Paul A. Howell v. Secretary, Florida Department of Corrections ( 2013 )

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[PUBLISH]
IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT
________________________
No. 13-10766
________________________
D.C. Docket No. 4:04-cv-00299-MCR-MD
PAUL A. HOWELL,
Petitioner - Appellant,
versus
SECRETARY, FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS,
Defendant - Appellee.
________________________
Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Northern District of Florida
________________________
(September 13, 2013)
Before BARKETT, PRYOR and JORDAN, Circuit Judges.
PRYOR, Circuit Judge:
The issue in this appeal is whether the district court abused its discretion
when it ruled that the decision in Holland v. Florida, __ U.S. __, 130 S. Ct. 2549
(2010), which altered our previous interpretation of the statute of limitations of one
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year for a petition for a writ of habeas corpus, 28 U.S.C. § 2244(d)(1), was not an
extraordinary circumstance that warranted vacating a final judgment,
Fed. R. Civ. P. 60(b), that dismissed a habeas petition as untimely. A Florida court
sentenced Paul Howell to death for the murder of Trooper James Fulford of the
Florida Highway Patrol who intercepted and opened a bomb that Howell sent to a
woman he feared would report a murder committed as part of drug trafficking
conspiracy. More than a year after Howell’s conviction and death sentence
became final, his counsel filed a motion for state collateral review. Several years
later, Howell filed a federal petition for a writ of habeas corpus. The district court
dismissed Howell’s petition as untimely, and we affirmed. Howell v. Crosby, 415
F.3d 1250 (11th Cir. 2005). On the eve of his execution, Howell filed a motion for
relief from judgment under Rule 60(b) and argued that the decision in Holland
established that his federal petition had been timely because the statute of
limitations should have been equitably tolled, 28 U.S.C. § 2244(d)(2), based on the
failure of his counsel to file a motion for state collateral review within a year after
his conviction and sentence became final. The district court denied Howell’s
motion because it concluded that the change in the interpretation of the statute of
limitations was not an extraordinary circumstance that would entitle Howell to
relief from a final judgment. We affirm.
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I. BACKGROUND
Paul Howell was a leader of an extensive and sophisticated operation to sell
crack cocaine across Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, North Carolina, and
South Carolina. United States v. Mothersill, 87 F.3d 1214, 1217 (11th Cir. 1996).
In August 1991, Howell’s brother, Patrick, planned, with Michael Morgan, to rob a
drug dealer named Alfonso Tillman. Id. Howell rented a car for Patrick and
Morgan to use for the robbery. Id. While Patrick drove the car and Tillman sat in
the front passenger seat, Morgan shot and killed Tillman. Id. Howell and Patrick
attempted to clean up the car after the shooting, but Morgan’s girlfriend, Tammie
Bailey, saw the blood and bullet holes in the car. Id.
By October 1991, Howell had taken over the supervisory role in the drug
operation from Patrick, who was incarcerated, and Howell became concerned that
Bailey would report the murder of Tillman to the authorities. Id. After Bailey
complained to Howell that she needed a microwave to warm milk for her sick
baby, Howell paid a friend to buy a microwave from Sears. Howell then
constructed a pipe bomb and placed it in the microwave, which he gift-wrapped for
delivery to Bailey. Howell paid Lester Watson to deliver the gift-wrapped package
to Bailey in a rental car.
On February 1, 1992, Lester Watson and Curtis Williams were driving the
rental car on Interstate Highway 10 when they were stopped by a Florida Trooper,
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James Fulford, for speeding. After Fulford determined that Watson did not have a
driver’s license, two local deputies arrived to arrest him. Watson gave the officials
permission to search the car, and the deputies took Watson and Williams to the
Jefferson County jail. Because the rental car was registered to Howell, the
dispatcher called him to inquire whether the car was stolen. Howell told the
dispatcher that he had given Watson permission to drive the car, and the dispatcher
informed Howell that the car would be impounded.
Howell did not warn anyone about the pipe bomb in the car. When Fulford
removed the gift-wrapped microwave from the trunk and attempted to open it, the
bomb exploded. The bomb severed Fulford’s left leg and nearly severed his right
leg. Fulford later died from his injuries.
Howell was prosecuted in a Florida court for first-degree murder and
making, possessing, placing, or discharging a destructive device or bomb. Frank
Sheffield represented Howell in his trial. During his representation of Howell,
Sheffield reported to the trial court that his wife and secretary had received a
telephone call at his office and that the caller had told her to deliver the message
“that if Paul Howell goes down, Mr. Sheffield is going down also.” The trial court
denied Sheffield’s motion to withdraw. The prosecution moved to disqualify
Sheffield, but the trial court denied the motion.
