JOEL PAREDES, APPELLANT,
v.
THE STATE OF FLORIDA, APPELLEE

Fla. 3d DCA | 2006-01-25
No. 3D05-500
Before FLETCHER, WELLS, and SHEPHERD, JJ.
921 So. 2d 32 Florida District Court of Appeal, Third District (2006) Positive Treatment
Cited by 2 cases

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Synopsis

Joel Paredes appeals an order denying his motion for post-conviction relief under Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.850, claiming ineffective assistance of counsel. The court affirms the denial, finding none of his eight ineffectiveness claims under Strickland v. Washington meet the required standards.


Holding

The court holds that none of Paredes's ineffectiveness claims satisfy the Strickland standard. Each claim either fails to demonstrate prejudice, constitutes an issue properly raised at trial rather than an ineffectiveness claim, or relies on mere conclusory allegations without explanation of how the alleged omissions prejudiced the trial outcome. Any remaining claims are procedurally barred as they should have been raised on direct appeal.


Headnotes

[1] A claim of ineffective assistance of counsel based on failure to move to strike a jury panel is not viable when defense counsel repeatedly objected to the prosecution's q…

[2] A claim of ineffective assistance of counsel for failing to challenge or strike jurors requires a demonstration of prejudice resulting in an unfair trial.

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Key Quotes

“This claim fails to raise a viable claim of Strickland ineffectiveness given the record of defense counsel's repeated objections to the state's "pre-trying" the case to the jury.”

Establishes that the jury challenge claim fails because counsel actually objected at trial, making this a trial preservation issue rather than ineffectiveness.

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Facts & Procedural History

Paredes was convicted by jury trial of second degree murder and attempted second degree murder for his participation in a schoolyard drive-by shooting…

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Opinion of the Court
FLETCHER, Judge.

FLETCHER, Judge.

Joel Paredes seeks to reverse an order denying his motion for post-conviction relief filed pursuant to Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.850. We affirm.

Paredes was convicted after a jury trial of second degree murder and attempted second degree murder for his participation in a schoolyard driveby shooting. He confessed to being the shooter while his brother drove the car. Paredes was sentenced to an upward departure sentence of forty years. His judgment and sentence were affirmed by this court upon direct appeal. Paredes v. State, 760 So. 2d 167 (Fla. 3d DCA 2000). Paredes timely raised eight issues in his petition for post-conviction relief. First, Paredes claims that his trial counsel was ineffective for failing to move to strike the jury panel based on allegedly improper prosecution questioning. This claim fails to raise a viable claim of Strickland

ineffectiveness given the record of defense counsel’s repeated objections to the state’s “pre-trying” the case to the jury. [Petitioner’s Appendix E]. Further, the issue was raised at trial and properly preserved for appellate review; it is improper to attempt now to fashion the issue as an ineffectiveness claim. See, e.g., Parker v. State, 611 So. 2d 1224 (Fla.1992).

Next, Paredes claims that counsel was ineffective for failing to challenge for cause or use peremptory strikes against three jurors. This claim fails because Pa-redes does not demonstrate any prejudice in these jurors, or how their seating on the jury panel resulted in an unfair trial. Trial counsel’s failure to challenge them, without more, is not evidence of ineffectiveness. See Jenkins v. State, 824 So. 2d 977 (Fla. 4th DCA 2002)(“[T]he Strickland requirement of actual prejudice imposes a more stringent test before a new trial can be ordered for the failure to object to a person’s service on a jury.”).

Paredes claims that his trial counsel failed to preserve “meritorious issues.” Paredes lists seven general areas where he believes his trial counsel should have made objections, but he fails to explain how these alleged omissions prejudiced the proceedings or negatively affected the outcome of his trial. The defendant bears the burden of establishing a prima facie case based upon a legally valid claim; mere conclusory allegations are not sufficient to meet this burden. See Kennedy v. State, 547 So. 2d 912 (Fla.1989).

Paredes further asserts that his trial counsel failed to proffer testimony of a defense eyewitness. However, the record shows that defense counsel requested a hearing to determine whether statements made by the state to the witness had biased the witness against the defense. After the hearing, the trial court denied the defense motion for mistrial. Trial counsel was not ineffective for failing to proffer the original testimony because the record shows that witness eventually testified on behalf of the defense, and that defense counsel extensively impeached the witness as to her former testimony and did his best to rehabilitate.

Next, Paredes claims that his counsel failed to investigate the type of gun used. However, Paredes fails to demonstrate a reasonable probability that the trial outcome would have been different had defense counsel hired his own ballistics expert to testify at trial. In addition, Paredes himself acknowledged in his sworn statement that he used an MP.45, which he knew from reading the name off of the gun’s stock. No Strickland error here.

Paredes claims that he told his counsel that it was his brother who actually fired the weapon and was in a gang. However, the record shows that defense counsel did impeach the co-defendant’s testimony; as well, Paredes testified about his brother’s arrest problems and admitted to shooting the gun. We find no Strickland error in any of the claims raised in Paredes’ motion for post-conviction relief.

Paredes’ remaining claims are without merit, as the issues were or should have been raised on direct appeal and are procedurally barred.

Affirmed.

. Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 104 S.Ct. 2052, 80 L.Ed.2d 674 (1984).


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Citator

Cited By

  • Garcia v. State, 944 So. 2d 1098 (Fla. 2d DCA 2006)
    …ection to strike potential jurors whose ability to be impartial allegedly was questionable. Garcia’s motion alleged potential prejudice in three jurors and argued how their seating on the jury panel resulted in an unfair trial. See Paredes v. State, 921 So. 2d 32, 34 (Fla. 3d DCA 2006). In summarily denying relief on this ground, the trial court found that there was no legal merit to the claim, but did not provide any record attachments to refute Garcia’s claim or to support its ruling. Accordingly, we rev…

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