PAUL AUGUSTUS HOWELL, APPELLANT(S)
v.
STATE OF FLORIDA, APPELLE(S)

Fla. | 2013-02-25
No. SC13-303
POLSTON, C.J., and PARIENTE, LEWIS, QUINCE, CANADY, LABARGA, and PERRY, JJ., concur.
145 So. 3d 774 Florida Supreme Court (2013) Caution
Cited by 7 cases

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Synopsis

Paul Augustus Howell, a death row inmate under an active death warrant, sought post-conviction relief through a second successive motion raising claims of ineffective assistance of counsel and newly discovered mitigating evidence. The Florida Supreme Court affirmed the trial court's summary denial of the motion as procedurally barred under Rule 3.851(d), finding that Howell failed to meet the required exceptions for filing a successive motion beyond the one-year deadline.


Holding

The Court held that Howell's second successive motion was procedurally barred because it failed to satisfy any of the required exceptions. The newly discovered evidence exception did not apply because the facts could have been discovered with due diligence, and merely obtaining a new expert or citing new research studies does not constitute newly discovered evidence. The counsel neglect exception also did not apply because the rule requires actual failure to timely file a motion, not failure to raise specific claims within a timely-filed motion.


Headnotes

[1] A second successive motion for post-conviction relief is procedurally barred if filed beyond the time limitations provided by rule unless an exception applies.

[2] The exception for newly discovered evidence in a post-conviction motion requires a showing that the facts could not have been ascertained by the exercise of due diligence…

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Key Quotes

“we hold that this exception does not apply. Howell fails to demonstrate how any of the above facts could not have been discovered with due diligence. All of the allegations regarding information about Howell's background have been in the possession of either Howell or his family, or in his records.”

Establishes the Court's holding that the newly discovered evidence exception does not apply because information was available through due diligence.

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Facts & Procedural History

Howell filed a second successive motion for post-conviction relief on February 21, 2013, just three days after the Court affirmed the denial of his pr…

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Opinion of the Court

Paul Augustus Howell, a prisoner under sentence of death and under an active death warrant, appeals the summary denial of a second successive motion for post-conviction relief filed on February 21, 2013, just three days after this Court affirmed the denial of his prior successive motion for postconviction relief. We have jurisdiction. See art. V, § 3(b)(1), Fla. Const. The Court expedited the briefing and after reviewing the motion, the briefs, and the entire history of this case, we affirm the trial court’s summary denial.

In the second successive motion for postconviction relief, Howell raised the following claims: (1) trial counsel was ineffective in failing to investigate and present mitigating evidence; (2) trial counsel’s conflict of interest led to a structural deprivation of Howell’s right to counsel; (3) a structural deprivation of counsel occurred based on the trial court’s failure to adequately fund Howell’s defense; (4) newly discovered evidence of mitigation could have saved Howell’s life; and (5) his execution would violate the Eighth Amendment. The trial court summarily denied the second successive motion for postconviction relief.

*775We affirm the summary denial of Howell’s second successive motion for postconviction relief as procedurally barred and without merit. Because the motion was filed beyond the time limitation provided in Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.851(d)(1), the motion must rely upon one of the enumerated exceptions listed in subsection (d)(2). Here, Howell asserts that his second successive posteon-viction motion may be considered because “the facts on which the claim is predicated were unknown to the movant or the mov-ant’s attorney and could not have been ascertained by the exercise of due diligence.” Fla. R.Crim. P. 3.851(d)(2)(A). After thoroughly reviewing the second successive motion filed before the trial court, we hold that this exception does not apply. Howell fails to demonstrate how any of the above facts could not have been discovered with due diligence. All of the allegations regarding information about Howell’s background have been in the possession of either Howell or his family, or in his records. To the extent that Howell has now obtained another expert, merely obtaining a new expert cannot be the basis for a newly discovered evidence claim. To the extent Howell claims that there are new studies or tests available, this Court has rejected that type of evidence as newly discovered. See Schwab v. State, 969 So.2d 318, 325 (Fla.2007) (“[T]his Court has not recognized ‘new opinions’ or ‘new research studies’ as newly discovered evidence.”). Further, this Court has just rejected as barred Howell’s attempt to raise the mitigation claim. Howell v. State, 109 So.3d 763 (Fla.2013).

Howell also asserts that his second successive postconviction motion may be considered because “postconviction counsel, through neglect, failed to file the motion.” Fla. R.Crim. P. 3.851(d)(2)(C). Howell recognizes that, here, initial post-conviction counsel sought an extension beyond the one-year deadline and then filed a motion for postconviction relief within the time period that this Court granted. However, according to Howell, this exception can still apply because postconviction counsel failed to raise these specific claims. This argument is contrary to the express terms of the rule itself, which applies based on the inaction of counsel to file a timely motion for postconviction relief, not to file a specific claim. Moreover, under Howell’s interpretation, a condemned inmate would never face any time limitation in which to file a motion for postconviction relief, because the inmate could always assert that postconviction counsel neglected to raise a claim.

Accordingly, we hold that none of the exceptions relied upon by Howell apply to this second successive postconviction motion. We affirm the denial of relief.

No rehearing will be entertained by this Court.

It is so ordered.

POLSTON, C.J., and PARIENTE, LEWIS, QUINCE, CANADY, LABARGA, and PERRY, JJ., concur.


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Citator

Cited By

  • Asay v. State, 210 So. 3d 1 (Fla. 2016)
    …arch studies have routinely been rejected as newly discovered evidence. See Henry v. State, 125 So. 3d 745, 750-51 (Fla. 2013). Merely obtaining a new expert to review the same records does not create newly discovei-ed evidence. See Howell v. State, 145 So. 3d 774, 775 (Fla. 2013). However, this Court has found that a case-specific letter from the FBI based on a 2004 report by the National Research Council is newly discovered evidence. Wyatt v. State, 71 So. 3d 86, 100 (Fla. 2011). The 2004 report discredite…
  • Rogers v. State, 327 So. 3d 784 (Fla. 2021)
    …3d 1065 , 1068-69 (Fla. 2019). Additionally, when, as here, a newly-discovered-evidence claim is brought as a successive claim, the defendant must demonstrate an exception to the time limitation set forth in rule 3.851(d)(1). See Howell v. State, 145 So. 3d 774, 775 (Fla. 2013). This rule requires that “[a]ny motion to vacate judgment of conviction and sentence of death shall be filed by the defendant within 1 year after the judgment and sentence become final.” Fla. R. Crim. P. 3.851(d)(1). Rogers’ sentenc…
  • Sweet v. State, 293 So. 3d 448 (Fla. 2020)
    …to the one-year deadline for circumstances where counsel’s neglect results in a postconviction motion not being filed within a year of final judgment; the rule does not contemplate failure to raise specific claims within a year. See Howell v. State, 145 So. 3d 774, 775 (Fla. 2013) (“[U]nder Howell’s interpretation, a condemned inmate would never face any time limitation in which to file a motion for -9- postconviction relief, because the inmate could always assert that postconviction counsel neglected to rais…

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