Opinion ID: 1239109
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: failure to call expert witness

Text: The PCR court further found that counsel failed to call a certain expert witness, in the field of identification, to testify at trial to discredit the State's identification testimony. This finding is in error inasmuch as counsel articulated very clear reasons for not calling the expert. Counsel had read a transcript of the expert's testimony at another proceeding. He had also spoken with the attorney who had arranged to have the expert testify. Counsel concluded that the expert's testimony was unpersuasive and found him to be belligerent and arrogant. He got an uneasy feeling when he talked to the expert over the phone and concluded he would be more damaging than if I left him alone. Where counsel articulates a valid reason for employing certain strategy, such conduct will not be deemed ineffective. Underwood v. State, 309 S.C. 560, 425 S.E.2d 20 (1992). Again, the PCR court's order does not offer any specific grounds as to why counsel was ineffective in failing to call the expert to testify.