Opinion ID: 2390272
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: issues concerning the failure to object to testimony by witnesses and venirepersons

Text: The first claim that falls in this category of error revolves around counsel's failure to object to a witness's disclosure of his occupation as a parole officer. Appellant argues that this reference permitted the jury to infer that Appellant had a prior criminal record, which was prejudicial per se to his cause. This same issue was raised in the direct appeal to us, where we reviewed the record and the context in which the statement was made and thereafter concluded that little, if any, prejudice accrued to appellant by this witness passing reference to his occupation as a parole officer. Commonwealth v. Carpenter, 511 Pa. at 437, 515 A.2d at 534-535. Our conclusion that the disclosure was not prejudicial necessarily precludes a determination now that counsel was ineffective for failing to object because Appellant cannot relitigate our finding that the omission was not prejudicial to him and without such a finding he cannot establish counsel's ineffectiveness. Next, Appellant claims that trial counsel was ineffective when he did not object to the prosecutor asking Helen Emmil whether she had a criminal record. Appellant's defense was based on the theory that Ms. Emmil committed the murder and, on cross-examination, trial counsel attempted to show that Ms. Emmil had a violent disposition by asking her whether: (1) she ever told the Appellant that if he fooled around with another woman or brought her into her house, she would kill her, and (2) whether she ever kept a knife because of her fear of the victim. This line of questioning prompted the prosecutor to ask the witness on re-direct examination whether she had a prior criminal record in an attempt to demonstrate that she had no prior history of violence. Such a line of questioning falls within the recognized rule that re-direct examination is limited to answering only such matters as were drawn out in the immediately preceding examination. Catina v. Maree, 498 Pa. 443, 447 A.2d 228 (1982). Moreover, when a party raises an issue on cross-examination, it will be no abuse of discretion for the court to permit re-direct on that issue in order to dispel any unfair inferences. Commonwealth v. Dreibelbis, 493 Pa. 466, 426 A.2d 1111 (1981); Commonwealth v. Lewis, 472 Pa. 235, 372 A.2d 399 (1977). Since the defense raised a question concerning the witness's violent nature, the prosecution had a right to dispel any unfair inferences arising from this issue by allowing the witness to answer the charge by showing that she did not have a criminal record. There would have been no merit in objecting to this line of questioning and counsel cannot be found to be ineffective for not pursuing such a tactic. Appellant also argues that trial counsel was ineffective in failing to question four prospective jurors concerning their attitude on the death penalty. Appellant claims that these four jurors were only asked whether they objected to the death penalty, not whether they could follow the law regarding the imposition of such a penalty, and Appellant raises the possibility that these four prospective jurors might have been so prone to impose the death penalty that an unfair and biased jury was impaneled. Aside from the speculative nature of such a claim, Appellant has misread the record and the law concerning the purpose of voir dire questioning. We have made clear, that the purpose of voir dire questioning is to empanel a fair and impartial jury which will apply the law in accordance with the instructions of the trial court. Commonwealth v. Jermyn, 516 Pa. 460, 533 A.2d 74 (1987). Contrary to Appellant's allegation, the PCRA court found that in addition to being asked the general question of whether they objected to the death penalty, each of these prospective jurors indicated on the record that they were willing to follow the court's instructions and impose a penalty of death in the appropriate case. These veniremen satisfied the purpose of voir dire questioning and qualified themselves as fair and impartial jurors. Commonwealth v. Rolan, 520 Pa. 1, 549 A.2d 553 (1988). Under such circumstances, trial counsel's tactical decision not to ask further questions was not a dereliction of duty but must be viewed as having a reasonable basis and, therefore, Appellant's ineffective assistance of counsel claim must fail.