State v. Chavez ( 2017 )


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  •                                   IN THE
    ARIZONA COURT OF APPEALS
    DIVISION ONE
    STATE OF ARIZONA, Respondent,
    v.
    LINO ALBERTO CHAVEZ, Petitioner.
    No. 1 CA-CR 15-0482 PRPC
    FILED 11-16-2017
    Petition for Review from the Superior Court in Maricopa County
    No. CR2012-005785-001
    The Honorable Bruce R. Cohen, Judge
    REVIEW GRANTED, RELIEF DENIED
    COUNSEL
    Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, Phoenix
    By Robert E. Prather
    Counsel for Respondent
    Janelle A. McEachern Attorney at Law, Chandler
    By Janelle A. McEachern
    Counsel for Petitioner
    Arizona Attorney General’s Office, Phoenix
    By Terry M. Crist
    Counsel for Amicus Curiae Arizona Attorney General’s Office
    Arizona Attorneys for Criminal Justice, Tucson
    By David J. Euchner
    Co-Counsel for Amicus Curiae Arizona Attorneys for Criminal Justice
    Federal Public Defender’s Office, Phoenix
    By Keith James Hilzendeger (argued)
    Co-Counsel for Amicus Curiae Arizona Attorneys for Criminal Justice
    OPINION
    Judge Paul J. McMurdie delivered the opinion of the Court, in which Judge
    Jon W. Thompson joined. Presiding Judge Kent E. Cattani concurred in the
    result and offered a concurring opinion.
    M c M U R D I E, Judge:
    ¶1            Lino Alberto Chavez petitions this court to review the
    dismissal of his petition for post-conviction relief of-right. We grant review
    but deny relief, holding an of-right Rule 32 petitioner is not entitled to a
    review of the record by the superior court for arguable issues as required
    for direct appeals under Anders v. California, 
    386 U.S. 738
    (1967), and State
    v. Leon, 
    104 Ariz. 297
    (1969). 1
    FACTS AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND
    ¶2             In January 2012, Chavez was indicted on one count of first
    degree murder, a Class 1 dangerous felony, one count of robbery, a Class 4
    felony, and one count of trafficking in stolen property, a Class 3 felony. The
    State alleged that Chavez drove the vehicle in which he and his codefendant
    fled after the codefendant stole a laptop computer. The victim died from
    injuries she sustained when she attempted to hang on to Chavez’s vehicle
    as it sped away. Chavez pled guilty to one count of second degree murder,
    1      Chavez raises other issues that do not meet the criteria for
    publication. See Ariz. R. Sup. Ct. 111(b); ARCAP 28(b). We address those
    issues in a separate, contemporaneously filed memorandum decision. See
    Ariz. R. Sup. Ct. 111(h); Bobrow v. Bobrow, 
    241 Ariz. 592
    , 594, ¶ 2, n.3 (App.
    2017).
    2
    STATE v. CHAVEZ
    Opinion of the Court
    a Class 1 dangerous felony, and the superior court sentenced him to a
    presumptive term of 16 years’ imprisonment.
    ¶3             Chavez filed a timely notice of post-conviction relief (“PCR”)
    and his appointed Rule 32 counsel filed a notice of completion. Chavez then
    filed a pro se petition for post-conviction relief, which the superior court
    summarily denied. This timely petition for review followed.
    ¶4             In Pacheco v. Ryan, the United States District Court for the
    District of Arizona granted a petition for writ of habeas corpus filed after
    this court denied relief to a defendant seeking an Anders type of review after
    pleading      guilty   to      child  molestation     in    superior    court.
    CV-15-02264-PHX-DGC, 
    2016 WL 7407242
    , *10 (D. Ariz. Dec. 22, 2016). 2 In
    that case, the defendant, Pacheco, entered into a written plea agreement and
    therefore had no right to a direct appeal under Arizona law. 
    Id. at *1.
    After
    sentencing, Pacheco was appointed counsel in a PCR proceeding, who
    notified the court, after reviewing the record, that there were no arguable
    issues. Pacheco subsequently filed a pro se petition for post-conviction relief
    in superior court. 