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A Florida jury found Howell guilty of first-degree murder and of making,
possessing, placing, or discharging a destructive device or bomb. Howell v. State,
707 So. 2d 674, 676–77 (Fla. 1998). And the jury returned a special verdict that
found that the charge of first-degree murder was established under both the theory
of premeditation and the theory of felony murder. Id. at 677. The jury
recommended the death penalty by a vote of ten to two. Id.
The trial court imposed the death penalty. Id. The trial court found the
following five aggravating factors: (1) Howell knowingly created a great risk of
death to many persons; (2) Howell committed the murder while engaged in the
unlawful making, possessing, placing, or discharging of a destructive device or
bomb; (3) Howell committed the murder to avoid or prevent a lawful arrest; (4)
Howell murdered a law enforcement officer engaged in the performance of his
official duties; and (5) Howell committed the murder in a cold, calculated, and
premeditated manner without any pretense of moral or legal justification. Id. The
trial court found the following five statutory and nonstatutory mitigating factors:
(1) Howell had no significant history of criminal activity; (2) the murder was
committed while Howell was under the influence of extreme mental or emotional
disturbance; (3) Howell had served in the military and received an honorable
discharge; (4) Howell behaved well as a pretrial detainee; and (5) Howell was a
good family man. Id. The trial court determined that the aggravating factors far
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outweighed the mitigating factors, but the trial court declined to impose a separate
sentence for the construction of the bomb because the two convictions were based
on the same underlying conduct. Id.
On direct appeal, the Supreme Court of Florida affirmed Howell’s
conviction and sentence. See id. at 683. The Supreme Court of the United States
then denied Howell’s petition for a writ of certiorari on June 26, 1998. Howell v.
Florida, 524 U.S. 958 (1998). Howell then had one year within which to file a
federal petition for a writ of habeas corpus, but “a properly filed application for
State post-conviction or other collateral review” would have tolled the federal
limitations period. 28 U.S.C. § 2244(d)(1)(A), (d)(2).
A Florida court then appointed Danielle Jorden as Howell’s postconviction
counsel, and she filed a motion for an extension of time to file for state collateral
review. The state court granted an extension of time that allowed Jorden to file a
motion for collateral review by August 30, 1999. Jorden erroneously believed that
the motion for an extension of time would also toll the federal limitations period.
Howell, 415 F.3d at 1251.
Jorden filed Howell’s motion for state collateral review on August 30, 1999.
The trial court denied Howell’s motion, and the Supreme Court of Florida
affirmed. Howell v. State, 877 So. 2d 697, 705 (Fla. 2004).
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On July 26, 2004, Howell filed a federal petition for a writ of habeas corpus.
In his petition, Howell alleged that he had been denied the effective assistance of
counsel because the trial court refused to allow Sheffield to withdraw from his
representation. The Secretary then filed a motion to dismiss Howell’s petition as
untimely. Howell conceded that his petition should have been filed before June 27,
1999, but he argued that the statute of limitations should be tolled based on
Jorden’s mistake. The district court dismissed the petition as untimely because it
concluded that “[p]etitioner’s collateral counsel’s filing of his [postconviction]
motion without leaving sufficient time to file a federal petition is not an
extraordinary circumstance which warrants application of the equitable tolling
doctrine.” We affirmed the dismissal of Howell’s petition as untimely because our
precedents held that “attorney negligence is not a basis for equitable tolling.”
Howell, 415 F.3d at 1252.
On January 18, 2013, the Governor of Florida, Rick Scott, signed a warrant
for Howell’s execution to occur on Tuesday, February 26, 2013, at 6:00 p.m., but
on February 20, 2013, Howell filed an emergency motion for relief from judgment
in the district court. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 60(b). The district court denied Howell’s
motion under Rule 60(b) as untimely, and the district court ruled that, even if the
motion were timely, Howell was not entitled to relief under Rule 60(b)(6). The
district court rejected the argument that the intervening change in the law effected
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by Holland, which held that attorney behavior far more serious than negligence
might entitle a prisoner to relief from a judgment, was an extraordinary
circumstance that would allow the court to reopen a judgment.
On February 25, 2013, the district court issued a certificate of appealability.
That certificate was limited to the question whether the decision of the Supreme
Court in Holland is an extraordinary circumstance under Rule 60(b)(6) sufficient to
justify the reopening of the final judgment of dismissal. Based on Eleventh Circuit
Rule 22-4(a)(7), we entered a temporary stay of execution pending consideration
of the merits of this appeal.
