive mitigation and that Wyatt‘s waiver was
not rendered invalid. We therefore affirm the postconviction court‘s denial of this
claim.
Failure to Investigate and Present Evidence of Brain Impairment
Lastly, Wyatt argues that defense counsel failed to secure a complete
neuropsychological evaluation that would have led to the discovery of brain
impairment. In support, he cites at length to the postconviction testimony of Dr.
Ernest Bordini who Wyatt asserts testified that Wyatt suffered from frontal lobe
impairment. The postconviction court denied this claim, finding that Wyatt cited
no authority entitling him to the appointment of a neuropsychologist after having
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first been appointed a psychologist and a neurologist. Based on the facts of this
case, we agree.
During the 2007 evidentiary hearing, Litty testified that the defense retained
Dr. Sheldon Rifkin, a psychologist well known in the legal community, to conduct
a psychological evaluation of Wyatt. Litty further testified that in examining
Wyatt, Dr. Rifkin conducted a battery of psychological tests, the results of which
led Dr. Rifkin to opine that Wyatt was sane and competent to stand trial. Litty
explained that Dr. Rifkin did not find any evidence of a closed-head injury.
Following the issuance of his initial report, Dr. Rifkin requested from Litty
additional medical records regarding a motorcycle accident in which Wyatt was
involved years prior to the murders to rule out closed-head injury. Upon receipt of
those records, Dr. Rifkin concluded that he could not find evidence of any kind of
brain damage resulting from the motorcycle accident. Litty testified that she
reviewed Dr. Rifkin‘s evaluation with Wyatt. Despite Dr. Rifkin‘s findings, Litty
retained a neurologist, Dr. David MacMillan, to conduct a neurological
examination on Wyatt. However, like Dr. Rifkin, Dr. MacMillan did not find any
evidence of head injury or any other information that the defense could have used
for mitigation purposes. Litty finally explained that an MRI conducted after
Wyatt‘s trial on the Domino‘s murder counts but before Wyatt‘s trial for the
Nydegger murder revealed no objective signs of brain damage or mental injury or
- 42 -
disorder. In connection with the postconviction proceedings, Wyatt offered the
testimony of Dr. Bordini, a neuropsychologist, who interviewed and administered
standard neuropsychological tests to Wyatt. Dr. Bordini saw a ―pattern of frontal
lobe difficulties‖ including ―some mild frontal lobe difficulties in planning,
inhibition, [and] sequencing‖ and opined that frontal lobe damage most likely
occurred as the result of a motorcycle accident in 1984.
In cases with facts similar to those that are presented here, ―[t]his Court has
established that defense counsel is entitled to rely on the evaluations conducted by
qualified mental health experts, even if, in retrospect, those evaluations may not
have been as complete as others may desire.‖ Reese v. State, 14 So. 3d 913, 918
(Fla. 2009) (quoting Darling v. State, 966 So. 2d 366, 377-78 (Fla. 2007)); see also
Stewart v. State, 37 So. 3d 243, 251-52 (Fla. 2010). Similar to Reese, Stewart, and
Darling, where this Court affirmed the denial of ineffective assistance claims based
on counsel‘s failure to obtain neuropsychological testing, defense counsel in this
case relied on the opinions of two mental health experts. Dr. Rifkin suggested that
Wyatt be evaluated by a neurologist, Dr. MacMillan, and defense counsel followed
that suggestion. Neither Dr. Rifkin nor Dr. MacMillan found any evidence of
brain damage or head injury, and Wyatt did not establish that any mental health
expert had recommended to defense counsel that Wyatt undergo
neuropsychological testing. Further, an MRI conducted after Wyatt‘s first trial but
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before his second trial in the Nydegger case revealed no objective signs of brain
damage, mental injury, or disorder. ―A fair assessment of attorney performance
requires that every effort be made to eliminate the distorting effects of hindsight, to
reconstruct the circumstances of counsel‘s challenged conduct, and to evaluate the
conduct from counsel‘s perspective at the time.‖ Strickland, 466 U.S. at 689.
Even if the evaluations by Drs. Rifkin and MacMillan were somehow incomplete
or inadequate when compared to the opinion of others, such as Dr. Bordini‘s,
defense counsel cannot be rendered ineffective for relying on the expert
evaluations conducted by Drs. Rifkin and MacMillan at the time. That is, Wyatt
―did not prove that a reasonable trial attorney should have known to not rely on the
conclusions offered by the mental health experts who evaluated him. Thus, he did
not prove that his counsel was deficient.‖ Stewart, 37 So. 3d at 253.
Accordingly, we affirm the postconviction court‘s denial of relief on these
claims.
