Harold Wayne Nichols vs. State

The petitioner filed petitions for post-conviction relief for his conviction for first degree felony murder and his sentence of death, as well as for a number of convictions for sexual attacks on four additional victims. The bases of his complaints were that he had ineffective assistance of counsel at both the guilt and punishment phases of his capital trial, as well as in the noncapital cases, two of which were resolved by pleas of guilty. Specifically, he claimed that counsel failed to adequately investigate and prepare his cases; failed to question the probable cause for his arrest; and failed to question whether his confessions were "false." He raised additional claims of ineffective assistance of counsel and claims regarding the unconstitutionality of the imposition of capital punishment. The post-conviction court denied the claims other than to order new sentencing hearings in the noncapital cases. The petitioner then timely appealed the post-conviction court's rulings, other than the ordering of new sentencing hearings. We have carefully reviewed the record and, based upon our review, we affirm the judgments of the post-conviction court.