II. STANDARD OF REVIEW
We review the denial of a motion for relief from judgment under Rule 60(b)
for an abuse of discretion. Cano v. Baker, 435 F.3d 1337, 1341 (11th Cir. 2006).
III. DISCUSSION
A prisoner whose petition for a writ of habeas corpus has been denied may
file a motion, under Rule 60(b), to challenge “some defect in the integrity of the
federal habeas proceedings,” but not “to add a new ground for relief.” Gonzalez v.
Crosby, 545 U.S. 524, 532, 125 S. Ct. 2641, 2648 (2005). Under Rule 60(b), the
prisoner must prove “‘extraordinary circumstances’ justifying the reopening of a
final judgment.” Id. at 535, 125 S. Ct. at 2649 (quoting Ackerman v. United
States, 340 U.S. 193, 199, 71 S. Ct. 209, 212 (1950)). Howell argues that the
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change in law effected by the decision of the Supreme Court in Holland is an
extraordinary circumstance, but the district court did not abuse its discretion when
it denied his motion.
The Supreme Court has explained that extraordinary circumstances that
warrant the reopening of a judgment “will rarely occur in the habeas context,”
Gonzalez, 545 U.S. at 535, 125 S. Ct. at 2649, and the Supreme Court has held that
a change in the interpretation of the statute of limitations for a federal habeas
petition is not an exceptional circumstance, id. at 536–37, 125 S. Ct. at 2650–51.
In Gonzalez, the Court held that the change in law effected by the decision in
Artuz v. Bennett, 531 U.S. 4, 121 S. Ct. 361 (2000), which held that a state petition
could be properly filed so as to toll the federal statute of limitations even when all
of the claims had been procedurally defaulted, was not an extraordinary
circumstance. See Gonzalez, 545 U.S. at 536, 125 S. Ct. at 2650. The Court
“d[id] not agree” that this “change in the interpretation of the AEDPA statute of
limitations” created an extraordinary circumstance. Gonzalez, 545 U.S. at 536,
125 S. Ct. at 2650. The Court instead explained that “[i]t is hardly extraordinary
that [after the dismissal of the prisoner’s petition based on the statute of
limitations], this Court arrived at a different interpretation.” Id. And the Court
explained that, “[i]f Artuz justified reopening long-ago dismissals based on a lower
court’s unduly parsimonious interpretation of [the statute of limitations], then Pace
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v. DiGuglielmo, 544 U.S. 408, 125 S. Ct. 1807 (2005), would justify reopening
long-ago grants of habeas relief based on a lower court’s unduly generous
interpretation of the same tolling provision.” Id. at 536–37, 125 S. Ct. at 2650–51.
The district court did not abuse its discretion when it read Gonzalez to mean
that the change of law in Holland was not an extraordinary circumstance. Like the
decision in Artuz, the decision in Holland altered the interpretation of the statute of
limitations for a petition for a writ of habeas corpus: The Supreme Court explained
that a per se rule that “even attorney conduct that is grossly negligent can never
warrant [equitable] tolling absent bad faith, dishonesty, divided loyalty, mental
impairment or so forth on the lawyer’s part,” was “too rigid.” Holland, 130 S. Ct.
at 2563 (internal quotation marks omitted). But the Supreme Court in Gonzalez
ruled that this kind of change in decisional law is not an extraordinary
circumstance under Rule 60(b). “It is hardly extraordinary that . . . , th[e Supreme]
Court arrived at a different interpretation” of the statute of limitations after our
decision that Howell’s petition was untimely. Gonzalez, 545 U.S. at 536, 125 S.
Ct. at 2650.
Howell argues that Gonzalez does not govern his motion because the
Supreme Court in that appeal also “placed heavy emphasis on the petitioner’s ‘lack
of diligence’ in failing to seek further review at the time that his original [] petition
was denied,” but the district court did not abuse its discretion when it read
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Gonzalez to hold otherwise. In Gonzalez, the Court explained that the prisoner had
“abandoned any attempt to seek review of the District Court’s decision on this
statute-of-limitations issue” before the Court decided Artuz. Gonzalez, 545 U.S. at
537, 125 S. Ct. at 2651. “This lack of diligence confirm[ed] that Artuz [wa]s not
an extraordinary circumstance justifying relief from the judgment in petitioner’s
case.” Id. Gonzalez explained that the delay of the prisoner in that appeal
“confirmed” that the change in the law was not extraordinary, not that the change
in the law was not extraordinary because of the delay. Id. In this circumstance, we
cannot say that the district court abused its discretion in denying Howell’s motion.
