Ray Lamar Johnston, Appellant v. State of Florida, Appellee; Ray Lamar Johnston, Petitioner, v. Kenneth S. Tucker…

Summary

The court affirmed the denial of Johnston’s postconviction motion and denied his habeas petition. It held that the ineffective-assistance claims failed because counsel’s challenged actions were reasonable strategic decisions, lacked deficient performance, or caused no prejudice; several other claims were procedurally barred or facially insufficient. The court also rejected Johnston’s constitutional challenge to his death sentence based on mental illness and declined to revisit claims duplicated in the postconviction motion.