Peterson v. State
| Decision Date | 05 May 2020 |
| Docket Number | DA 18-0528 |
| Parties | Eynette Lea PETERSON, Petitioner and Appellant, v. STATE of Montana, Respondent and Appellee. |
| Court | Montana Supreme Court |
For Appellant: Eynette Peterson, Self-Represented, Billings, Montana
For Appellee: Timothy C. Fox, Montana Attorney General, Brad Fjeldheim, Assistant Attorney General, Helena, Montana, Scott Twito, Yellowstone County Attorney, Ingrid Rosenquest, Deputy County Attorney, Billings, Montana
¶1 Pursuant to Section I, Paragraph 3(c), Montana Supreme Court Internal Operating Rules, this case is decided by memorandum opinion and shall not be cited and does not serve as precedent. Its case title, cause number, and disposition shall be included in this Court’s quarterly list of noncitable cases published in the Pacific Reporter and Montana Reports.
¶2 Representing herself, Eynette Lea Peterson appeals an August 14, 2018 Order denying her petition for postconviction relief, entered in the Thirteenth Judicial District Court, Yellowstone County. Peterson has three underlying criminal matters that were the basis of a 2017 global plea agreement. We affirm.
¶3 In July 2015, the State filed a petition to revoke Peterson’s five-year suspended sentence imposed in 2007 for a negligent homicide conviction. The Honorable Ingrid Gustafson, then a district judge, issued a bench warrant. Peterson was arrested, appeared with counsel before the court, bond was reduced, and Peterson was released.
¶4 Shortly thereafter, Peterson was arrested for another probation violation and released on October 27, 2015. The District Court set a hearing on the violations for November 13, 2015, and, when Peterson did not appear, another bench warrant was issued. As a result, the State charged Peterson with bail-jumping and another warrant for her arrest was issued.
¶5 When Peterson was arrested on both warrants May 21, 2016, she had drugs and drug paraphernalia in her possession. Consequently, the State filed its Second Amended Petition to Revoke. Peterson bonded out May 27, 2016. Peterson was arrested again on June 1, 2016; served just over a month in jail; posted bond; and then was arrested for driving under the influence. On July 19, 2016, the State filed its Third Addendum to the Petition to Revoke.
¶6 On January 6, 2017, Peterson appeared before Judge Gustafson and stated she wished to change her plea and to continue to have counsel represent her. Pursuant to a global plea agreement, Peterson changed her plea to guilty on the bail-jumping and felony drug possession charges a week later. On April 14, 2017, Judge Gustafson sentenced Peterson consistent with the plea agreement. Peterson received a ten-year sentence to the Montana Women’s Prison, followed by a suspended five-year sentence to the Department of Corrections. Peterson did not appeal.
¶7 Peterson, with counsel, filed a petition before the Sentence Review Division but later asked that it be dismissed because she intended to seek postconviction relief. On December 7, 2017, Peterson filed her petition for postconviction relief in the District Court. Peterson alleged ineffective assistance of counsel (IAC) asserting counsel never reviewed discovery with her and that her requests for new counsel went unanswered. Peterson also asserted that Judge Gustafson was biased and should have recused herself. The District Court directed the State to file a response to Peterson’s petition. The State obtained a Gillham1 Order and an extension of time to file its response. The District Court issued its Order denying Peterson’s petition on August 14, 2018. Peterson appeals.
¶8 This Court reviews a court’s denial of a petition for postconviction relief, determining whether its findings of fact are clearly erroneous and whether its conclusions of law are correct. Heath v. State , 2009 MT 7, ¶ 13, 348 Mont. 361, 202 P.3d 118. "We review discretionary rulings in post[ ]conviction relief proceedings, including rulings related to whether to hold an evidentiary hearing, for an abuse of discretion." Heath , ¶ 13 (citation omitted). "A petitioner seeking to reverse a district court order denying postconviction relief based on IAC bears a heavy burden." Haagenson v. State , 2014 MT 223, ¶ 8, 376 Mont. 239, 332 P.3d 268 (citing McGarvey v. State , 2014 MT 189, ¶ 14, 375 Mont. 495, 329 P.3d 576 ).
¶9 Claims of IAC present mixed questions of law and fact that we review de novo. Heath , ¶ 13; Haagenson , ¶ 8. This Court has adopted the two-part test of the United States Supreme Court in Strickland v. Washington , 466 U.S. 668, 687, 104 S. Ct. 2052, 2064 (1984), when considering IAC claims. The two parts include: (1) a showing by the defendant, such as Peterson, that her counsel’s performance was deficient; and (2) that counsel’s deficient performance prejudiced the defendant and her defense. Strickland , 466 U.S. at 687, 104 S. Ct. at 2064 ; see also Haagenson , ¶ 10.
¶10 The State points out, and we agree, that Peterson has raised either unsupported or new arguments for the first time on appeal. Peterson alleges that she had a sexual relationship with her first appointed attorney which compromised her decision-making ability. Peterson makes two new additional allegations concerning her claim that her third attorney failed to communicate. She contends that her counsel was ineffective because she did not pursue a motion to substitute the Judge and because her counsel knew of the sexual relationship with her former attorney. The State notes that these allegations were not part of her original petition. Section 46-21-105(1)(a), MCA. Upon review of a record on appeal, we do not consider arguments, which were not raised in District Court. State v. Akers , 2017 MT 311, ¶ 10, 389 Mont. 531, 408 P.3d 142. "Generally, ‘a reviewing court can consider only those issues that are properly preserved for its review.’ " Akers , ¶ 12 (citation omitted). "We do not consider unsupported arguments; nor do we have an obligation to formulate arguments or locate authorities for parties on appeal." Herman v. State , 2006 MT 7, ¶ 22, 330 Mont. 267, 127 P.3d 422. We consider the aforementioned allegations of IAC either unsupported or a newly raised argument on appeal. We will not consider these arguments.
¶11 Peterson also contends that she should have been given an evidentiary hearing on her petition for postconviction relief by the District Court. A district court has discretion to determine whether a hearing on the petition for postconviction relief is necessary. Here, the District Court addressed Peterson’s claims on the merits without a hearing. Heath , ¶ 21. We conclude that the District Court did not abuse its discretion when it ordered a response to Peterson’s petition but did not hold an evidentiary hearing. Section 46-21-201(1)(a), MCA ; Heath , ¶ 13.
¶12 Peterson next argues counsel was ineffective for failing to communicate and to advise Peterson of her required presence at hearings. She represents she did not understand the discovery and counsel failed to adequately explain it to her. Although Peterson acknowledges that she received copies of discovery, she argues that receipt of the discovery does not equate to understanding it. The State contends that Peterson’s claims lack merit because Peterson’s counsel communicated consistently with Peterson and provided her with discovery at least two times. The State contends that Peterson provides only unsupported allegations which contradict her testimony during her change of plea hearing. That testimony is as follows:
¶13 Respecting Peterson’s claim that she did not understand the discovery, the transcript from the change of plea hearing proves dispositive:
The District Court was correct in denying Peterson relief on claims related to Peterson’s receipt and understanding of discovery.
¶14 Next, Peterson alleges IAC because she did not receive a different attorney when she requested one. As stated above, Peterson was given the chance to remark about her counsel’s services during the change of plea hearing. She did not do so.
¶15 Peterson has failed to show any deficiency in c...
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