IV. CONCLUSION
The denial of Howell’s motion for relief from judgment is AFFIRMED.
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BARKETT, Circuit Judge, specially concurring:
I agree that, under our precedent, it cannot be said that the district court
abused its discretion in dismissing Mr. Howell’s Rule 60(b)(6) motion. However,
for the reasons articulated in my concurring opinion in Hutchinson v. Florida, 677
F.3d 1097 (11th Cir. 2012) (Barkett, J., concurring), I continue to believe that it is
unjust and inequitable to require death row inmates to suffer the consequences of
their attorneys' negligence. Moreover, this is another case where a state’s wholly
inadequate system for appointing or funding habeas counsel conspires with a
thicket of complex state and federal habeas procedural rules to deny habeas
petitioners the opportunity to have their substantive constitutional claims heard by
a federal court. What results is a habeas system wherein unqualified and
incompetent attorneys regularly fail to ably navigate the procedural waters
established by state and federal statutes. This system, which consistently leads to
death row inmates being denied an opportunity to present non-frivolous habeas
claims, is, in my view, antithetical to the promise of habeas corpus enshrined in the
Constitution.
Here, Mr. Howell appears to have colorable claims that both his trial
attorney, who fabricated death threats to be excused from representing Mr. Howell,
and his initial habeas attorney, who did not even contact Mr. Howell until after his
federal habeas deadline had passed, were incompetent, ineffective, and deeply
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unprofessional. I continue to believe that it is unconstitutional and immoral for
death row inmates to lose a fundamental constitutional right because of their
attorney’s errors, especially when they are as egregious as those we deal with here.
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JORDAN, Circuit Judge, concurring:
I concur in and join the Court’s opinion. Because Mr. Howell asserts that he
would be the first person in Florida to be executed without having his federal
habeas petition reviewed on the merits, I write separately. In my view, Mr. Howell
would not have been entitled to relief even if the three claims raised in his petition
received full federal habeas review.
I
Mr. Howell argues that his trial counsel, Frank Sheffield, Esq., rendered
ineffective assistance because he failed to present an “intervening cause” defense
at either the guilt or penalty phases of his trial. Mr. Howell contends that there was
a reasonable probability that the jury would have acquitted him, convicted him of a
lesser-included-offense, or recommended a sentence of life imprisonment had Mr.
Sheffield presented evidence that Trooper Fulford violated Florida Highway Patrol
policy by opening the package containing the bomb-rigged microwave oven.
According to Mr. Howell, Trooper Fulford’s actions were an unforeseeable,
intervening cause that broke the chain of causation and either nullified specific
intent entirely or mitigated culpability.
In order to prevail on this claim, Mr. Howell “must show that counsel’s
performance was deficient” and “that the deficient performance prejudiced the
defense.” Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 658, 687, 104 S. Ct. 2052, 2064
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(1984). On a § 2254 petition, we conduct a deferential review of the state court’s
adjudication of the performance and prejudice prongs of Strickland, such that relief
is only warranted if the state court’s decision was “contrary to, or involved an
unreasonable application of,” clearly established federal law, as determined by the
Supreme Court of the United States. See 28 U.S.C. § 2254(d). And our review of
counsel’s performance garners an additional level of deference because “it is all
too easy for a court, examining counsel’s defense after it has proved unsuccessful,
to conclude that a particular act or omission of counsel was unreasonable.”
Strickland, 466 U.S. at 689, 103 S. Ct. at 2065. See also Evans v. Sec’y, Dep’t of
Corr., 703 F.3d 1316, 1333-36 (11th Cir. 2013) (Jordan, J., concurring) (explaining
that under AEDPA “doubly deferential” review applies to the performance prong,
but not the prejudice prong, of Strickland).
As to performance, Mr. Howell has failed to explain how Mr. Sheffield’s
decision to forego an “intervening cause” defense amounts to anything more than a
rational strategic choice made after careful consideration. For example, at the
evidentiary hearing on Mr. Howell’s state post-conviction petition, Mr. Sheffield
testified that he discussed that particular defense with Mr. Howell before trial, and
that he ultimately came to the conclusion that it would likely backfire and hurt Mr.
Howell’s chances for an acquittal. See Transcript of Evidentiary Hearing on Mr.
Howell’s State Habeas Petition at 21 (“I made a judgment call that . . . if I went in
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and tried to, in effect, blame Trooper Fulford for his own death that it would not be
a viable defense; and, in fact, it would hurt Mr. Howell’s chances.”). Mr. Sheffield
also explained that he declined to present this defense as a non-statutory mitigator
during the penalty phase because he believed that it would be seen as an attempt to
blame Trooper Fulford for his own death and “inflame the jury.” See id. at 24.
