Opinion ID: 2372331
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Maxine Pierce

Text: The petitioner claims that the court erred in ruling upon counsel's failure to produce Maxine Pierce or her deposition. Maxine Pierce, the petitioner's former wife, visited Pierce, Sandra and Kathleen Van Buren soon after the crime took place. She stayed at the Pierce home for two weeks. Maxine normally resided in Florida. In a letter to Sandra's attorney, Maxine wrote that when she was in Maine, Kathleen said that Pierce was sexually abusing her. Further she wrote that Kathleen liked her and confided in her with regard to the crime. Maxine felt that Kathleen was mentally disturbed and was causing trouble for others. The letter intimated that in Maxine's opinion Kathleen fabricated the story. Pierce paid defense counsel to travel to Florida to interview Maxine Pierce. His notes of the interview reflect that Maxine reiterated many of the comments she made in her letter. Although defense counsel believed that Maxine would be willing to testify, he was unable to arrange her appearance. He obtained two continuances on the basis that Maxine's physical problems prevented her from making the trip to Maine. His later attempts to notify Maxine apparently failed. Defense counsel testified that he wanted Maxine's testimony because it contradicted an incriminating remark that Pierce made to the police. He further testified that he believed Maxine was hiding from him. The record supports the justice's finding that defense counsel reasonably believed that Maxine attempted to hide. Defense counsel had contacted her lawyer in Florida; he could not find her. Defense counsel sent her a notice of the trial. Based upon these facts, the justice's finding is not clearly erroneous. See True, 457 A.2d at 797. In addition, it is not clear that Maxine would have been permitted to testify that in her opinion Kathleen had fabricated the story. Under Rule 701, M.R.Evid., the determination of whether the opinion evidence is rationally based upon the perception of the witness and is helpful to the determination of the fact at issue is within the discretion of the trial justice. The justice has the opportunity to observe the witness. See Lewisohn, 433 A.2d at 355; State v. Small, 411 A.2d 682, 687 (Me.1980) (Nichols, J., concurring); see also Field & Murray, Maine Evidence § 701.1 at 168-70 (1976). Under the circumstances, the petitioner has failed to prove that defense counsel's failure to produce Maxine Pierce or her testimony at trial was manifestly unreasonable. True, 457 A.2d at 797. We have noted before that a trial counsel is faced with many decisions as to strategy which arise during trial. Bennett v. State, 161 Me. 489, 214 A.2d 667 (1965). The evaluation of the probable effect upon the jury of expected testimony of proposed witnesses, the conclusion as to whether their appearance can be expected to benefit or injure his client's cause and the decision whether or not to call them to testify must necessarily be matters for the trained professional judgment of the attorney. Lizotte v. State, 247 A.2d 98, 100 (Me.1968).