    Id. at *1–2.
    The superior court summarily denied his
    petition, and Pacheco filed a petition for review in this court arguing the
    superior court erred by not reviewing the record for “fundamental error”
    in accordance with Anders. 
    Id. at *2.
    This court granted review but denied
    relief stating the court was not required to review Pacheco’s petition for
    fundamental error. Id.; State v. Pacheco, 2 CA-CR 2015-0240-PR, 
    2015 WL 5945442
    , at *1, ¶ 4 (Ariz. App. Jan. 1, 2015) (mem. decision). The district
    court found that “Petitioner’s rights under Anders were violated by the
    failure of the trial court to independently review the record for
    non-frivolous issues for review,” and granted the petition, ordering
    Pacheco released unless the superior court conducted an independent
    review of the record consistent with Anders within 90 days. 
    Id. at *2,
    *10.
    The district court held Anders protections applied to Rule 32 of-right
    proceedings because, under Pennsylvania v. Finely, 
    481 U.S. 551
    , 554 (1987),
    2      While we consider the opinions of the lower federal courts regarding
    the interpretation of the Constitution, such authority is not controlling on
    Arizona courts. State v. Montano, 
    206 Ariz. 296
    , 297, n.1 (2003) (“We are not
    bound by the Ninth Circuit’s interpretation of what the Constitution
    requires.”); State v. Vickers, 
    159 Ariz. 532
    , 543, n.2 (1989) (declining to follow
    a Ninth Circuit decision which held Arizona’s death penalty statute
    unconstitutional because that decision rested on “grounds on which
    different courts may reasonably hold different views of what the
    Constitution requires”); State v. Swoopes, 
    216 Ariz. 390
    , 401 (App. 2007).
    3
    STATE v. CHAVEZ
    Opinion of the Court
    “Anders requirements extend to any case in which a constitutional right to
    counsel exists.” 
    Id. at *8.
    The court reasoned that because defendants in Rule
    32 of-right proceedings have a federal constitutional right to counsel,
    Anders protections must apply to them. 
    Id. While the
    district court noted
    Anders procedures can be independently developed by states, it found
    Arizona’s current procedure did not adequately comply with those
    protections. 
    Id. at *8,
    *10.
    ¶5             Chavez, like Pacheco, requested that this court review the
    record for “fundamental error.” Recognizing the recurring issue raised by
    the district court’s order in Pacheco, this court requested briefing on the
    issue from Chavez’s appointed counsel and from the State, as well as from
    Amici Curiae with interest in our current Rule 32 procedure. We have
    jurisdiction to review this petition pursuant to Arizona Rule of Criminal
    Procedure 32.9(c).
    DISCUSSION
    A Criminal Defendant Is Not Entitled to Sua Sponte Review
    for Arguable Issues Under Anders in an Of-Right Petition
    for Post-Conviction Relief.
    ¶6            Chavez claims, based on Pacheco, that an Anders-type review
    is constitutionally required when a pleading defendant files an of-right
    4
    STATE v. CHAVEZ
    Opinion of the Court
    petition for post-conviction relief. 3 Thus, we address whether the superior
    court had a sua sponte obligation to review for arguable issues under Anders
    and Leon, and whether this court is similarly required to conduct such
    review. Because the claim is that the obligation under Anders requires sua
    sponte review by the superior court, Chavez did not waive the issue under
    Rule 32.2(a)(3) by failing to raise the claim in the superior court. See United
    States v. Dreyer, 
    705 F.3d 951
    , 960–61 (9th Cir. 2013) (when there is a genuine
    doubt about a defendant’s competency, regardless of objection, it arises to
    reversible plain error because of the court’s independent duty to establish
    competency); State v. Schossow, 
    145 Ariz. 504
    , 508 (1985) (failure of defense
    counsel to object to competency of witnesses under the age of ten did not
    waive argument because error was fundamental and prejudicial based on
    trial court’s duty to sua sponte inquire about the competency of child
    witnesses). However, the better practice, to avoid waiver, is always to ask
    the superior court to correct its alleged errors in the first instance.
