Opinion ID: 2089125
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Failing to Present Character Testimony

Text: Appellant next argues that trial counsel was ineffective for failing to call character witnesses to testify during the guilt phase of trial as to appellants' reputation in the community for non-violence. In order to establish that counsel is ineffective for failing to call witnesses, appellant must show, in addition to meeting the general standard to establish ineffective assistance of counsel, that the witnesses existed, were available and willing to testify on appellant's behalf; that counsel knew of or should have known of the existence of the witnesses; and that appellant was prejudiced by the absence of the testimony which would have been offered. Commonwealth v. Smith, 544 Pa. 219, 675 A.2d 1221 (1996). Appellant does not specifically identify in his brief to this Court any witnesses whom he believes trial counsel should have called to testify. Rather, he merely states that trial counsel should have called the same six character witnesses whom he called during the penalty phase. However, the testimony offered by those witnesses during the penalty phase would not have been helpful to appellant during the guilt phase, and appellant fails to present any evidence as to what the substance of their testimony would have been during the guilt phase. [12] Moreover, trial counsel testified at the evidentiary hearing that he had planned to call members of appellant's family to testify as to his non-violent character, but changed his mind when the trial court ruled that the prosecution would have been permitted to cross-examine those witnesses regarding their knowledge of appellant's prior conviction for unlawfully possessing a firearm, as well as the conduct underlying appellant's juvenile adjudications for assault. Counsel reasoned that the limited benefit of the testimony of family witnesses who were partial to appellant was outweighed by the potential harm of informing the jury of appellants' prior violent conduct. Trial counsel's decision to refrain from presenting character testimony which would have opened the door to damaging evidence of appellant's prior record was not unreasonable. Commonwealth v. Peterkin, 511 Pa. 299, 318-19, 513 A.2d 373, 382-83 (1986), cert. denied, 479 U.S. 1070, 107 S.Ct. 962, 93 L.Ed.2d 1010 (1987) (trial counsel not ineffective for failing to call character witnesses who may be cross-examined regarding their knowledge of conduct by a defendant which reflects on the character trait in issue). Thus, this claim fails.