Appellant, V. L.T. No. 84-CF-13346 Appellee. Florida Bar No. 0802743
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IN THE SUPREME COURT OF FLORIDA ROBERT JOE LONG, Appellant, APPEAL NO. SCl2-103 v. L.T. No. 84-CF-13346 DEATH PENALTY CASE STATE OF FLORIDA, Appellee. ON APPEAL FROM THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE THIRTEENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FLORIDA ANSWER BRIEF OF APPELLEE PAMELA JO BONDI ATTORNEY GENERAL KATHERINE V. BLANCO ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL Florida Bar No. 0802743 Concourse Center 4 3507 East Frontage Road, Suite 200 Tampa, Florida 33607-7013 Telephone: (813) 287-7910 Facsimile: (813) 281-5501 [email protected] [email protected] COUNSEL FOR APPELLEE TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF AUTHORITIES.......................................... ii INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND.................................... 1 SUMMARY OF THE ARGUMENT....................................... 62 ARGUMENT...................................................... 63 ISSUE I.................................................. 63 THE TRIAL COURT PROPERLY DENIED THE MOTION FOR POST-CONVICTION RELIEF WHERE DEFENDANT LONG FAILED TO ESTABLISH DEFICIENT PERFORMANCE BY TRIAL COUNSEL AND RESULTING PREJUDICE UNDER STRICKLAND. .. 63 ISSUE II.................................................83 THE POST-CONVICTION COURT CORRECTLY SUMMARILY DENIED LONG'S CLAIM OF ALLEGEDLY IMPROPER PROSECUTORIAL COMMENTS AT THE PENALTY PHASE....................................... 83 CONCLUSION.................................................... 86 CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE........................................ 86 CERTIFICATE OF FONT COMPLIANCE................................ 86 TABLE OF AUTHORITIES Cases Allen v. State/Crosby, 854 So. 2d 1255 (Fla. 2003) ................................. 85 Barnhill v. State, 971 So. 2d 106 (Fla. 2007) .................................. 63 Boykin v. Alabama, 395 U.S. 238 (1969) ......................................... 66 Brown v. State, 894 So. 2d 137 (Fla. 2004) .................................. 63 Connor v. State, 979 So. 2d 852 (Fla. 2007) .................................. 83 Davis v. United States, 512 U.S. 452 (1994) ......................................... 81 Dusky v. United States, 362 U.S. 402, 80 S.Ct. 788, (1960) .......................... 75 Florida Dep't of Transp. v. Juliano, 801 So. 2d 101 (Fla. 2001) .................................. 68 Florida v. Nixon, 543 U.S. 175, 125 S.Ct. 551 (2004) .......................... 82 Gaskin v. State, 737 So. 2d 509 (Fla. 1999) .................................. 84 Godinez v. Moran, 509 U.S. 389-99, 113 S.Ct. 2680, (1993) ..................... 76 Gore v. State, 846 So. 2d 461 (Fla. 2003) .................................. 85 Grosvenor, 874 So. 2d 1176 (Fla. 2004) ......................... 59, 63, 78 Hill v. Lockhart, 474 U.S. 52 (1985) ...................................... passim Jones v. Barnes, 463 U.S. 745, 103 S.Ct. 3308 (1983) ......................... 82 Lockhart v. Fretwell, 506 U.S. 364 (1993) ..................................... 81, 82 Long v. State, 517 So. 2d 664 (Fla. 1987) .............................. passim 11 Long v. State, 529 So. 2d 286 (Fla. 1988) .............................. passim Long v. State, 610 So. 2d 1268 (Fla. 1992) ............................. passim Long v. State, 610 So. 2d 1276 (Fla. 1992) ................................. 22 Marek v. State, 8 So. 3d 1123 (Fla. 2009) ................................... 83 McMann v. Richardson, 397 U.S. 759 (1970) ......................................... 16 Meeks v. State, 382 So. 2d 673 (Fla. 1980) .................................. 55 Parker v. North Carolina, 397 U.S. 790 (1970) ......................................... 16 Parker v. State, 873 So. 2d 270 (Fla. 2004) .................................. 68 Premo v. Moore, 131 S.Ct. 733 (2011) ................................ 68, 69, 74 Robinson v. State, 913 So. 2d 514 (Fla. 2005) .............................. 63, 77 Spencer v. State, 842 So. 2d 52 (Fla. 2003) ............................... 84, 85 State v. Owen, 696 So. 2d 715 (Fla. 1997) .................................. 81 Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668 (1984) ..................................... passim Teffeteller v. Dugger, 734 So. 2d 1009 (Fla. 1999) ................................. 84 Thompson v. State, 759 So. 2d 650 (Fla. 2000) .................................. 84 Wainwright v. Sykes, 433 U.S. 72, 97 S.Ct. 2497 (1977) ........................... 82 Rules Fla. R. App. P. 9.210(a) (2)................................... 