Mesac Damas v. State of Florida &Mesac Damas v. Secretary, Department of Corrections

Summary

The court affirmed the denial of Damas’s initial postconviction motion and denied his habeas petition. It held that his standalone competency challenge was procedurally barred, his ineffective-assistance claims failed because counsel was not deficient and, for the mitigation claim, prejudice was not shown, and his public-records claim lacked merit. The court also rejected his ineffective-assistance-of-appellate-counsel claims as procedurally barred or meritless.