These decisions were reasonable professional judgments under the circumstances
of this case, and thus cannot rise to the level of constitutionally deficient
performance. See Strickland, 466 U.S. at 690, 103 S. Ct. at 2066 (“[S]trategic
choices made after thorough investigation of law and facts relevant to plausible
options are virtually unchallengeable . . . .”).
With respect to prejudice, Mr. Howell conceded in his state post-conviction
proceeding that Trooper Fulford’s actions “would not have been an intervening
cause as a matter of law . . . .” Howell v. State, 877 So. 2d 697, 703 (Fla. 2004). I
agree with the Florida Supreme Court’s assessment that such a defense or theory,
even if asserted, would have had a “low probability of success, combined with the
tremendous potential for alienating the jury by blaming [Trooper Fulford] for his
own death . . . .” Id. at 703-04. Such a remote probability of success does not meet
the standard for prejudice articulated in Strickland. See 466 U.S. at 694, 104 S. Ct.
at 2068 (“The defendant must show that there is a reasonable probability that, but
for counsel’s unprofessional errors, the result of the proceeding would have been
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different. A reasonable probability is a probability sufficient to undermine
confidence in the outcome.”).
In sum, Mr. Howell has not established deficient performance or prejudice.
This ineffective assistance of counsel claim therefore fails on the merits.
II
Mr. Howell contends that the penalty phase of his trial violated the Sixth
Amendment because it was the trial court—with only a sentencing
recommendation from the jury—which made the necessary findings of fact to
impose the death penalty. He believes that this type of sentencing procedure,
codified at Fla. Stat. § 921.141 (1993), is unconstitutional under Apprendi v. New
Jersey, 530 U.S. 466, 120 S. Ct. 2348 (2000), and Ring v. Arizona, 536 U.S. 584,
122 S. Ct. 2428 (2002). Ring and Apprendi, however, are not applicable here. Mr.
Howell’s sentencing occurred in 1994, years before Apprendi and Ring. And
neither decision has been held to be retroactive. See Schriro v. Summerlin, 542
U.S. 348, 358, 124 S. Ct. 2519, 2526 (2004) (“Ring announced a new procedural
rule that does not apply retroactively to cases already final on direct review.”);
McCoy v. United States, 266 F.3d 1245, 1258 (11th Cir. 2001) (“Therefore, like
these other circuits, we hold that the new constitutional rule of criminal procedure
announced in Apprendi does not apply retroactively on collateral review.”).
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Nevertheless, Mr. Howell contends that he should be able to rely on
Apprendi and Ring because Blakely v. Washington, 542 U.S. 296, 125 S. Ct. 2531
(2004), expanded and clarified Apprendi and the Supreme Court has yet to decide
whether Blakely is retroactive. Unfortunately for Mr. Howell, his Blakely argument
is now foreclosed by our precedent. See Varela v. United States, 400 F.3d 864,
866-68 (11th Cir. 2005) (holding that Blakely and United States v. Booker, 542
U.S. 220, 125 S. Ct. 738 (2005), are not retroactive on collateral review). Thus,
Mr. Howell is not entitled to relief on his Apprendi/Ring claim.
III
Mr. Howell asserts that he was denied effective assistance of counsel
because Mr. Sheffield had a conflict of interest and was not removed as his
attorney. When a defendant asserts a conflict of interest claim, we are not always
required to conduct the two-step analysis under Strickland for ineffective
assistance of counsel. See Burger v. Kemp, 483 U.S. 776, 783, 107 S. Ct. 3114,
3120 (1987). Instead, prejudice can be presumed, but “only if a defendant
demonstrates that his attorney actively represented conflicting interests and that an
actual conflict of interest adversely affected his lawyer’s performance.” Id.
(internal quotation marks omitted). In his petition, Mr. Howell cites to three
separate occasions where he contends a conflict of interest arose. First, Mr.
Sheffield allegedly had a conflict based upon allegations that an anonymous threat
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was made to his law office. Second, Mr. Howell and Mr. Sheffield disagreed over
the defense’s strategy. Third, Mr. Sheffield consulted, during jury selection, with
an attorney who represented one of Mr. Howell’s co-defendants. I address each of
these purported conflicts below.
A
Initially, Mr. Sheffield was appointed to represent Mr. Howell in both his
federal and state criminal prosecutions. In January of 1993, before the federal trial
began, Mr. Sheffield’s wife claimed that she received a call at the office, in which
the caller stated, “[I]f Paul Howell goes down, Mr. Sheffield is going down also.”