    1. Arizona’s Elimination of the Conventional Direct Appeal for
    Criminal Defendants Who Plead Guilty.
    ¶7            The Arizona Constitution guarantees criminal defendants the
    right to an appeal. Ariz. Const. art. 2, § 24. In 1992, to reduce the burden on
    appellate courts, the legislature amended Arizona Revised Statutes
    (“A.R.S.”) section 13-4033(B) to state: “In noncapital cases a defendant may
    not appeal from a judgment or sentence that is entered pursuant to a plea
    3       Although Chavez phrased his claim for independent review
    required by Anders as “fundamental error” review, it is important to note
    Anders required courts to independently review the record to confirm
    counsel’s finding that an appeal is “frivolous.” Smith v. Robbins, 
    528 U.S. 259
    , 279 (2000). This is different than fundamental error review under
    Arizona law. See State v. Henderson, 
    210 Ariz. 561
    , 567, ¶ 19 (2005). For direct
    appeal cases, Arizona courts have sometimes referred to Anders review as
    a review for fundamental error. See, e.g., State v. Flores, 
    227 Ariz. 509
    , 512,
    ¶ 12 (App. 2011). In other direct appeal cases, appellate courts have denied
    relief after determining that there were no non-frivolous or arguable issues
    requiring additional briefing. See, e.g., State v. Thompson, 
    229 Ariz. 43
    , 44–45,
    ¶¶ 1, 4 (App. 2012). Regardless of the nomenclature, Arizona courts have
    been appropriately reviewing for arguable issues on direct appeal as
    required by Anders. See Penson v. Ohio, 
    488 U.S. 75
    , 81 (1988) (reversible error
    committed if reviewing court finds arguable issues but fails to have counsel
    present such claims); 
    Anders, 386 U.S. at 744
    (if arguable issues are found,
    court “must, prior to decision,” have those issues presented by counsel).
    5
    STATE v. CHAVEZ
    Opinion of the Court
    agreement or an admission to a probation violation.” In conjunction with
    this change, the Arizona Supreme Court amended several rules of
    procedure to make clear that, “[b]y pleading guilty or no contest in a
    noncapital case, a defendant waives the right to have the appellate courts
    review the proceedings by way of direct appeal, and may seek review only
    by filing a petition for post-conviction relief pursuant to Rule 32 . . . .” Ariz.
    R. Crim. P. 17.1(e); see Ariz. R. Crim. P. 17.2(e), 32.1.
    ¶8             Although pleading defendants waive a direct appeal, the
    Arizona Supreme Court held that such defendants can nonetheless file a
    petition for post-conviction relief challenging the judgment and sentence.
    Wilson v. Ellis, 
    176 Ariz. 121
    , 123 (1993) (“It was precisely because of art. 2,
    § 24 that this court expressly left open the avenue of appellate review by
    PCR in lieu of direct appeal when it amended the rules with respect to cases
    involving [pleas].”). The filing of a post-conviction relief petition by a
    pleading defendant became known as an “of-right” petition. Ariz. R. Crim.
    P. 32.1. The Arizona Supreme Court also amended Rule 32 to require the
    appointment of counsel for indigent defendants seeking “of-right”
    post-conviction relief. Ariz. R. Crim. P. 32.4(c)(2). Under the rule, if counsel
    “determines there are no colorable claims which can be raised,” counsel
    must notify the court by way of what is known as a Montgomery notice. Id.;
    Montgomery v. Sheldon, 
    181 Ariz. 256
    , 260 (Montgomery I); op sup., 
    182 Ariz. 118
    , 119 (Montgomery II) (1995), overruled by State v. Smith, 
    184 Ariz. 456
    (1996) (a pleading defendant does not have a right to appointed counsel in
    a review from denial of post-conviction relief proceeding). 4 The court must
    then allow the defendant the opportunity to file a pro se petition. Ariz. R.
