Chance v. Commissioner of Correction
Chance v. Commissioner of Correction
Opinion
The petitioner, Noel Chance, appeals following the denial of his petition for certification to appeal from the judgment of the habeas court denying his second amended petition for a writ of habeas corpus. On appeal, the petitioner claims that the habeas court (1) abused its discretion in denying his petition for certification to appeal from the denial of his second amended petition, and (2) improperly concluded that he failed to establish that his trial counsel rendered ineffective assistance. We conclude that the habeas court did not abuse its discretion in denying the petition for certification to appeal and, accordingly, dismiss the petitioner's appeal.
The following facts and procedural history are relevant to our disposition of the petitioner's appeal. This court's decision in the petitioner's direct appeal in
State
v.
Chance
,
"On August 11, 2007, the five foot tall, ninety pound, fourteen year old victim in this case was jogging on a
secluded road in Litchfield.
1
The [petitioner], who was driving in his truck with his dog, started following the victim. The [petitioner] slowed down and asked her if she wanted a ride. When she refused, the [petitioner] stopped his truck on the side of the road, exited his truck, and chased her. The [petitioner] grabbed her by her ponytail causing her to fall face down on the side of the road. The [petitioner] then engaged in a struggle with the victim that, according to testimony, lasted approximately five minutes. The [petitioner] wrapped his arms around her, touching her breasts, and tried to pick her up. The victim fought back and screamed. The [petitioner] covered her mouth to suppress her screams, told her to shut up, and attempted to pick her up. The victim began 'heaving,' unable to catch her breath. The [petitioner] released the victim, backed away, and asked her if she was okay. The victim responded, 'just leave,' and, 'please leave.' When the [petitioner] turned and walked toward his truck, the victim ran into a wooded area and hid. The victim attempted to call her mother from her cell phone, but was unable to reach her. She then called 911. State troopers arrived at the scene and aided the victim."
2
(Footnote in original.)
A four day jury trial began on August 5, 2008. Following the close of evidence, the trial judge met with the petitioner's trial counsel, Walter D. Hussey, and the prosecutor for the purpose of crafting an appropriate kidnapping instruction that incorporated
State
v.
Salamon
,
"The jury found the [petitioner] guilty of kidnapping in the second degree, attempted kidnapping in the second degree, unlawful restraint in the first degree, and risk of injury to a child [in violation of § 53-21 (a) (1) ]. 4 The trial court merged the [petitioner]'s conviction ... [of] attempted kidnapping in the second degree, with his conviction ... [of] kidnapping in the second degree. On October 17, 2008, the court imposed a total effective sentence of twenty years of incarceration, execution suspended after eight and one-half years, followed by five years of probation with special conditions." (Footnote added.)
State
v.
Chance
, supra,
On May 16, 2013, the self-represented petitioner filed a petition for a writ of habeas corpus alleging that his trial counsel had rendered ineffective assistance in several respects. On August 26, 2016, the petitioner, represented by appointed counsel, filed the operative second amended petition, claiming that trial counsel rendered ineffective assistance in that he (1) "acquiesced to improper jury instructions regarding kidnapping, in accordance with the relatively new law as stated in [ Salamon ]"; (2) failed to file a motion to suppress incriminating statements that the petitioner made to law enforcement prior to receiving a Miranda 6 warning; and (3) failed to file a motion to suppress evidence obtained from the seizure of his pickup truck.
The habeas trial was held on September 9, 2016. The habeas court heard testimony from the petitioner, Attorney Hussey and Trooper D'Elia. The petitioner did not present any expert testimony in support of his claims. In a memorandum of decision filed on November 10, 2016, the habeas court denied the petitioner's second amended petition, determining that the petitioner had failed to establish deficient performance or prejudice as to each of his claims. On November 21, 2016, the habeas court denied the petitioner certification to appeal, and this appeal followed. Additional facts and procedural history will be set forth as necessary.
I
The petitioner claims that the habeas court abused its discretion in denying his petition for certification to appeal from the denial of his second amended petition for a writ of habeas corpus. We disagree.
As a preliminary matter, we set forth the standard of review that governs our disposition of the petitioner's appeal. "Faced with a habeas court's denial of a petition for certification to appeal, a petitioner can obtain appellate review of the dismissal of his petition for habeas corpus only by satisfying the two-pronged test enunciated by our Supreme Court in
Simms
v.
Warden
,
"In determining whether the habeas court abused its discretion in denying
the petitioner's request for certification, we necessarily must consider the merits of the petitioner's underlying claims to determine whether the habeas court reasonably determined that the petitioner's appeal was frivolous. In other words, we review the petitioner's substantive claims for the purpose of ascertaining whether those claims satisfy one or more of the three criteria ... adopted by [our Supreme Court] for determining the propriety of the habeas court's denial of the petition for certification." (Citations omitted; internal quotation marks omitted.)
Sanders
v.
Commissioner of Correction
,
As we discuss more fully in part II of this opinion, because the resolution of the petitioner's underlying claim that trial counsel rendered ineffective assistance involves issues that are not debatable among jurists of reason, could not have been resolved by a court in a different manner, and are not adequate to deserve encouragement to proceed further, we conclude that the habeas court did not abuse its discretion in denying the petition for certification to appeal from the denial of the petition for a writ of habeas corpus.
