Opinion ID: 1107701
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Failure to Call Additional Mitigation Witnesses

Text: Belcher's final claim alleges that trial counsel was ineffective for failing to call six additional mitigation witnesses during his penalty phase. Belcher's postconviction counsel presented the testimony of six witnesses at the evidentiary hearing below in an effort to demonstrate what could have been offered during his penalty phase: Wanda Reddick, Dedrick Baker, James Belcher, Sr., Bernice Johnson, Harriet Jarrett, and Helen Deas. Belcher claims that his attorneys did not investigate or evaluate these available witnesses from his extended family and therefore provided ineffective assistance that prejudiced his trial. We agree with the lower court that relief is not warranted on this claim. Chipperfield handled the penalty phase of the trial. The trial transcripts indicate that he presented eleven witnesses during this phase, including family members, prison workers, and fellow inmates. Belcher waived the right to testify at the penalty phase. At the evidentiary hearing, when asked about his failure to call the six witnesses, Chipperfield testified that he was not aware that Wanda Reddick existed, and that he did not have that name anywhere in his file. He stated that he spoke with Dedrick Baker's mother, and that his notes from this conversation indicate that Dedrick would not be a good mitigation witness. Chipperfield then testified that he spoke with Belcher, Sr., Deas, and Jarrett prior to the penalty phase, but decided they would not be good witnesses; namely, they did not seem to have a very realistic view of Belcher and seemed largely unaware of his criminal history. Chipperfield also testified that, according to his notes, he spoke with Johnson but found she would be of no help. When Buzzell was asked about the failure to call these same witnesses, he testified that most of the names did not sound familiar; however, he specifically recalled Wanda Reddick and testified that he spoke with her and that he and Chipperfield together decided she would not be a good witness. Of the other names he did remember, he only recalled that he and Chipperfield made joint decisions not to use the witnesses in mitigation; he also specifically recalled that Belcher did not want his family to be overly involved in the trial. In denying relief on this claim, the lower court found Chipperfield's explanations as to why the witnesses were not called to be credible. Furthermore, the court found that their testimony would have been cumulative to the mitigation testimony actually presented. The court also noted that defense counsel's estimation as to how helpful these witnesses could have been was accurate. Thus, the lower court concluded that Belcher did not establish deficient performance on the part of his trial counsel for failing to call these witnesses. Belcher has demonstrated no error in these conclusions, and we agree that he is entitled to no relief on this final claim of ineffective assistance of trial counsel.