Opinion ID: 2165289
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: mata's postconviction hearing

Text: Mata gave a telephonic deposition for his postconviction evidentiary hearing. Mata testified that Tabor provided ineffective assistance of counsel because he did not file a motion to change venue and failed to request a continuance of the trial, investigate the crime scene, take the depositions of witnesses, and call additional witnesses to testify (including a ballistics expert witness). He also claimed that Tabor failed to raise a double jeopardy issue and that the jury instructions were misleading. Mata testified that he requested Tabor, both by telephone and by letter, to seek review of his convictions after the Court of Appeals affirmed his convictions. Tabor filed Mata's petition for further review, but this court denied it as untimely. Tabor testified at Mata's postconviction evidentiary hearing that he did not file a motion to change venue. Tabor stated that he had a prior unsuccessful experience on a change of venue motion and that he wanted to honor Mata's request to get this over with and done with. In preparing for trial, he reviewed the police reports, examined all the exhibits, and viewed videotapes that law enforcement had taken contemporaneous with the alleged offenses. He stated he was personally familiar with the locations where the crimes were committed because he had lived in the area for 35 years and, therefore, felt no need to visit the crime scenes. Tabor stated that Mata never provided him with the names of any additional witnesses and that there was no factual foundation to have a ballistics expert testify. Tabor also stated that there was no benefit to taking depositions of the witnesses and that Mata never requested Tabor to seek a continuance of the trial. Tabor stated that he visited Mata in jail to discuss the case, but he could not remember how many times. Tabor testified that his strategy was to get Mata the best plea bargain possible but that once Mata rejected the plea bargain, the only option was to make the State prove its case.