Appellant’s Brief at 4. Mr. Sheffield contacted law enforcement officials, who
began to investigate the claim. In addition, he petitioned to withdraw from Mr.
Howell’s federal case, citing his concerns for his family’s safety and his difficulties
in communicating with his client. The federal district court granted Mr. Sheffield’s
request, and William Pfeiffer, Esq., was appointed in his place. Law enforcement
later concluded, following an investigation into the matter, that no threatening call
had actually been made to Mr. Sheffield’s office.
On March 15, 1993, Mr. Howell sent a letter to the state trial court. He
claimed that Mr. Sheffield was ineffective due to a failure to communicate and a
lack of trust. He also requested that the substitute federal counsel, Mr. Pfeiffer, be
appointed as substitute counsel for his state death penalty case. Three days later,
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the state filed a motion to disqualify Mr. Sheffield. The motion referenced the
threatening phone call and statements by Mr. Sheffield that Mr. Howell was being
uncooperative. The trial court held a hearing “to determine whether or not there
[was] reasonable cause to believe that [Mr. Sheffield was] not rendering effective
assistance to [Mr. Howell].” Nelson v. State, 274 So. 2d 256, 258 (Fla. 1973)
(recommending such an inquiry whenever a defendant makes it known that he or
she desires to discharge appointed counsel).
At the hearing, Mr. Sheffield indicated that he had no outstanding safety
concerns and was willing to continue representing Mr. Howell. He also informed
the trial court about his experience with death penalty cases and pointed out that
Mr. Pfeiffer had never tried a capital case. The trial court then asked Mr. Howell
for his views regarding Mr. Sheffield’s representation. Mr. Howell said that he did
not want Mr. Sheffield to represent him because Mr. Sheffield had failed to share
certain discovery matters with him. The trial court heard argument from all parties,
and denied the motion to disqualify Mr. Sheffield based on its findings that (1) Mr.
Sheffield was not removed from the federal case for lack of diligence; (2) there
was no basis to question his performance in this case; and (3) Mr. Howell’s
preferred replacement had no prior death penalty experience.
On June 4, 1993, the state filed a motion for rehearing and attached the
transcript from the hearing on Mr. Sheffield’s motion to withdraw in federal court.
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Those transcripts provided additional information about the alleged threat, Mr.
Sheffield’s safety concerns at the time, and Mr. Sheffield’s belief that he could not
ethically represent Mr. Howell in the federal case under those circumstances. The
trial court held a hearing to discuss this additional evidence on November 19,
1993. At the hearing, Mr. Sheffield acknowledged that he had difficulties
communicating with Mr. Howell on discovery matters in the federal case and that
the alleged telephone threat led to his request to withdraw. But he stated that there
were no such communication issues in the state case,1 and he no longer had
concerns for his safety. See Howell v. State, 707 So. 2d 674, 678 (Fla. 1998)
(quoting Mr. Sheffield’s statement at the hearing: “Since that time, Mr. Howell and
I have communicated with one another. We are getting discovery. We have taken
depositions. . . . [A]nd the problems that were occurring at that time in the federal
case no longer exist.”).
Mr. Howell also testified at the hearing. He indicated that there were still
concerns in the wake of the alleged phone threat because Mr. Howell’s family
members were upset by insinuations that they may have orchestrated the whole
thing. In response, Mr. Sheffield said that he did not share these concerns and that
1
Mr. Sheffield explained at the hearing that the improved attorney-client communication
in the state capital case resulted from differences between the state and federal discovery
procedures. Compare FED. R. CRIM. P. 16, with FLA. R. CRIM. P. 3.220. In his view, the attorney-
client relationship was strained in the federal case due to Mr. Howell’s perception that Mr.
Sheffield was continuously served with requested discovery disclosures, but could not obtain
certain desired discovery from the government because of the Jencks Act, 18 U.S.C. § 3500(a).
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they would not impact his ability to represent Mr. Howell. Based on this testimony,
the trial court found that (1) “[Mr. Howell] and Mr. Sheffield appear[ed] to be able
to communicate,” (2) “Mr. Sheffield [was] probably as good [an attorney] as [Mr.
Howell was] going to get,” and (3) “it would certainly be to [Mr. Howell’s] benefit
to have [Mr. Sheffield] represent [him].” Id. at 679. The trial court did, however,
give Mr. Howell an opportunity to respond, and Mr. Howell only said that he left
the decision to the court. At that point, the trial court concluded that there was “no
reason to disqualify Mr. Sheffield from representing Mr. Howell” and denied the
state’s motion for rehearing. Id. That decision was later upheld by the Florida
Supreme Court. See id. at 677-79.