    Crim. P. 32.4(c)(2). Importantly, counsel does not withdraw from
    representing the defendant at this stage, but rather “[c]ounsel’s role is then
    limited to acting as advisory counsel until the trial court’s final
    determination.” 
    Id. After following
    this procedure, the court may either
    4      Montgomery II was overruled in part because the legislature repealed
    former A.R.S. § 13-4035, which required the appellate courts to review for
    fundamental error when considering a criminal matter. 
    Smith, 184 Ariz. at 459
    ; 1995 Ariz. Sess. Laws, ch. 198, § 1 (1st Reg. Sess.).
    6
    STATE v. CHAVEZ
    Opinion of the Court
    dismiss the petition by summary disposition or set a hearing on the claims
    presented in the pro se petition. Ariz. R. Crim. P. 32.6(c). 5
    2. The Arizona Supreme Court Has Determined That the Superior
    Courts are Not Required to Review Of-Right Petitions for
    Post-Conviction Relief for Arguable Issues.
    ¶9             The United States Supreme Court established the Anders
    procedure to ensure substantial equality and fair process when defense
    counsel concludes that a client’s appeal is “wholly frivolous.” 
    Anders, 386 U.S. at 744
    ; see also Penson v. 
    Ohio, 488 U.S. at 82
    –83. In such cases, counsel
    should advise the appellate court of this conclusion and request permission
    to withdraw along with providing a brief referring to portions of the record
    that “might arguably support the appeal.” 
    Anders, 386 U.S. at 744
    . The
    defendant must be afforded an opportunity to raise any points of error in a
    pro se filing. 
    Id. Thereafter, to
    ensure the defendant’s Sixth Amendment
    right to counsel, the court must (1) satisfy itself that counsel diligently and
    thoroughly searched the record for any arguable claim on appeal, and (2)
    determine whether counsel correctly concluded that the case is wholly
    frivolous. McCoy v. Court of Appeals of Wis., 
    486 U.S. 429
    , 442 (1988). If the
    court agrees with counsel’s determination, it may grant the withdrawal
    request and either dismiss the appeal or, if state law requires, decide the
    case on the merits. 
    Anders, 386 U.S. at 744
    . If the court “finds any of the legal
    points arguable on their merits (and therefore not frivolous) it must, prior
    to decision, afford the indigent the assistance of counsel to argue the
    appeal.” 
    Id. The Arizona
    Supreme Court later adopted this procedure for
    direct appeals in 
    Leon. 104 Ariz. at 299
    .
    ¶10            After Anders, the United States Supreme Court has reviewed
    several state procedures and, on a case by case basis, decided whether those
    procedures met the federal constitutional standard. See, e.g., Smith v.
    
    Robbins, 528 U.S. at 265
    (“The procedure we sketched in Anders is a
    prophylactic one; the States are free to adopt different procedures, so long
    as those procedures adequately safeguard a defendant’s right to appellate
    counsel.”); 
    McCoy, 486 U.S. at 444
    (upholding Wisconsin’s procedure);
    Penson v. 
    Ohio, 488 U.S. at 81
    –82 (finding Ohio’s procedure inadequate). If
    5       Chavez’s PCR counsel complied with Arizona practice by filing a
    detailed Montgomery notice which included the list of documents she
    reviewed and an explanation that she was unable to find any claims for
    relief. The superior court did not release counsel until after dismissing the
    issues raised in the pro se petition. Chavez’s superior court PCR counsel has
    not been involved in the briefing of the issues on review.
    7
    STATE v. CHAVEZ
    Opinion of the Court
    a state procedure “afford[s] adequate and effective appellate review to
    indigent defendants” by ensuring “an indigent’s appeal will be resolved in
    a way that is related to the merit of that appeal,” the federal constitutional
    requirements are met. 
    Robbins, 528 U.S. at 276
    –77.