Restriction on Right of Access to Public Records
Without resorting to any case law for support, Wyatt essentially argues that
Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.852 and section 27.2081, Florida Statutes
(2006),18 unconstitutionally restrict his right to public-records access under the
18. Wyatt alleges that section 119.19, Florida Statutes, is unconstitutional.
However, section 119.19 was renumbered as section 27.2081, Florida Statutes, on
October 1, 2005. See ch. 2005-251, § 39, Laws of Fla.
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Florida and United States Constitutions because both provisions impermissibly
mandate that his demand for public records not be ―overly broad or unduly
burdensome‖ and that he make his own search for records. We disagree.
Section 27.7081 and rule 3.852 pertain only to the production of records for
capital postconviction defendants. See § 27.7081(13), Fla. Stat. (2009); Fla. R.
Crim. P. 3.852(a)(1). These provisions do not prevent a capital defendant from
making postconviction public records requests. In fact, upon the issuance of this
Court‘s mandate, records relating to a capital defendant‘s case are automatically
required to be delivered to the postconviction repository. § 27.7081(7)(b)(1), (3),
Fla. Stat. (2009); Fla. R. Crim. P. 3.852(g)(3)(A), (D). Should the agency
receiving an additional request object to that request, a hearing will be conducted,
during which the agency will advise the defendant as to why it cannot comply and
what narrowing information would be required in order to comply with such a
request. See Moore v. State, 820 So. 2d 199, 204 (Fla. 2002) (―When a capital
defendant claims that a state agency is withholding pertinent public records, the
trial court should hold a hearing regarding such claims.‖). This Court has
―consistently held that a defendant must plead with specificity the outstanding
public records he seeks to obtain.‖ Rodriguez v. State, 919 So. 2d 1252, 1273 (Fla.
2005). As the Court has acknowledged, ―rule 3.852 ‗is not intended to be a
procedure authorizing a fishing expedition for records unrelated to a colorable
- 45 -
claim for postconviction relief.‘ ‖ Moore, 820 So. 2d at 204 (quoting Glock v.
Moore, 776 So. 2d 243, 253 (Fla. 2001)). Likewise, section 27.7081 provides for
nearly identical methods of access to public records in capital postconviction cases.
Requiring that a capital defendant‘s additional request be timely made after a
diligent search and that this request not be overly broad or unduly burdensome
places a reasonable restriction on access to these records. See Allen v.
Butterworth, 756 So. 2d 52, 66 (Fla. 2000) (―[T]he Legislature has the prerogative
to place reasonable restrictions on the right of public records access . . . .‖ (internal
quotation marks omitted)). This is because a capital defendant‘s additional request
follows the State agencies‘ initial delivery to the repository. We conclude the
requirement that a defendant make a diligent search through records already
produced and narrow his or her request to provide adequate notice to the agency
from which he or she seeks information is reasonable in the context of capital
postconviction claims.
With respect to Wyatt‘s as-applied challenge to section 27.7081 and rule
3.852, he has not alleged any particular records that were sought but denied under
either provision in his case. Accordingly, Wyatt‘s facial and as-applied
constitutional challenges to both provisions lack merit. 19
19. Wyatt also alleges that both provisions infringe upon his federal
constitutional rights, but he has not cited any authority demonstrating a federal
right to public-records access. Wyatt further argues that both provisions violate the
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Constitutionality of the Death Penalty
In his final postconviction claim, Wyatt challenges the constitutionality of
Florida‘s death penalty statute and claims that both electrocution and lethal
injection violate the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States
Constitution for preservation purposes only. We deny relief because the Court has
consistently rejected these claims, and Wyatt has not made any additional
allegations that would call into question the State‘s current methods of execution.
See, e.g., Stewart, 37 So. 3d at 262 (holding that Florida‘s current lethal injection
protocol is constitutional); Tompkins v. State, 994 So. 2d 1072, 1080-82 (Fla.
2008) (upholding the constitutionality of Florida‘s capital-sentencing scheme and
lethal-injection protocol); Suggs v. State, 923 So. 2d 419, 441 (Fla. 2005) (denying
defendant‘s claim that Florida‘s capital sentencing scheme violates due process
and constitutes cruel and unusual punishment on its face and as applied because the
United States Supreme Court has repeatedly reviewed and upheld Florida‘s death
penalty statute).
II. HABEAS CORPUS PETITION
In his habeas corpus petition, Wyatt argues that certain omissions by his
appellate counsel on direct appeal constituted ineffective assistance of appellate
separation of powers, but this claim was insufficiently pled and therefore waived
for the purposes of appeal.
- 47 -
counsel.20 Claims of ineffective assistance of appellate counsel are appropriately
presented in a petition for writ of habeas corpus. Chavez v. State, 12 So. 3d 199,
213 (Fla. 2009). To grant habeas relief on the basis of ineffectiveness of appellate
counsel, this Court must resolve the following two issues:
[W]hether the alleged omissions are of such magnitude as to
constitute a serious error or substantial deficiency falling measurably
outside the range of professionally acceptable performance and,
second, whether the deficiency in performance compromised the
appellate process to such a degree as to undermine confidence in the
correctness of the result.
