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DEFENDANT WAS ENTITLED TO A HEARING ON HIS MOTION TO SET ASIDE HIS CONVICTION ON INEFFECTIVE ASSISTANCE GROUNDS, WHETHER THE OUTCOME OF THE TRIAL WOULD HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT ABSENT DEFENSE COUNSEL’S MISTAKES IS NOT THE FOCUS OF THE INEFFECTIVE-ASSISTANCE ANALYSIS.

The First Department, over an extensive two-justice dissent, determined defendant was entitled to a hearing on his motion to set aside the judgment of conviction based upon ineffective assistance of counsel. Defendant alleged that he wanted to testify but didn’t because the Sandoval hearing was never completed and defense counsel never asked that it be completed. Defendant further alleged defense counsel told defendant not to testify and threatened to leave the case if defendant insisted. Defendant also alleged defense counsel was paid to hire an expert on DNA evidence but never did. Defendant submitted expert opinion evidence that cross-examination of the People’s DNA expert could have been more effective had the defense been advised by a defense expert.  The First Department explained that an inquiry into whether a defendant received effective assistance is not an inquiry into whether the outcome of the trial would have been different absent the mistakes by counsel. The only issue is whether defendant received a fair trial:

It is well established that a defendant who is represented by counsel nevertheless retains authority over certain fundamental decisions regarding the case, including the decision whether to testify in his or her behalf … . The decision to testify in one’s behalf is personal and can be waived only by the defendant, not counsel alone … . Defendant’s affidavit submitted with the 440.10 motion made clear that he informed trial counsel that he wished to testify, depending on the outcome of the Sandoval hearing. In light of this affidavit, a hearing is required to more fully explore the circumstances surrounding trial counsel’s alleged representation to the court that defendant would not be testifying, and whether defendant was aware of, and concurred with, that decision. * * *

The dissent argues that no hearing is necessary because “the alleged deficiencies in trial counsel’s performance . . . could not have affected the result of the trial.” That, however, is not the standard for reviewing claims of ineffective assistance of counsel under the State Constitution. New York “refuse[s] to apply the harmless error doctrine in cases involving substantiated claims of ineffective assistance” … . Although whether a defendant would have been acquitted but for counsel’s errors is relevant, a state claim of ineffective assistance “is ultimately concerned with the fairness of the process as a whole rather than its particular impact on the outcome of the case” … . “Thus, under our State Constitution, even in the absence of a reasonable probability of a different outcome, inadequacy of counsel will still warrant reversal whenever a defendant is deprived of a fair trial” … . People v Mercado, 2017 NY Slip Op 01439, 1st Dept 2-23-17

 

CRIMINAL LAW (DEFENDANT WAS ENTITLED TO A HEARING ON HIS MOTION TO SET ASIDE HIS CONVICTION ON INEFFECTIVE ASSISTANCE GROUNDS, WHETHER THE OUTCOME OF THE TRIAL WOULD HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT ABSENT DEFENSE COUNSEL’S MISTAKES IS NOT THE FOCUS OF THE INEFFECTIVE-ASSISTANCE ANALYSIS)/ATTORNEYS (CRIMINAL LAW, (DEFENDANT WAS ENTITLED TO A HEARING ON HIS MOTION TO SET ASIDE HIS CONVICTION ON INEFFECTIVE ASSISTANCE GROUNDS, WHETHER THE OUTCOME OF THE TRIAL WOULD HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT ABSENT DEFENSE COUNSEL’S MISTAKES IS NOT THE FOCUS OF THE INEFFECTIVE-ASSISTANCE ANALYSIS)/INEFFECTIVE ASSISTANCE (DEFENDANT WAS ENTITLED TO A HEARING ON HIS MOTION TO SET ASIDE HIS CONVICTION ON INEFFECTIVE ASSISTANCE GROUNDS, WHETHER THE OUTCOME OF THE TRIAL WOULD HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT ABSENT DEFENSE COUNSEL’S MISTAKES IS NOT THE FOCUS OF THE INEFFECTIVE-ASSISTANCE ANALYSIS)/SET ASIDE CONVICTION, MOTION TO (DEFENDANT WAS ENTITLED TO A HEARING ON HIS MOTION TO SET ASIDE HIS CONVICTION ON INEFFECTIVE ASSISTANCE GROUNDS, WHETHER THE OUTCOME OF THE TRIAL WOULD HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT ABSENT DEFENSE COUNSEL’S MISTAKES IS NOT THE FOCUS OF THE INEFFECTIVE-ASSISTANCE ANALYSIS)

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