Opinion ID: 874801
Heading Depth: 5
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Preparing defense expert witnesses

Text: Shackelford next contends that his counsel were ineffective in preparing their arson expert, Don Perkins, and their ballistics expert, Kay Sweeney. He asserts that counsel did not have Perkins investigate the fire scene until the evening before his testimony, review any crime scene photographs until the day of his testimony, or speak to trial counsel about his testimony until just hours before he testified. Because Perkins was not adequately prepared, his testimony was not helpful in rebutting the State's fire expert. In addition, Shackelford contends that trial counsel failed to supply Sweeney with the necessary foundational support for his opinion that the State's theory regarding the location of the shooter and the victims was not valid; therefore, the exhibit supporting the testimony was rejected and the force of Sweeney's testimony undermined. The State counters that Shackelford's allegations that Perkins was not adequately prepared were based upon pure speculation, and that Shackelford failed to establish any benefit that would have been gained from providing Perkins with additional material or preparation. In addition, Shackelford failed to provide any evidence of how, if Perkins had been better prepared, that additional preparation would have affected the outcome of the trial. Finally, the State argues that, at best, Sweeney's exhibit was merely cumulative evidence, which would not have changed the outcome of Shackelford's trial. Perkins testified that he viewed the following to prepare for his trial testimony: The documents you [defense counsel] provided me include the following: A copy of the Deary Fire Department incident report, a copy of the Lewiston fire report and the investigation report. You provided me a copy of Mr. Don Howard's report, you also provided me testimony, the courtroom testimony, of Mr. Howard. You provided me with the report from Mr. Lauper, the Idaho State Fire Marshall, and his report and also his testimony. You've also provided me with some photographs of the fire scene taken by investigators. And you've also provided me with some additional written statements, written by Gary Fontaine and Ted Meske on the evening of this incident. I also had the opportunity to visit the fire scene late yesterday afternoon.... I shoveled off the whole pad so that I could physically see the burn patterns and the materials that were left that's been shown me in the photographs provided. Perkins testified that the fact that he had started reviewing documents in the middle of November had not impacted his opinion because he had ample time to review the documents. There was no recross-examination of Perkins that demonstrated any problems with him not having time to prepare other than questions about the physical scene. Perkins was able to review all of the pictures offered by the State and he reviewed the State's experts' investigations and reports. Shackelford does not indicate how he was prejudiced so that the trial cannot be relied on as having produced a just result because of counsel's preparation of Perkins. Strickland, 466 U.S. at 686, 104 S.Ct. at 2064, 80 L.Ed.2d at 693. Perkins testified that he was adequately prepared and Shackelford has not shown a reasonable probability that the result would have been different had Perkins been more prepared. Therefore, we find that Shackelford was not prejudiced by any deficiencies in counsel's preparation of Perkins. Similarly, Shackelford has not demonstrated that he was prejudiced or that the outcome of the trial would have been any different had trial counsel adequately prepared Sweeney. He contends that if the exhibit had been provided, the jury would have known that the State's theory was flawed, but Sweeney testified to this matter and the exhibit was simply offered for illustrative purposes. Shackelford again has shown no reasonable probability that the result would have differed if the exhibit had been allowed. Therefore, we find that Shackelford's right to effective assistance of counsel was not violated, and the district court did not err in summarily dismissing his claim for post-conviction relief.