Opinion ID: 1621897
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 13

Heading: failure to object to testimony of shye and culton

Text: Kinder argues that counsel was ineffective in failing to object to the testimony of Denise Shye and Sandra Culton on the ground that the testimony would lead to an impermissible mini-trial on unadjudicated offenses. We have already considered Kinder's argument that the admission of testimony from Shye and Culton was plain error and concluded that evidence of unadjudicated criminal offenses may be heard by the jury in the punishment phase of the trial. Thus, it was not unreasonable for counsel to refrain from objecting to this testimony. The motion court did not clearly err in finding that counsel was not ineffective. Kinder also argues that trial counsel was ineffective in failing to preserve for appeal objections to Culton's testifying in the penalty phase after she had been present in the courtroom during the guilt phase. We concluded in our direct appeal analysis of this issue that the trial court did not err in allowing the testimony of Culton, and therefore the preserving of this issue for appellate review would have made no difference. The motion court did not clearly err by denying this claim.