Opinion ID: 2448475
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: cross-examination of linda scott

Text: Whitfield next claims his counsel ineffectively cross-examined Linda Scott in failing to elicit from her that she saw the shooter standing outside Chester's car, in not playing an audiotaped interview with her in which she stated as such, and in failing to depose her before trial. None of these alleged failings, however, amount to ineffective assistance of counsel. Even though trial counsel testified that her decision not to confront Scott with the audiotaped pre-trial interview was not a matter of trial strategy, the Rule 29.15 court convincingly demonstrated that it most likely was. This conclusion arises because, according to the findings of the Rule 29.15 court, the audiotaped interview contained specific statements by Scott that Whitfield was the shooter, statements that could have been severely detrimental to Whitfield's case and that were not replicated by Scott at trial. Therefore, the court concluded that Scott's trial testimony was actually more beneficial to Whitfield than the audiotaped statement. We do not find that this conclusion is clearly erroneous. Whitfield's additional complaint about his counsel's failure to depose Scott is empty. His counsel conducted a telephone interview with Scott several weeks before trial. Whitfield has not alleged what information his counsel could have elicited from Scott in a deposition that she could not have obtained in the telephone interview. In short, counsel's trial preparation was unaffected; therefore, Whitfield cannot be said to be prejudiced by her failure to depose Scott.