Opinion ID: 789576
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Henry would exonerate Robert.

Text: 24 The District Court suggested that one plausible trial strategy for Robert's defense would have been to call Henry as a witness at Robert's trial so that Henry would exonerate his son by testifying (either truthfully or falsely) that he had committed the acts of which Robert was accused. See Eisemann, 274 F.Supp.2d at 302-03. However, there is nothing in the record that provides the slightest indication as to what Henry would have said if called or even that he would have said anything at all. It is speculation to suggest that his testimony would have been exculpatory. See Blau, 159 F.3d at 75 (No evidence in the record supports [the defendant's] suggestion that [the attorney's] failure to depose [the witness] or to even consider the possibility stemmed from a conflict of interest. Nothing supports [the defendant's] bald assertion that [the witness], at a deposition, `would have' provided testimony tending to exonerate [the defendant].). 25 Even without Henry's testimony, Robert's attorney was able to argue to the jury, based on Henry's plea to sodomizing the young girl, that it was Henry who had committed the crimes charged to Robert. The argument was based on the unlikelihood that a son would sodomize his father's victim. In any event, the absence of any evidence to show that Henry would have testified helpfully for Robert, whether truthfully or falsely, precludes any claim that calling Henry was a viable defense strategy. 26 Furthermore, there is no indication that Holtman failed to pursue this strategy because of his representation of Henry. The district court suggests that Holtman could not call Henry to the stand because that would risk revealing confidences Henry might have revealed to Holtman as his lawyer. See Eisemann, 274 F.Supp.2d at 303. It seems, however, that any such problem could have been avoided by a careful direct examination, and, if Henry was indeed willing to exonerate his son by testifying, as suggested by the District Court, then Henry might have allowed Holtman to refer to confidences he had shared. 3 Moreover, if questioned about his culpability for Robert's alleged offenses, Henry would have had the protection of the privilege against self-incrimination, and nothing in the record suggests that he was willing to waive his privilege. This circumstance, combined with the strategy's lack of viability, provides a likely reason why Robert's counsel did not call Henry to the stand at Robert's trial. 27 2. Henry would disclaim his confession. Equally unavailing is the possibility, suggested by the District Court, that Henry might have testified that his confession was coerced and that the little girl was lying about both men, thereby providing a basis for Robert to disclaim the truthfulness of his own confession. See id. at 303-04. This theory also rests on speculation as to how Henry would have testified, and fails for lack of any support in the evidence. The District Court's further suggestion that this strategy was not pursued because of Holtman's unwillingness to betray Henry — or hurt himself professionally — by contending that Henry's guilty plea was perjured, see id., is also speculative. 28 3. A plea bargain would be obtained. The District Court suggested that Holtman's conflict of interest might have prevented Holtman from pursuing a plea bargain for Robert in exchange for testimony against his father. See id. at 304. However, the Supreme Court has indicated that the failure to obtain a plea bargain is not evidence of ineffective assistance of counsel when the record does not contain evidence that one might have been offered. See Burger v. Kemp, 483 U.S. 776, 785-86, 107 S.Ct. 3114, 97 L.Ed.2d 638 (1987). In the pending case, as in Burger, [t]he notion that the prosecutor would have been receptive to a plea bargain is completely unsupported in the record, id. at 785, 107 S.Ct. 3114, as the District Court acknowledged, see Eisemann, 274 F.Supp.2d at 304. This is not surprising since there is no indication that Robert had any evidence to offer against Henry or that the prosecutor had any reason to bargain with Robert for evidence against Henry, who readily pled guilty. Although a defendant need not show that the negotiation of a plea bargain would have been successful, the strategy must nevertheless possess[] sufficient substance to be a viable alternative. Winkler v. Keane, 7 F.3d 304, 309 (2d Cir.1993) (internal quotation marks omitted). Pursuit of a plea bargain for Robert was not remotely a plausible defense strategy. 29 Thus, there is nothing in the record to suggest that Holtman's conflict caused him to forgo a plausible defense theory. Moreover, we note that the conduct of Robert's defense was entirely competent. Judge Weinstein noted that the actual person who handled [Robert's defense at trial] seemed like a competent young man. The state trial judge commented, I think and I believe it was tried very well, and certainly the defendant Eiseman[n] was very effectively represented by counsel throughout the trial..