    ¶11           Chavez contends, echoing the Pacheco order, that because
    defendants who have pled guilty in Arizona have a right to counsel in
    post-conviction relief proceedings, they should also have a right to have the
    superior court review the record under Anders to determine if their petitions
    for post-conviction relief are truly frivolous.
    ¶12            While the District Court in Pacheco found a defendant who
    had pled guilty at trial was entitled to have the superior court
    independently review the record under Anders in a Rule 32 petition because
    he had a right to counsel during that proceeding, Pacheco, 
    2016 WL 7407242
    at *8, the Arizona Supreme Court, and this court, have held that no
    Anders-type review is required in Rule 32 proceedings. Compare Graves v.
    McEwen, 
    731 F.3d 876
    , 880–81 (9th Cir. 2013) (Ninth Circuit Rule 4-1
    requires appointed counsel in 28 U.S.C. § 2254 proceedings to file an Anders
    brief), with 
    Smith, 184 Ariz. at 459
    , and Wilson v. 
    Ellis, 176 Ariz. at 124
    (“[W]e
    are not commanding, nor do we want, trial courts to conduct Anders-type
    reviews in PCRs.”), and State v. 
    Thompson, 139 Ariz. at 554
    , and State v.
    McFord, 
    125 Ariz. 377
    , 380 (App. 1980). Additionally, nothing in Arizona
    Rule of Criminal Procedure 32 requires the superior court or this court to
    conduct an Anders review of a defendant’s case. Ariz. R. Crim. P. 32.6(c). 6
    ¶13             While Arizona has granted defendants in of-right
    post-conviction proceedings the right to counsel, State v. Pruett, 
    185 Ariz. 128
    , 131 (App. 1995), and the federal constitution guarantees defendants
    counsel in such proceedings, Halbert v. Michigan, 
    545 U.S. 605
    , 610 (2005),
    our supreme court has found no requirement that such state-created
    post-conviction review be subject to Anders review. See 
    Smith, 184 Ariz. at 460
    ; see also Pennsylvania v. Finley, 
    481 U.S. 551
    , 556 (1987) (“[W]e reject [the]
    argument that the Anders procedures should be applied to a state-created
    right to counsel on postconviction review just because they are applied to
    the right to counsel on first appeal that this Court established . . . .”);
    6      While Chavez argues both the superior court and this court should
    review his record for error, because this court’s review of petitions for
    post-conviction relief is discretionary, 
    Smith, 184 Ariz. at 459
    , there is
    accordingly no right to an Anders-type review in this court of the dismissal
    of an of-right PCR proceeding. See Pennsylvania v. 
    Finley, 481 U.S. at 556
    .
    8
    STATE v. CHAVEZ
    Opinion of the Court
    Fitzgerald v. Superior Court (State), 
    402 P.3d 442
    , 448, ¶ 17 (2017) (“[T]he right
    to PCR counsel under § 13-4041(B) does not also create or include ‘a
    “statutory right” to competence.’”).
    ¶14            Beyond theses authorities, the practicalities of the matter
    demonstrate the fallacy in Chavez’s contentions. Chavez argues that,
    because a defendant who goes to trial receives Anders review on direct
    appeal, a defendant who pleads guilty should receive the same protections
    in an of-right Rule 32 proceeding. But that argument ignores the significant
    difference between a trial—where a record is created for review—and a plea
    proceeding, where the proceedings (and record) are necessarily truncated
    because of the guilty plea. A defendant who pleads guilty waives the right
    to assert on review all non-jurisdictional defenses, including deprivations
    of constitutional rights. Tollett v. Henderson, 
    411 U.S. 258
    , 267 (1973) (“a
    guilty plea represents a break in the chain of events which has preceded it
    in the criminal process”; when a criminal defendant, on advice of counsel,
    “has solemnly admitted in open court that he is guilty of [a charged
    offense], he may not thereafter raise independent claims relating to
    deprivation of constitutional rights” that antedated the plea). The rights a
    defendant waives by pleading guilty include the right to a preliminary
    hearing, the right to a jury trial, the right to cross-examine witnesses and
    present evidence, the right to remain silent, and the right to a direct appeal.