Bradley v. State, 33 So. 3d 664, 684 (Fla. 2010) (quoting Pope v. Wainwright, 496
So. 2d 798, 800 (Fla. 1986)). Under this standard, ―[t]he defendant has the burden
of alleging a specific, serious omission or overt act upon which the claim of
ineffective assistance of counsel can be based.‖ Anderson v. State, 18 So. 3d 501,
20. Wyatt also argues that this Court failed to conduct a constitutionally
adequate harmless-error analysis on direct appeal and that the HAC and CCP
aggravators, and their respective instructions, are unconstitutional. We reject these
claims because ―habeas corpus petitions are not to be used for additional appeals
on questions which could have been, should have been, or were raised on appeal or
in a rule 3.850 motion.‖ Hardwick v. Dugger, 648 So. 2d 100, 105 (Fla. 1994)
(quoting Parker v. Dugger, 550 So. 2d 459, 460 (Fla. 1989)).
We also reject Wyatt‘s claim that appellate counsel was ineffective for
failing to assert that Rule Regulating the Florida Bar 4-3.5(d)(4) is unconstitutional
because this Court has on numerous occasions rejected similar constitutional
challenges to rule 4-3.5(d)(4), and appellate counsel cannot be deemed ineffective
for failing to raise a nonmeritorious claim. See, e.g., Floyd v. State, 18 So. 3d 432,
459 (Fla. 2009) (rejecting claim that rule 4-3.5(d)(4) violated due process rights as
well as the First, Sixth, Eighth, and Fourteenth Amendments); Power v. State, 886
So. 2d 952, 957 (Fla. 2004) (rejecting contention that rule 4-3.5(d)(4) violated
defendant‘s right of access to courts under Article I, Section 21, of the Florida
Constitution).
- 48 -
520 (Fla. 2009) (quoting Freeman v. State, 761 So. 2d 1055, 1069 (Fla. 2000)).
Importantly, ―[i]f a legal issue would in all probability have been found to be
without merit had counsel raised the issue on direct appeal, the failure of appellate
counsel to raise the meritless issue will not render appellate counsel‘s performance
ineffective.‖ Walls v. State, 926 So. 2d 1156, 1175-76 (Fla. 2006) (quoting
Rutherford v. Moore, 774 So. 2d 637, 643 (Fla. 2000)).
Record on Appeal
Wyatt first argues that appellate counsel rendered ineffective assistance due
to an incomplete record on direct appeal. He contends that ―critical portions of the
record were missing‖ and specifically refers to an instance where the jury
questioned the court during deliberations, the lack of a penalty-phase charge
conference, and off-the-record ―instructions‖ that occurred at record pages 3616,
3617, and 3618. Wyatt asserts that in light of these alleged omissions, appellate
counsel was ineffective for failing to ensure that a proper record was provided to
this Court. The record directly refutes this claim.
In December 1992, appellate counsel filed a motion to relinquish jurisdiction
for reconstruction of two portions of the record alleged to be missing: the penaltyphase charge conference and the circumstances under which the jury‘s guilt-phase
deliberation question was answered. At the August 1993 relinquishment hearing,
there was first a discussion regarding the question posed by the jury during the
- 49 -
guilt-phase deliberations. The prosecutor recalled that during deliberations, the
trial court received a note from the jury and showed it to both counsel for the State
and counsel for Wyatt. The trial court ordered the jury to rely on the instructions,
and there were no objections. As to the discussion of the penalty-phase charge
conference, the trial court found that the record on appeal spoke for itself, that it
coincided with the court‘s recollections, and that this Court could take the record
on appeal as ―settled record.‖ Upon review of the record, the trial court found that
there was a sufficient discussion of the penalty-phase instructions, that the standard
jury instructions were used, absent the mitigators that Wyatt waived, and that the
trial court did not believe defense counsel raised any specific objections to such
instructions. Following this relinquishment hearing, appellate counsel challenged
the penalty-phase instructions on direct appeal. This Court held adversely to
Wyatt, concluding that because defense counsel did not object to these instructions,
this issue was not preserved. See Wyatt, 641 So. 2d at 1341.
