Opinion ID: 1662097
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Failure to Present Mitigating Circumstances

Text: Smulls claims Judge O'Brien clearly erred in denying his claim that his counsel was ineffective for failing to interview and present certain mitigating witnesses during penalty phase. These witnesses would allegedly have testified that he was nonviolent, amicable, abandoned at childhood, impoverished, cared for his children, and that he was helpful to friends and relatives. While counsel is required to investigate possible mitigating circumstances, Nunley, 923 S.W.2d at 924, there is no absolute duty to present mitigating evidence. State v. Shurn, 866 S.W.2d 447, 472 (Mo. banc 1993). Furthermore, [c]ounsel is not ineffective for not putting on cumulative evidence. Skillicorn v. State, 22 S.W.3d 678, 683 (Mo. banc 2000). Smulls presented five witnesses during the penalty phase: Dr. Wells Hively, a psychologist; Smulls' pastor, who had known him since he was a child; a supervisor and a corrections officer at the jail where Smulls was incarcerated; and Smulls' adopted father, who had raised him since he was a year and a half old. Dr. Hively explained that Smulls is depressed, has a dependent personality, and is not violent unless he is coerced. The pastor testified that Smulls is polite, respectful and not violent. The corrections supervisor and guard testified that he was a good worker and that he did not cause trouble. His father testified that Smulls was abandoned as a child and did not finish high school, and that he still cared for Smulls as he would his own blood. Most of the witnesses and testimony Smulls claims his counsel should have presented would be cumulative of testimony that had already been presented. In addition, the motion court, which is in the best position to evaluate credibility, found that a number of these witnesses were not credible. They include Randy Edwards and Dennis Brown, who both arrived in court to testify with a list of typed questions with parenthetical answers; Crispin Smith, who had a close relationship with Smulls but supposedly did not know he was on parole; Maggie Cain, who knew Smulls only from church; and Patricia Lee, who knew him only in passing. The motion court's findings on this matter were not clearly erroneous. Rousan v. State, 48 S.W.3d at 589. Furthermore, in light of the aggravating factors found by the jury, Smulls has not shown that the additional mitigating testimony would have produced a different result had it been presented at trial.