Opinion ID: 2072259
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Failure to Secure the Presence of a Material Witness

Text: Defendant claims that trial counsel provided ineffective assistance by failing to secure the presence of Angela McDaniels as a witness on defendant's behalf. The decision whether to call particular witnesses is generally a matter of trial strategy. ( People v. Jones (1993), 155 Ill.2d 357, 369, 185 Ill. Dec. 534, 614 N.E.2d 1219.) A decision which involves a matter of trial strategy will generally not support a claim of ineffective representation. People v. Flores (1989), 128 Ill.2d 66, 106, 131 Ill.Dec. 106, 538 N.E.2d 481. During a motion to suppress, defense counsel learned that the police had interviewed McDaniels. McDaniels stated to police that she knew nothing about the origin of the fire, but that defendant had recently attempted to reconcile with her. Defendant proposed that McDaniels move in with defendant and his family. McDaniels refused and told defendant that he had to choose between her and his wife. This testimony from McDaniels would have been harmful to defendant's case. Defendant does not explain what positive effect, if any, McDaniels' testimony could have had. Under these circumstances, it was not ineffective assistance of counsel to fail to procure McDaniels as a witness on defendant's behalf.