Wyatt has failed to establish that appellate counsel was deficient in any
regard since counsel filed a motion to relinquish jurisdiction to reconstruct portions
of the record alleged to have been missing and actually challenged the penaltyphase instructions on appeal. Even if appellate counsel were deficient, Wyatt
cannot establish prejudice because he has failed to demonstrate how the record on
appeal remained incomplete following the reconstruction hearing or to link a
- 50 -
meritorious appellate claim to the allegedly missing record. See Henry v. State,
937 So. 2d 563, 577 (Fla. 2006) (―Therefore, without any specificity as to how
Henry has been prejudiced by the omissions in the record, denial of this claim is
warranted under the applicable law.‖); Armstrong v. State, 862 So. 2d 705, 721
(Fla. 2003) (―Armstrong has failed to link a meritorious appellate issue to the
allegedly missing record and thus cannot establish that he was prejudiced by its
absence.‖). Therefore, Wyatt is not entitled to relief on this claim. 21
Motion for Mistrial during Voir Dire
Wyatt next contends appellate counsel was ineffective for failing to
challenge the trial court‘s denial of a motion for mistrial made during voir dire. In
particular, Wyatt claims that the trial court‘s commentary caused the venire to
believe that a penalty-phase proceeding would be inevitable, resulting in error that
warranted mistrial. This claim is without merit.
When placed in context, Wyatt cites the following commentary made by the
trial judge during voir dire as the basis for this claim:
THE COURT: . . . Again, members of the jury and of the jury panel,
upon a finding of guilty in the guilt phase of this case of first-degree
21. To the extent Wyatt argues that this Court was unable to review the
complete record on appeal or satisfy its obligations under Delap v. State, 350
So. 2d 462, 462-63 (Fla. 1977), this substantive claim is procedurally barred
because it could have been raised on direct appeal. See Green, 975 So. 2d at 1115.
It is also without merit since Wyatt has failed to show that portions of the record
were missing, and if so, the specific prejudice he incurred in light of those alleged
omissions. See Darling v. State, 808 So. 2d 145, 163 (Fla. 2002).
- 51 -
murder or of—that is premeditated murder or felony murder, we then
go into a phase called penalty.
It‘s a separate proceeding in which each side can present
testimony, argument, or whatever. At the end of that, I will give you
certain criteria that you are to use in determining your
recommendation to the Court on whether you should recommend to
the Court either the death penalty or life imprisonment without the
possibility of parole for twenty-five years.
Those include certain aggravating circumstances and certain
mitigating circumstances, which I will not go into now. Suffice it to
say, will you all agree if we reach that stage—I‘m not saying that we
will, but if we reach that stage, will you all agree that you will be
bound by the instructions of this Court—on reaching that stage, that
you will be bound by the instructions of this Court in determining
your recommendation to the Court?
Will you all agree to do that?
I think that ends it.
(Emphasis added.) Immediately thereafter, defense counsel moved for a mistrial,
which the trial court denied.
Even if appellate counsel had raised the trial court‘s denial of Wyatt‘s
motion for mistrial as an issue on direct appeal, it would have been meritless. This
Court reviews a trial court‘s ruling on a motion for mistrial under an abuse of
discretion standard. Salazar v. State, 991 So. 2d 364, 371 (Fla. 2008). In this case,
the trial court‘s statements did not impermissibly lead the potential jury into
believing that a penalty phase would be inevitable in light of Wyatt‘s guilt.
Although the trial court mentioned that the trial would proceed to a penalty phase,
it prefaced that statement by explaining to the jury that a penalty phase would only
be appropriate upon a finding of guilt. The trial court then again emphasized that a
- 52 -
penalty phase was not absolute through its use of conditional language such as ―if
we reach that stage—I‘m not saying we will, but if we reach that stage.‖
(Emphasis added.) Moreover, the trial court‘s commentary about penalty-phase
procedure was in direct response to, and prompted by, defense counsel questioning
a prospective juror about factors the jury should consider in not recommending the
death penalty. Therefore, the trial court did not abuse its discretion in denying
Wyatt‘s motion for mistrial, and appellate counsel was not ineffective for failing to
raise this meritless issue on appeal.
CONCLUSION
Based on the foregoing, we affirm the postconviction court‘s denial of relief,
and we also deny Wyatt‘s habeas petition.
It is so ordered.
CANADY, C.J., and PARIENTE, LEWIS, QUINCE, POLSTON, LABARGA,
and PERRY, JJ., concur.
NOT FINAL UNTIL TIME EXPIRES TO FILE REHEARING MOTION, AND
IF FILED, DETERMINED.
An Appeal from the Circuit Court in and for Indian River County,
Lisa Davidson, Judge – Case No. 88-748CF(CTS 1-3)
Neal A. Dupree, Capital Collateral Regional Counsel, Rachel L. Day and M.
Chance Meyer, Assistant CCR Counsel, South Region, Fort Lauderdale, Florida,
for Appellant
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Pamela Jo Bondi, Attorney General, Tallahassee, Florida, and Leslie T. Campbell,
Assistant Attorney General, West Palm Beach, Florida,
for Appellee
Seth E. Miller and Michael J. Minerva, Tallahassee, Florida, on behalf of
Innocence Project of Florida, Inc., and The Innocence Network,
as Amicus Curiae
- 54 -
]]>
