Opinion ID: 1969802
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 17

Heading: 57-59, b.61, b.64, b.218)

Text: Defendant contends that a point at issue at trial, whether the right rear tire was flat or half-flat when defendant pulled into the picnic area, could easily have been clarified if defense counsel had cross-examined the police officers to establish that defendant had consistently stated that the tire was half-flat when he drove into the picnic area. The ineffectiveness claims include the failure to cross-examine Lieutenant Churchill, Investigator Mahoney, Investigator Murphy, Detective Joo, and Investigator Belitrand, all of whom allegedly had taken statements from defendant to the effect that the tire was half-flat when defendant examined it in the picnic area. This subcategory also includes a claim of ineffectiveness based on trial counsel's unawareness that Detective Petracca had taken defendant to Bass River State Police Barracks after questioning him at home, as well as on counsel's questioning that led to testimony unnecessarily informing the jury about defendant's early retention of counsel. We evaluate all claims in this subcategory on their merits and conclude that they should be dismissed. We noted on direct appeal inconsistencies in defendant's statements to various officers about when he first detected a problem with his car, Marshall I, supra, 123 N.J. at 32, 586 A. 2d 85, but considered too inconsequential to mention any alleged inconsistencies in defendant's statements about whether the tire was totally or half-flat. Unquestionably, the more important issues concerning this aspect of the trial were whether the alleged car trouble had been feigned, and whether defendant had decided to stop at the Oyster Creek Picnic Area to inspect his car or to facilitate the homicide. The alleged ineffectiveness of counsel that supports the claims in this subcategory could not conceivably have had a material effect on the jury verdict. 4. Position of Body and Ballistics