Opinion ID: 1887725
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Appellant's Relationship with Ascensio

Text: Appellant next asserts that trial counsel was ineffective for failing to introduce evidence that Appellant had a good relationship with Ascensio. Appellant contends that such evidence would have cast doubt upon the Commonwealth's theory of motive to commit murder and that counsel had no reasonable basis for failing to introduce this evidence. The record, however, does not support Appellant's contention. During the evidentiary hearing, trial counsel testified that he intentionally chose not to pursue this strategy because introduction of this evidence would open the door, permitting the Commonwealth to introduce damaging evidence regarding difficulties in Appellant's and Ascensio's relationship around the time of the murders. Consequently, trial counsel had a reasonable basis for deciding not to make Appellant's relationship with Ascensio an issue in the case, and was not ineffective on this basis.