In my view, the Florida Supreme Court’s decision on this issue was not an
unreasonable application of Supreme Court precedent necessitating reversal under
the applicable deferential standard. Habeas relief would only be warranted if Mr.
Howell “demonstrate[d] that an actual conflict of interest existed that adversely
affected [Mr. Sheffield’s] performance.” See Burger, 483 U.S. at 783, 107 S. Ct. at
3120. And, on this record, Mr. Howell did not meet that burden. First, Mr. Howell
did not rebut—by clear and convincing evidence—the state court’s factual finding
that it was “evident that any apprehension that [Mr.] Sheffield had concerning the
bomb threat which had allegedly occurred some nine months before had
dissipated.” Howell, 707 So. 2d at 679. Mr. Howell attempted to challenge this
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finding by pointing to statements made by Mr. Sheffield at the time of the federal
trial. But those statements cannot serve as clear and convincing evidence of Mr.
Sheffield’s state of mind approximately nine months later, especially when Mr.
Sheffield provided sworn testimony that he no longer had those concerns. Second,
Mr. Howell cites to no evidence in the record that shows how the anonymous
threat actually impacted Mr. Sheffield’s performance in the state capital case. He
did not, for example, demonstrate that Mr. Sheffield made a choice between
possible alternative courses of action that went against his own interests or that the
choice was motivated by the anonymous phone threat. See, e.g., Smith v. White,
815 F.2d 1401, 1404 (11th Cir. 1987) (articulating standard for establishing actual
conflict of interest).
Instead, Mr. Howell relies on the presumption that, because the federal
district court determined that Mr. Sheffield had a conflict of interest, the state trial
court necessarily had to reach the same conclusion. See Habeas Corpus Petition
[D.E. 2] at 19 (“This determination had already been made by the Federal court
judge. It is preposterous to assume that the conflict was only in that courtroom and
did not extend to the state court as well.”). But this argument, if anything, only
establishes that there was a mere possibility of a conflict of interest in Mr.
Howell’s state court case. And that does not suffice to make out a Sixth
Amendment violation. See Cuyler v. Sullivan, 446 U.S. 335, 350, 100 S. Ct. 1708,
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1719 (1980) (“We hold that the possibility of conflict is insufficient to impugn a
criminal conviction.”). Habeas relief, therefore, is not warranted on this claim.
B
In September of 1994, Mr. Sheffield filed a motion claiming that Mr. Howell
was incompetent to proceed to trial because Mr. Sheffield believed that an insanity
defense was Mr. Howell’s only viable option. Mr. Howell, however, did not want
to pursue an insanity defense. At a hearing, the trial court concluded that Mr.
Howell had competently indicated that he did not want to pursue an insanity
defense, and that the decision on whether to do so was ultimately his to make. Mr.
Sheffield agreed to abandon the insanity defense.
On the eve of trial, Mr. Howell wrote a letter to the trial court questioning
Mr. Sheffield’s ability to provide effective representation due to irreconcilable
differences stemming from Mr. Sheffield’s prior insistence on relying on an
insanity defense. The trial court found that Mr. Howell’s concerns had already
been addressed, Mr. Sheffield had agreed to adhere to Mr. Howell’s preference to
forego an insanity defense, and, consequently, there was no basis to replace Mr.
Sheffield. The case then proceeded to trial.
At trial, Mr. Howell again complained to the trial court about Mr. Sheffield’s
performance. He believed that Mr. Sheffield was unprepared and ignored his
suggestions. Mr. Sheffield responded that, in his professional judgment, it was not
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beneficial to challenge certain evidence, as Mr. Howell wished, because that
evidence would later come in anyway. The trial court informed Mr. Howell that
Mr. Sheffield’s approach was not uncommon in criminal cases and concluded that
there was no need to appoint new counsel.
Mr. Howell argues that these disputes with Mr. Sheffield over defense
strategy created a conflict of interest, which made it necessary for the trial court to
appoint new counsel. I disagree. At most, Mr. Howell has shown that he was
dissatisfied with Mr. Sheffield’s strategic and tactical decisions. But dissatisfaction
alone is not sufficient to create a conflict of interest. See Blanco v. Wainwright,
507 So. 2d 1377, 1383 (Fla. 1987) (holding that “disagreements over whether to
call certain witnesses” did not constitute a conflict of interest). Accord Oimen v.
