Opinion ID: 1597347
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: Failure to Prepare Taylor to Testify

Text: Contrary to Taylor's assertion below, and now on appeal, trial defense counsel, Nick Sinardi, testified that he did prepare Taylor to testify, and his trial strategy was to show that Taylor did not have the intent to murder the victim. Sinardi testified that he believed it was in Taylor's best interest to take the stand in order for the jury to evaluate his defense. Further, although Sinardi testified that he did not rehearse Taylor's testimony, he did tell Taylor to testify truthfully. Because Taylor had given a detailed confession, defense counsel felt he was limited in available strategies. After hearing defense counsel's testimony, the trial court found that Taylor failed to demonstrate any deficiency or resulting prejudice from the performance of guilt phase counsel. Further, the trial court found that Sinardi made reasonable tactical decisions under the circumstances he faced and with the limited choices available. In Zack v. State, 911 So.2d 1190 (Fla. 2005), this Court rejected a similar claim: Zack argue[d] that trial counsel failed to adequately prepare him to testify at trial and failed to inform him about what would occur during cross-examination. Zack contend[ed] that had he been adequately prepared and informed of the hazards of cross-examination, he would not have testified. Zack stated that trial counsel gave him no choice but to testify, and that he was only told that he was going to testify after trial began. Id. at 1198. The trial court found that Zack had testified on his own behalf at trial to give his version of events even on cross-examination. Id. at 1199. The trial court further found that Zack showed a desire to explain himself on cross-examination, and that Zack failed to show either that counsel failed to prepare him or that he suffered any prejudice. Id. at 1199-1200. This Court accepted the trial court's findings. Id. This Court has also held that trial counsel cannot be deemed ineffective simply because postconviction counsel now disagrees with trial counsel's strategy or because there were other choices. See Davis v. State, 875 So.2d 359, 366 (Fla.2003) (citing Occhicone v. State, 768 So.2d 1037, 1048 (Fla.2000)); see also Henry v. State, 862 So.2d 679, 681-82 (Fla.2003) (ineffective assistance claims for reliance on theories of self-defense and diminished capacity failed because they were conclusively refuted by the record). On the record before us, we conclude that Taylor, like Zack, has not shown that he testified against his will, nor has he met the burden to demonstrate that Sinardi's strategy was unreasonable under the circumstances, especially considering the limited choices available to the defense. Because we agree with the trial court that Taylor has failed to demonstrate deficient performance, we need not address prejudice. See, e.g., Waterhouse v. State, 792 So.2d 1176, 1182 (Fla.2001) (because Strickland requires both prongs, it is not necessary to address prejudice when a deficient performance has not been shown).