Opinion ID: 147061
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Defense Counsel's Concession

Text: Trial counsel conceded in his opening statement that Katz died on July 7, 1985: [L]et's talk about some things that are not at issue here. First of all, it is not disputed by us that Gail Katz Bierenbaum is dead. That is not disputed. Not only that's not disputed by us, but that she likely died some time on July 7, 1985. Trial Tr. vol. I, 1881, Oct. 2, 2000. In discussing the evidence he also stated Now we will tell you that the evidence will also show that she is dead. She should have made her appointments, she should have been where she said she would be and she could have come home but she didn't and that's why we can tell you that she is dead. Id. at 1884-85. Bierenbaum argues that even if it were within the range of reasonable strategic choices to concede that Katz was dead, it was not reasonable to concede that she died on the Sunday she disappeared. We disagree. With the benefit of hindsight, conceding that Katz died on July 7 may seem extraordinary, but at the time counsel would have had reason to believe that the jury was likely to hear from several reliable sources that she had appointments for the next day, and that she would have kept those appointments if she could have. Counsel's theory was that Katz left the apartment on Sunday, and met with foul play after she left. It was consistent with that theory to concede her death on July 7. It was not objectively unreasonable to do so. Moreover, it was a reasonable trial strategy to establish a forthright relationship with the jury, by conceding what the defense did not have evidence to contest.