Opinion ID: 1826004
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Failure to impeach Earl Jordan and failure to adequately develop evidence to impeach Frank Parker.

Text: ¶ 46. Manning argues his defense counsel was ineffective for failing to properly impeach Earl Jordan and failing to cross-examine Jordan about certain details of his testimony and any deal that may have been struck with the State in exchange for the testimony. Likewise, Manning asserts his trial counsel was ineffective for failing to exercise due diligence in failing to uncover evidence to impeach Frank Parker, another jailhouse informant. Manning argues that failure to follow-up for purposes of impeachment, failure to lay a proper foundation to rebut the testimony of the State's star witness, failure to follow well-established evidentiary rules and missed opportunities to impeach Jordan as a credible witness, meet the Strickland standard of ineffective assistance of counsel. ¶ 47. The State asserts Manning's ineffective assistance of counsel claim as to Jordan's testimony was addressed on direct appeal and cannot be relitigated in post-conviction proceedings. Furthermore, the State argues Manning's claim of ineffective assistance of counsel as to Parker's testimony is procedurally barred for failure to raise it on direct appeal, noting that several other claims of ineffective assistance were raised on direct appeal and that this one should have been included. Lastly, the State argues Manning's claim that his counsel failed to adequately impeach Frank Parker is absolutely refuted by the trial transcript. ¶ 48. The State is correct. On direct appeal, we found that Jordan was thoroughly cross-examined and that there was other evidence before the jury that Jordan was hoping for a favorable deal in exchange for his testimony. The transcript indicates that defense counsel cross-examined Jordan and attempted to discredit his testimony. Manning's defense counsel's performance was not deficient merely because he did not conduct the cross-examination of Jordan in every regard as post-conviction counsel asserts he should have done. Post-conviction counsel has the benefit of hindsight. See Bell v. Cone, 535 U.S. 685, 702, 122 S.Ct. 1843, 152 L.Ed.2d 914 (2002); Kimmelman v. Morrison, 477 U.S. 365, 382, 106 S.Ct. 2574, 91 L.Ed.2d 305 (1986); United States v. Cronic, 466 U.S. 648, 656, 104 S.Ct. 2039, 80 L.Ed.2d 657 (1984). ¶ 49. Notwithstanding the procedural bar, as to the testimony of Frank Parker, the transcripts reveal that defense counsel conducted a thorough cross-examination of Parker, including that criminal charges against him in Texas were dropped after he came forward with information in Manning's case. Defense counsel also pursued a line of questioning attempting to call into doubt whether Parker could really have overheard the conversation in which Manning stated that he sold the gun(s) on the street. We find these claims fail to meet the Strickland test and are without merit.