86 111 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND This is the third time this defendant, Robert (Bobby) Joe Long, has challenged his 1985 guilty plea in this Court.1 Long now asserts that his plea should be vacated because trial counsel allegedly failed to advise Long "about the waiver of appellate rights and the full ramifications of those waivers." (Brief of Appellant at 48-49) . Over the course of several months in 1984, Long abducted, sexually assaulted, and murdered several young women in the 1The first time, in 1985, Long argued, inter alia, that he did not know that he would be waiving a challenge to his confession. On December 11, 1985, the presiding judge, Judge Griffin, offered to grant Long's request to withdraw his plea and recessed the proceedings overnight to allow Long to make a decision. After an overnight recess, Long rejected the trial court's offer. On December 12, 1985, Long ratified his plea agreement, which waived any challenge to his confession or evidence. Thereafter, at a hearing on June 24, 1986, attorney Ellis Rubin, who had been appointed for the penalty phase, objected to the admission of Long's statements based on Long's equivocal request for counsel. (DA V11/1434) . On direct appeal, this Court affirmed the judgments of conviction on all cases and affirmed the life sentences, but vacated the death sentence on the M.S. murder and remanded for a new sentencing proceeding. Long v. State, 529 So. 2d 286 (Fla. 1988) [Long I]. The second time, on remand, Long sought to withdraw his guilty plea before resentencing. Long filed a pro se motion and attorney Robert Fraser was appointed to represent him. A hearing was held before Judge Lazzara on February 10, 1989. Trial counsel, Charles O'Connor, and the defendant both testified and Judge Lazzara denied the motion. On appeal following resentencing, Long argued that the trial court erred in denying Long's motion to withdraw his guilty plea. This Court denied relief in Long v. State, 610 So. 2d 1268 (Fla. 1993) [Long II]. 1 Tampa Bay area. However, Long released one of his kidnapping/sexual assault victims, L.McV., alive, and she provided critical information leading to the investigation and prosecution of Long. Detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Long and a search warrant for his apartment and car. On November 16, 1984, Long was arrested pursuant to the warrant and waived his Miranda rights. After Long gave a full confession in the L.McV. case, Long was shown photos of the recent murder victims. Long made an equivocal request for counsel, the interrogation continued and Long confessed to eight murders in Hillsborough County (13th JudiCial CirCuit) and One murder in Pasco County (6th JudiCial CirCuit) . LOng went to trial on the Pasco homicide in the spring of 1985; the motion to suppress his confession was litigated at trial and on direct appeal.2 2The trial court in Pasco County denied Long's motion to suppress his confession. On direct appeal in the Pasco case, this Court ruled that law enforcement were required to clarify Long's equivocal request for counsel and noted, "[w]ithout this equivocal request for counsel, we would find this confession voluntary and admissible." Long v. State, 517 So. 2d 664 (Fla. 1987). The United States Supreme Court subsequently issued Da vis v. Uni ted Sta tes, 512 U. S. 452, 114 S . Ct . 2350 (1994 ) , which held that police are not required to cease questioning if a suspect makes an ambiguous or equivocal request for counsel. In State v. Owen, 696 So. 2d 715, 720 (Fla. 1997), this Court ruled that the principles announced in Davis applied to the admissibility of confessions in Florida and receded from several prior cases, including the Pasco County Long case, regarding the equivocal request for counsel. 2 In September of 1985, Long entered a plea agreement on the eight Hillsborough County homicide cases. As a result of his guilty plea, Long waived any challenge to his confession3 and evidence and the State was limited to seeking the death penalty in only one Hillsborough homicide case -- the murder of M.S. PRELIMINARY STATEMENT ON RECORD REFERENCES References to the direct appeal record will be designated by the letters DA followed by the appropriate page number. References to the resentencing record will be designated by the letters RS followed by the appropriate page number. References to the current post-conviction record will be designated by the letters PCR followed by the appropriate page number. STATEMENT OF THE CASE AND FACTS 1985 Plea Proceedincys and Direct Appeal: On September 23, 1985, Long entered his guilty pleas before Hillsborough Circuit Judge Griffin. (DA 1778-1800). Long was present with his attorney, Assistant Public Defender Charles O'Connor, and the plea colloquy included the following: Mr. Long, before you sign that, I need to ask you some questions. Hold up your 3Long entered his guilty plea in 1985. Six years before Long's plea, this Court held that a confession may not be considered dispositive for purposes of an appeal after a nolo contendere plea. See, Brown v. State, 376 So. 2d 382 (Fla. 1979). 3 right hand, sir. You'll have to hold