    See 
    Halbert, 545 U.S. at 637
    , 642 (Thomas, J., dissenting) (“Legal rights, even
    constitutional ones, are presumptively waivable.”). And because a pleading
    defendant waives those rights, there is no need to create in the first instance
    in the trial court a record relating to possible appellate claims—other than
    for issues relating to the voluntariness of the guilty plea.
    ¶15            Unlike the direct appeal, where the appellate court has access
    to the same record that appellate counsel reviews for error, the
    post-conviction proceeding is one in which counsel can raise issues that are
    not apparent from the court record. Generally, to prevail on a PCR claim,
    counsel must investigate beyond the court record and present that evidence
    to the superior court. For example, if PCR counsel raises an ineffective
    assistance of counsel claim for failing to properly advise the defendant
    about the plea agreement, PCR counsel must present evidence developed
    outside the court record. But such an ineffective assistance of counsel claim
    cannot be made without undertaking an investigation into extra-record
    information. In contrast, when reviewing for the limited issues that can
    arise in an of-right proceeding, superior courts do not undertake an
    extra-judicial record investigation necessary to search for arguable issues.
    Indeed, the necessity for an extra-judicial record was part of the reasoning
    behind the elimination of direct appeals in plea agreement cases and the
    9
    STATE v. CHAVEZ
    Opinion of the Court
    change in the Arizona Rules of Criminal Procedure. See Charles R. Krull,
    Eliminating Appeals from Guilty Pleas, ARIZONA ATTORNEY, Oct. 1992, at 35;
    Crane McClennen, Eliminating Appeals from Guilty Pleas: Making the Process
    More Efficient, ARIZONA ATTORNEY, Nov. 1992, at 16. Because the superior
    court is not able to undertake an extra-record investigation, the court is
    simply not situated to undertake an Anders-type review in a PCR
    proceeding.
    ¶16            Additionally, the sheer volume of post-conviction of-right
    petitions in the superior court bolsters our current procedure as well. There
    were more than 3000 petitions for post-conviction relief pending in superior
    court at the end of fiscal year 2016. Arizona Supreme Court, Superior Court
    Case        Activity      Fiscal      Year        2016,       available         at
    http://www.azcourts.gov/Portals/39/2016DR/SuperiorCourt.pdf#page
    =3. To require the superior court to conduct Anders-type reviews of the
    record in all these cases would only further burden our already taxed state
    court system, especially when “the number of meritorious cases is
    ‘infinitesimally small.’” Davila v. Davis, 
    137 S. Ct. 2058
    , 2070 (2017) (rejecting
    a proposed rule that “would likely generate high systemic costs and low
    systemic benefits”).
    ¶17           As the Amici have recognized in their briefing, without
    further guidance from either the Arizona Supreme Court or the United
    States Supreme Court, we will continue to follow our state’s established
    procedure. See State v. Smyers, 
    207 Ariz. 314
    , 318, ¶ 15, n.4 (2004) (“The
    courts of this state are bound by the decisions of [the Arizona Supreme
    Court] and do not have the authority to modify or disregard this court’s
    rulings.”). Currently, that procedure does not require the superior court to
    review of-right petitions for post-conviction relief for arguable issues in
    accordance with Anders.
    CONCLUSION
    ¶18            In accordance with the Arizona Supreme Court’s decisions
    and our current Arizona Rules of Criminal Procedure, we hold that the
    superior courts are not required to conduct Anders review in a Rule 32 of-
    right petition. Accordingly, we grant review but deny relief.
    C A T T A N I, J., specially concurring:
    ¶19            I agree that under controlling Arizona Supreme Court
    authority and our current Rules of Criminal Procedure, Chavez is not
    entitled to the relief he requests. I write separately, however, to express my
    view that there are compelling reasons for the Arizona Supreme Court to
    10
    STATE v. CHAVEZ
    Opinion of the Court
    consider modifying the procedural rules to provide for a limited Anders-
    type review in Rule 32 of-right proceedings for pleading defendants that is
    similar to the review currently provided on appeal for non-pleading
    defendants.