II
We now turn to the petitioner's substantive claims that the habeas court improperly concluded that the petitioner failed to establish that his trial counsel rendered ineffective assistance. The petitioner claims that his trial counsel rendered deficient performance by failing (1) to present accurate jury instructions that were consistent with Salamon , and (2) to file a motion to suppress incriminating statements that the petitioner made to law enforcement. 7 The petitioner further claims that he was prejudiced by this deficient performance. 8 We disagree.
We first set forth our standard of review and the legal principles that govern ineffective assistance of counsel claims. "The habeas court is afforded broad discretion in making its factual findings, and those findings will not be disturbed unless they are clearly erroneous.... Historical facts constitute a recital of external events and the credibility of their narrators.... Accordingly, [t]he habeas judge, as the trier of facts, is the sole arbiter of the credibility of witnesses and the weight to be given to their testimony.... The application of the habeas court's factual findings to the pertinent legal standard, however, presents a mixed question of law and fact, which is subject to plenary review....
"[I]t is well established that [a] criminal defendant is constitutionally entitled to adequate and effective assistance of counsel at all critical stages of criminal proceedings.
Strickland
v.
Washington
, [
"As enunciated in
Strickland
v.
Washington
, supra,
A
With the foregoing legal framework in mind, we address the petitioner's claim that the habeas court improperly concluded that he failed to establish that his trial counsel rendered ineffective assistance by failing to "present accurate jury instruction[s] consistent with ... [ Salamon ]." At oral argument before this court, the petitioner conceded that he does not actually challenge the language of the jury instruction, stating that it conforms to Salamon verbatim. He argues, however, that it was improper for the court to instruct the jury regarding the underlying uncharged assault. The petitioner's basis for this claim is that, because trial counsel was applying new law, he was uncertain if Salamon was going to remain good law and should not have allowed the proposed instruction. 9 We disagree.
The habeas court found that the "decision by [trial counsel] to accept the jury instruction on kidnapping, as given by the trial judge, was intentional and the
product of much thought and discussion among the trial judge, prosecutor, and [trial counsel]," and, therefore, was not outside of reasonably acceptable professional conduct.
10
The petitioner has offered no expert
testimony or sound legal theory to support his claim. On the contrary, our case law firmly establishes that "[s]tare decisis ... allows for predictability in the ordering of conduct, it promotes the necessary perception that the law is relatively unchanging, it saves resources and it promotes judicial efficiency.... It is the most important application of a theory of decisionmaking consistency in our legal culture and ... is an obvious manifestation of the notion that decisionmaking consistency itself has normative value." (Internal quotation marks omitted.)
Spiotti
v.
Wolcott
,
In this case, the petitioner has presented this court with no sound basis to conclude that trial counsel's conduct fell outside the wide range of reasonable professional assistance with respect to the kidnapping instruction. See
Strickland
v.
Washington
, supra,
B
Last, the petitioner claims that the habeas court improperly concluded that the petitioner failed to establish that his trial counsel rendered ineffective assistance by failing to file a motion to suppress incriminating statements made to law enforcement. Specifically, the petitioner claims that because he was in custody for the purpose of Miranda when he made incriminating statements to law enforcement, counsel's failure to pursue a motion to suppress was deficient performance. We disagree.
The following additional facts and procedural history are relevant to our analysis. Prior to the petitioner's criminal trial, trial counsel moved to adopt the suppression motions of the petitioner's previous defense attorney. Trial counsel subsequently withdrew the motion with respect to those statements made by the petitioner during his pretrial suppression hearing. At the criminal trial, law enforcement officers testified that they visited the petitioner's home on August 11, 2007, at approximately 4 p.m., to interview him regarding the complaint. En route to the petitioner's residence they did not use sirens or emergency lights. Trooper Theresa Freeman testified that "[they] parked ... on the opposite side of the street back from the house.... [T]wo troopers [were directed] to go around the back .... [They] walked up ... to the front door [where] there was a female sitting on a chair ... [they] could see through the window. [They] knocked, [and] she came to the door .... [Trooper Freeman asked] 'Is [the petitioner] home?' " The woman then called to the petitioner, who then came to the door. "Trooper Uliano asked him to step outside on the porch ... which he did.... [Then Trooper Freeman] looked right at him [and] said, '[d]id you put your hands on a fifteen year old girl?'... [At which point], [h]e looked at [Trooper Freeman], turned his head to the side and said, 'I didn't know she was fifteen,' and dropped his head."
"In order to establish that he was entitled to
Miranda
warnings [the petitioner] must show that he was in custody when he made the statements and that he made the statements in response to police questioning.... In assessing whether a person is in custody for purposes of
Miranda
, the ultimate inquiry is whether a reasonable person in the [petitioner's] position would believe that there was a restraint on [his] freedom of movement of the degree associated with a formal arrest.... Any lesser restriction on a person's freedom of action is not significant enough to implicate the core ... concerns
[of the fifth amendment to the United States constitution] that
Miranda
sought to address." (Citation omitted; internal quotation marks omitted.)