McCaughtry, 130 F.3d 809, 812 (7th Cir. 1997) (“That is not a conflict of interest;
it is a disagreement over strategy.”); United States v. Leggett, 81 F.3d 220, 227
(D.C. Cir. 1996) (“[W]e are unpersuaded by [the petitioner’s] further attempt to
style his disagreement with counsel over trial tactics as a ‘conflict of interest.’”);
Stenson v. Lambert, 504 F.3d 873, 886 (9th Cir. 2007) (“We can find no clearly
established Supreme Court precedent holding that [a disagreement over trial
strategy] amounts to an actual conflict of interest.”); United States v. Jones, 662
F.3d 1018, 1026-27 (8th Cir. 2011) (“[The Sixth Amendment] is not violated by
general dissatisfaction or disagreements over strategy . . . .”).
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Because these disagreements with Mr. Sheffield did not create a conflict of
interest, Mr. Howell is only entitled to relief if he can establish prejudice under
Strickland. See Burger, 483 U.S. at 783, 107 S. Ct. at 3120 (holding that prejudice
is only presumed if there is proof of an actual conflict of interest). In my opinion,
Mr. Howell has not met that burden. In his habeas petition, Mr. Howell does not
explain how, if at all, these disagreements impacted his trial. There is no
contention, for example, that Mr. Sheffield ignored Mr. Howell’s wishes and
attempted to put on an unsuccessful insanity defense at trial. Or that Mr. Sheffield
failed to object to the admission of prejudicial evidence that otherwise would have
been excluded. Under these circumstances, the trial court did not err in declining to
appoint new counsel. See United States v. Young, 482 F.2d 993, 995 (5th Cir.
1973) (“Unless a Sixth Amendment violation is shown, whether to appoint a
different lawyer for an indigent criminal defendant who expresses dissatisfaction
with his court-appointed counsel is a matter committed to the sound discretion of
the district court.”); Thomas v. Wainwright, 767 F.2d 738, 742 (11th Cir. 1985)
(“A defendant’s general loss of confidence or trust in his counsel, standing alone,
is not sufficient [to establish good cause for substitution of counsel].”). Relief is
not warranted on this claim.
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C
During jury selection for Mr. Howell’s state trial, the state noted for the
record that Mr. Sheffield had consulted with Robert Rand, Esq., the attorney for
co-defendant Patrick Howell, 2 on jury challenges. Mr. Sheffield explained that he
had sought Mr. Rand’s assistance because the state court declined to appoint a
second lawyer to help him with Mr. Howell’s case. The trial court recognized the
possible conflict of interest, and asked Mr. Howell for his views on the issue. 3 Mr.
Howell stated that he had “no problem” with Mr. Rand’s involvement and that it
was his desire that Mr. Rand be allowed to assist Mr. Sheffield. There is no
indication that Mr. Rand’s assistance extended beyond jury selection.
As an initial matter, I note that the Florida Supreme Court failed to address
this claim when it reviewed Mr. Howell’s state post-conviction petition. See
Howell, 707 So. 2d at 677-81. The claim, therefore, “is not subject to the
deferential standard that applies under AEDPA” and “is reviewed de novo.” Cone
v. Bell, 556 U.S. 449, 472, 129 S. Ct. 1769, 1784 (2009). See also 28 U.S.C. §
2254(d) (stating that AEDPA deference applies “with respect to any claim that was
adjudicated on the merits in State court proceedings”).
2
Mr. Howell and Patrick Howell are brothers.
3
The trial court found that Mr. Howell and his brother had differing interests and noted
that the two men had previously gotten into a physical altercation in the courtroom. At the time
of jury selection in Mr. Howell’s case, Patrick had entered into a plea agreement.
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Nevertheless, it is my view that, under these facts, Mr. Howell waived any
claim to ineffective assistance of counsel based on Mr. Rand’s involvement in jury
selection. See United States v. Rodriguez, 982 F.2d 474, 477 (11th Cir. 1993) (“A
defendant may waive [his Sixth Amendment right] by choosing to proceed to trial
with an attorney who has an adverse conflict of interest.”). The record shows that
the trial court informed Mr. Howell of the potential conflict, made appropriate
inquiries, and gave him the option to prevent Mr. Sheffield from consulting with
Mr. Rand, which would have eliminated any conflict of interest. In response to that
offer, Mr. Howell provided a waiver that was “clear, unequivocal, and
unambiguous . . . .” United States v. Petz, 764 F.2d 1390, 1392 (11th Cir. 1985)
(quoting United States v. Garcia, 517 F.2d 272, 278 (5th Cir. 1975)). As a result,
Mr. Howell cannot obtain relief on this claim.
IV
In sum, Mr. Howell would not be entitled to habeas relief on any of the
claims raised in his federal petition, even if they were adjudicated on the merits.
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