    ¶20           I recognize that there are significant differences between the
    scope of review available following a guilty plea and that available
    following a trial. As the Opinion notes, a pleading defendant waives all
    non-jurisdictional defects—even constitutional claims—relating to issues
    underlying the conviction. Moreover, the record created in plea
    proceedings is necessarily more truncated than that developed during trial
    proceedings. Nevertheless, certain claims—for example, those relating to
    the voluntariness of the plea and to the sentence imposed—are not waived
    by pleading guilty, and the truncated record is sufficient to enable review
    of those types of claims. And because a pleading defendant in a noncapital
    case may not appeal and is instead limited to a Rule 32 of-right proceeding,
    the protections provided by an Anders procedure on appeal—in which a
    court reviews the appellate record for non-frivolous issues after being
    advised that counsel has not found any, see State v. 
    Leon, 104 Ariz. at 299
    —
    should arguably be applied as to viable issues in the of-right proceeding.
    ¶21           The Opinion notes the large number of cases that are resolved
    through plea proceedings and the burden on the superior court that will
    result from Anders-type review in those cases. Although I agree that
    proposed procedures that generate significant systemic costs with low
    systemic benefits should not be lightly undertaken, in my view, a carefully
    tailored Anders-type procedure providing limited review of record-based,
    non-waived claims should be provided by the superior court in of-right
    post-conviction proceedings to ensure that pleading defendants are given
    the same type of review of non-waived claims that non-pleading
    defendants receive on appeal. 7
    7      The Opinion notes—and I agree—that Anders-type review of
    ineffective assistance of counsel claims is not feasible given that such claims
    generally rely on an investigation beyond the judicial record. In the
    hopefully rare case in which post-conviction counsel fails to identify and
    develop a viable claim of ineffective assistance of plea counsel, such a claim
    must be developed through a subsequent Rule 32 claim of ineffective
    assistance of appellate (here, post-conviction) counsel, rather than through
    an Anders-type review. And the same can be said for any other claim that
    requires evidentiary development beyond the judicial record. Such claims
    are necessarily beyond the scope of an Anders-type review.
    11
    STATE v. CHAVEZ
    Opinion of the Court
    ¶22           Furthermore, as detailed in the Opinion, in Pacheco v. Ryan,
    the United States District Court for the District of Arizona ruled that the
    United States Constitution requires the type of review Chavez seeks in this
    case. The State apparently did not appeal the Pacheco decision and agrees
    with Chavez and Amici that Anders-type review should be provided in of-
    right post-conviction proceedings. Thus, assuming federal courts continue
    to apply the rule set forth in Pacheco, unless Arizona institutes an Anders-
    type review in Rule 32 of-right proceedings, those courts will presumably
    continue to order the state court to conduct such an Anders-type review
    following federal habeas proceedings under 18 U.S.C. § 2254, often years
    after a defendant’s conviction becomes final in state court. Given these
    circumstances, failing to incorporate Anders-type review in Rule 32 of-right
    proceedings in the first instance simply delays the requested review.
    ¶23            The State has proffered a proposed rule to provide for
    Anders-type review in Rule 32 of-right proceedings. And Amici in support
    of Chavez note that several other jurisdictions provide such review
    following plea proceedings, and that appellate courts in some of those
    jurisdictions have published checklists for counsel to follow when filing an
    Anders-type brief. I would adopt such a checklist, along with a requirement
    that post-conviction counsel’s briefing detail the work done in assessing
    whether there are viable claims for relief, as procedures to help to ensure
    compliance with counsel’s obligations to the client and the court. And given
    the general agreement by the parties and Amici that Anders-type review
    should be provided in Rule 32 of-right proceedings, I would seek further
    input from them, as well as others interested in the criminal justice system,
    to craft procedures to ensure meaningful review of non-waived claims in
    Rule 32 of-right proceedings.
    AMY M. WOOD • Clerk of the Court
    FILED: AA
    12