State
v.
Edwards
,
With these facts and principles in mind, we review the habeas court's conclusion that trial counsel did not render ineffective assistance with respect to the suppression of the statements made to law enforcement prior to the Miranda warnings. The habeas court found that "[trial counsel] well knew that the petitioner ... had personal interaction and experience with state troopers regarding such inquires in the past that never resulted in a loss of his freedom of movement. Under these circumstances, [trial counsel] correctly assessed that any attempt to suppress admission of these statements would be meritless and futile, and he was within professional competence for declining to make that attempt." The habeas court explained that "[u]nder this scenario ... a reasonable person would not believe that his freedom of movement was restrained by [the] display of police authority [encountered]." (Internal quotation marks omitted.)
Evidence adduced at the underlying criminal trial and at the habeas hearing indicates there was not a sufficient show of police force that would lead a reasonable person, in his own home, to feel that he was in custody for the purposes of Miranda . Accordingly, we conclude that the habeas court properly determined that the petitioner failed to demonstrate that trial counsel rendered deficient performance with respect to this claim.
In light of the foregoing, we conclude that the habeas court did not abuse its discretion in denying the petition for certification to appeal.
The appeal is dismissed.
In this opinion the other judges concurred.
"In accordance with our policy of protecting the privacy interests of the victims of the crime of risk of injury to a child, we decline to identify the victim or others through whom the victim's identity may be ascertained. See General Statutes § 54-86e."
State
v.
Chance
, supra,
After the petitioner's arrest, Troopers "D'Elia and [Steven] Caltica took the [petitioner] to the Troop L state police barracks.... [Troopers] D'Elia and Uliano spoke to the [petitioner] at the police barracks and asked him if he would to give a statement. The [petitioner] said, '[W]hatever she said is true,' and then said, 'My life is over.' ... The troopers asked the [petitioner] what his intentions had been, and he repeated several times, 'I don't know, my life is over.' At one point, the [petitioner] told the troopers, 'I have a problem.' "
State
v.
Chance
, supra,
In
Salamon
, our Supreme Court "reconsidered and reversed our long-standing jurisprudence holding that the crime of kidnapping encompasses restraints that are necessary or incidental to the commission of a separate underlying crime ... concluding that [o]ur legislature, in replacing a single, broadly worded kidnapping provision with a gradated scheme that distinguishes kidnappings from unlawful restraints by the presence of an intent to prevent a victim's liberation, intended to exclude from the scope of the more serious crime of kidnapping and its accompanying severe penalties those confinements or movements of a victim that are merely incidental to and necessary for the commission of another crime against that victim." (Citation omitted; internal quotation marks omitted.)
State
v.
DeJesus
,
The jury found the petitioner not guilty of kidnapping in the first degree, and risk of injury to a child, in violation of § 53-21(a)(2). The court accepted the jury verdict, and a judgment of acquittal was rendered by the court as to these two counts.
This court reversed the judgment and remanded the case to the trial court to vacate the conviction of attempted kidnapping in the second degree on the grounds that it was cumulative and violated constitutional prohibitions against double jeopardy. See
State
v.
Chance
, supra,
See
Miranda
v.
Arizona
,
The petitioner also claims that the habeas court improperly concluded that he failed to establish that his trial counsel rendered ineffective assistance by failing to file a motion to suppress evidence resulting from the seizure of the petitioner's truck. This claim has no merit. No tangible evidence was admitted at trial as a result of the seizure. Instead, the only evidence related to the petitioner's truck was testimony regarding the appearance of the truck itself, which served to identify the petitioner as the perpetrator and did not flow from its seizure. The habeas court concluded that, because the seizure of the petitioner's truck was supported by the plain view doctrine, any challenge by trial counsel would have been meritless. The petitioner has presented this court with no basis from which we could conclude that his trial counsel's conduct in failing to move to suppress evidence that was not admitted at trial fell outside the wide range of reasonable professional assistance. Accordingly, the habeas court properly concluded that trial counsel did not render deficient performance in failing to raise a meritless challenge to the seizure of the petitioner's truck.
Because we conclude that the petitioner failed to satisfy his burden of overcoming the strong presumption that his trial counsel provided effective assistance in this matter, we need not reach the petitioner's claim that he was prejudiced by trial counsel's alleged deficient performance. See
Johnson
v.
Commissioner of Correction
,
At oral argument before this court, the petitioner supported this claim by asserting, "[ Salamon ] itself was then on appeal, and it was not confirmed to be 'proper and accurate' until after these instructions were ... used in [the petitioner's] case." Contrary to this assertion, however, Salamon was binding precedent at the time of the petitioner's criminal trial.
As the habeas court concluded, when trial counsel advocated for the uncharged assault to be included in the instruction, he provided the jury with an avenue for acquittal from the more serious charge of kidnapping in the first degree and, conceivably, benefited the petitioner.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Noel CHANCE v. COMMISSIONER OF CORRECTION
- Cited By
- 4 cases
- Status
- Published