Opinion ID: 1709393
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Failure to Impeach Dr. Cheshire with Financial Bias

Text: Gore argues that counsel was ineffective at the resentencing for the failure to question Dr. Cheshire about his fee and how often he testified for the State. Gore's counsel was not deficient in this regard. As with other aspects of the resentencing, lead counsel Nickerson was responsible for the strategy utilized with Dr. Cheshire on cross-examination. At the evidentiary hearing, Udell testified that he did not know why Cheshire was not questioned by Nickerson on financial bias. Again, Gore has not met his burden on this ineffective assistance claim because Udell cannot provide evidence about what Nickerson may have been thinking in his decisions, and Nickerson was not produced as a postconviction witness. Udell did testify, however, that he believed questions as to financial bias are overrated as jurors know these people are getting paid. Therefore, Nickerson's decision to not impeach through questions targeted at financial bias can certainly be viewed as sound trial strategy. Strickland, 466 U.S. at 690, 104 S.Ct. 2052. The record on resentencing demonstrates that Nickerson extensively cross-examined Cheshire on his substantive conclusions, which, unlike financial bias questions, directly attacked his conclusions. Gore's expert at resentencing stipulated that there is no absolute rule or checklist for financial bias questions that must be asked of expert witnesses under all circumstances. [17] Also, even if the deficiency prong was satisfied, there was no prejudice. Dr. Cheshire testified that Gore was not an alcoholic, did not have a dependent personality disorder, and did not have an extreme mental or emotional disturbance; but was instead suffering from adult antisocial behavior without mental illness. He also testified that it was impossible for Gore to ingest the amount of alcohol he claimed and show no signs of impairment. The testimony of Cheshire contradicted some of the mitigators that Gore claimed, but other evidence presented was sufficient to refute those mitigators even without the testimony of Cheshire. For example, Gore's argument that he was intoxicated by alcohol at the time of the incident was refuted by numerous other individuals, rather than just Cheshire. At the resentencing, Martin testified that Gore did not smell of alcohol, did not slur his words, did not have bloodshot eyes, and was in complete control. Eyewitness Michael Rock testified that Gore did not stagger in the driveway when he ran after Elliot. Detective Redstone, Captain Dubois, and Officer Raymond all testified that Gore had no signs of alcohol impairment at the time of arrest. Therefore, Cheshire's testimony was not essential to the trial court finding the existence of no statutory mitigators on resentencing. Even if one or more mitigators could have been found by the trial court had Cheshire been impeached with financial bias, a death sentence would have likely still resulted due to the strength of the six aggravators that were independently found. First, Gore was under a sentence of imprisonment at the time of Elliot's murder, because he was on parole for the armed trespass conviction. Second, the armed trespass conviction was a prior violent felony due to the discovery of a handgun and police scanner in the victim's car with Gore, and the discovery of handcuffs and rope in Gore's car nearby at the time of this offense. Third, the Elliot murder was clearly committed while Gore was engaged in the crimes of kidnapping and sexual battery, because Gore was convicted of kidnapping Elliot and the testimony at resentencing established that Gore had committed sexual batteries on Elliot. Fourth, the avoid arrest aggravator was supported by the murder occurring when Elliot tried to escape and only after she struggled during Gore's attempts to return her to the house. Fifth, the HAC aggravator is supported by the following: (1) Gore hogtied Elliot so tightly prior to her murder that a welt formed; (2) Gore sexually battered Elliot prior to her murder; and (3) Gore dragged Elliot, who was nude, along the ground back toward the house immediately prior to shooting her. Sixth, the following overwhelming evidence helped establish the CCP aggravator: (1) Gore said to the girls at the house, Don't try anything or I'll come back and kill you; (2) Gore told Martin, while she was performing oral sex on him, to suck harder or else he was going to slice [her] throat; (3) Gore said to Martin, in reference to slicing her throat, that he was going to do it anyway; (4) Gore used a police scanner to monitor threats of detection by the police; (5) Gore concealed Elliot's body in a car trunk; and (6) Gore placed phony 911 calls in an attempt to divert police from his residence. See Gore, 706 So.2d at 1334 (discussing that the evidence in support of the CCP aggravator in the instant matter was overwhelming); Fotopoulos v. State, 608 So.2d 784, 792-93 (Fla.1992) (holding that the murder was committed in a cold, calculated, and premeditated manner due to the heightened premeditation illustrated by how the defendant carefully planned and prearranged the murder). Accordingly, the failure to impeach Cheshire with financial bias does not undermine our confidence in the outcome.