Opinion ID: 853073
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Reversal for Cumulative Errors By Counsel

Text: French contends that the cumulative errors by his counsel effectively resulted in no defense at all. Errors by counsel that are not individually sufficient to prove ineffective representation may add up to ineffective assistance when viewed cumulatively. Pennycuff v. State, 745 N.E.2d 804, 816-17 (Ind.2001). A conviction based upon an accumulation of defense attorney errors, when counsel's mistakes do substantial damage to the defense, must be reversed. Williams v. State, 508 N.E.2d 1264, 1268 (Ind.1987). Here, however, the testimony of the informant, French's admission that he was the one who answered the phone calls from the informant and agreed to sell her cocaine, and the testimony of police officers that they recognized French's voice on the body wire worn by the informant during the dealing were sufficiently persuasive. There is no reasonable probability that the alleged errors made a difference.