Opinion ID: 852374
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: B-1(b

Text: As for the adaptive functioning prong of Pruitt's mental retardation diagnosis, trial counsel questioned defense expert Dr. Brian Hudson in detail on ten measures of adaptive functioning as defined by the AAMR. [24] Dr. Hudson based his assessments of each measure on his training, his one-on-one meetings with Pruitt, and on review of Pruitt's history, all typical protocol for assessing adults. (Trial Tr. 1269.) He found that Pruitt had substantial deficits in the six adaptive behaviors of communication, home living, [25] work, [26] functional academics, [27] social skills, and health and safety. [28] Based on these findings, Dr. Hudson concluded that Pruitt met the commonly accepted definitions ... for the second prong of the mental retardation definition, which requires two or more deficits as defined by the AAMR. Id. at 1297-98. State's witness Dr. Schmedlen corroborated this conclusion based on information he obtained through interviews of Pruitt's aunt Mary Lambert and Pruitt's neighbor Nora Wesley. Id. at 643. At the PCR hearing, State's expert Dr. Keyes testified that he tested Pruitt's adaptive functioning using the Independent Living Scales test, a Corroborative Self-Report on Mr. Pruitt called the Scale of Independent Behavior, and the Adaptive Behavior Assessment Scale (ABAS-II). (PCR Tr. 116.) His methodology included interviewing Pruitt's father, mother, and sisters Francine and Jennifer with questions from the ABAS-II, id., interviewing and getting to know Pruitt himself, and reviewing Pruitt's records, id. at 108-09. He assessed Pruitt on independent living skills, which included cleanliness, work skills ( i.e., how well one can maintain a job), and functioning socially in society; and on communication skills. Id. at 108. He did guard against malingering but did not find any. Id. at 95-96. Based on his evaluations, Dr. Keyes concluded that Pruitt has been an individual with mental retardation since he was ... probably an infant. Id. at 117. Petitioner's expert Dr. Coons also assessed Pruitt's adaptive functioning based on Pruitt's history, the history from his parents and his sister that I got, and the collateral history from other informants, plus the school records. Id. at 473. Dr. Coons opined that in order to meet the criteria for mental retardation, you have to have trouble in ... two of 10 or 11 areas of what we call adaptive functioning. Id. at 454. He concluded that in my taking of the history and doing collateral interviews, I felt he had difficulties in at least eight of those areas. Id. He took Pruitt's relatives' self-reports during the interviews at face value because they corroborated evidence from other informants and were consistent with Pruitt's IQ scores and school records. Id. at 474-75. Dr. Coons did not administer any tests for malingering. Id. at 476-77. Our review of the record on trial counsel's performance in presentation of evidence regarding mental retardation does not lead us to a conclusion opposite the conclusion reached by the PC court. We agree with the PC court that trial counsel were not ineffective in selecting experts and preparing mental health evidence for use in the penalty phase or sentencing. (App. to Br. of Pet.-Appellant 674.) More specifically, we affirm the PC court's conclusion that [t]rial counsel obtained qualified mental health experts who competently advanced a diagnosis of mental retardation, albeit an ultimately unsuccessful strategy. Id.