Wheeler v. State
Wheeler v. State
Opinion
Randy Lee Wheeler appeals the circuit court's summary denial of his Rule 32, Ala.R.Crim.P., petition for postconviction relief, in which he attacked his October 2003 convictions for one count of first-degree rape and two counts of first-degree sexual abuse and his resulting sentences, as a habitual felony offender, of 35 years' imprisonment for the rape conviction and 20 years' imprisonment for each of the sexual-abuse convictions, the sentences to run concurrently. On June 18, 2004, this Court affirmed Wheeler's convictions and sentences in an unpublished memorandum. Wheeler v. State, (No. CR-03-0635)
Wheeler filed his Rule 32 petition on March 14, 2005. In his petition, Wheeler alleged:
*Page 53(1) That the trial court lacked jurisdiction to render the judgment in his case or to impose the sentences because, he says, there was no arrest warrant issued pursuant to the multicount indictment;
(2) That the trial court lacked jurisdiction to render the judgment in his case or to impose the sentences because, he says, the trial court did not place prospective jurors under oath before the voir dire examination;(3) That the evidence was insufficient to sustain his convictions for one count of rape and two counts of sexual abuse;
(4) That the trial court illegally sentenced him to multiple sentences because, he says, the State lacked the authority to prosecute him for those offenses that were not part of the arrest warrant; and
(5) That he was denied effective assistance of trial and appellate counsel.
After receiving a response from the State, the circuit court summarily denied Wheeler's petition on April 22, 2005.
Initially, we note that Wheeler does not pursue on appeal claims (1) and (4), as set out above. Thus, those claims are deemed to be abandoned. See, e.g., Brownlee v. State,
"[Wheeler] does not allege that no oath was ever given to the jurors and, in fact, the trial court administered an oath to the jury before trial. Thus, any defect in the administration of oaths was waivable, and was so waived. Fortner v. State,
825 So.2d 876 (Ala.Crim.App. 2001)."
(C. 80.) We agree with the circuit court. Wheeler did not allege that neither the jury venire nor the petit jury were administered an oath; he alleged only that the jury venire was not administered an oath. Thus, this is a defective-oath situation, which is a nonjurisdictional claim subject to the procedural bars in Rule 32.2, Ala.R.Crim.P. See Brooks v.State,
In Strickland v. Washington,
Although Wheeler alleged in his Rule 32 petition that the assistance of both his trial and appellate counsel had been ineffective regarding the issue whether an arrest warrant was issued on the multicount indictment, he did not plead with sufficient specificity how the actions or inactions of his trial and appellate counsel were deficient and how this alleged deficient performance prejudiced his defense to the extent required to substantiate a claim underStrickland.
As to Wheeler's claim that his trial and appellate counsel rendered ineffective assistance when no objection was made at trial or no issue raised on appeal regarding the trial court's instruction to the jury that the "victim's word alone was sufficient to convict" (C. 53), we do not find that Wheeler is entitled to any relief on this ground. It is well settled that "`[t]he question of the victim[s] credibility [is] one for the jury and not for this Court.'" Rowell v. State,
As to Wheeler's allegation of ineffective assistance of counsel involving the trial court's alleged failure to administer the oath to the jury venire before voir dire examination, we must remand this case to the circuit court to make findings regarding this allegation. In Wilson v.State,
"However, Wilson's claim is not that the trial court lacked jurisdiction to render the judgment or to impose the sentence because the venire was not sworn, which is nonjurisdictional and waivable, but that his trial counsel rendered ineffective assistance when he did not object. Thus, whether the venire had been, in fact, administered the oath has a direct bearing on this particular ineffective-assistance-of-trial-counsel claim. See Fortner v. State,
825 So.2d 876 (Ala.Crim.App. 2001). Therefore, it is necessary for this cause to be remanded to the circuit court to make such findings as are necessary to determine whether the venire was properly sworn."
The State, in its response to Wheeler's Rule 32 petition, stated:
"The potential jurors are administered an oath, according to Alabama Rules of Criminal Procedure during orientation with the Court Administrator's Office prior to voir dire. Additionally, [the trial judge] administered the oath according to Rule 12.1 after the jury was selected, but prior to trial. (See record page 72, line 24.)"
(C. 68, 69-70.) However, the record in the present case does not affirmatively show that the jury venire was administered an oath before voir dire examination, and the State did not submit an affidavit establishing that the oath was, in fact, administered to the jury venire before voir dire examination. Thus, we have no alternative but to remand this case for the circuit court to *Page 55
determine whether the jury venire was properly sworn. SeeEx parte Hamlett,
Based on the foregoing, we remand this case for the circuit court to address the merits of Wheeler's claim that his trial counsel was ineffective for not objecting to the alleged failure to administer the oath to the jury venire and to issue specific findings of fact in that regard. Those findings must necessarily include a determination of whether the jury venire was, in fact, sworn. The circuit court may conduct an evidentiary hearing or may take evidence in the form of affidavits, written interrogatories, or depositions. See Rule 37.9(a), Ala.R.Crim.P. Due return shall be filed with this Court no later than 42 days from the date of this opinion. The return to remand shall include the circuit court's written findings of fact; a transcript of the evidentiary hearing, if one is conducted; and any other evidence received or relied on by the court in making its determination.
REMANDED WITH DIRECTIONS.*
McMILLAN, P.J., and COBB, BASCHAE, and WISE, JJ., concur.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.