Opinion ID: 1537919
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: Alleged Drug Use by Trial Counsel

Text: Mr. Larngar's final contention on appeal is that the hearing justice erred in not allowing him to introduce evidence at the hearing on his application for postconviction relief relating to defense counsel's alleged use of drugs during the trial. Mr. Larngar argues that such evidence would have supported his claim of ineffective assistance of counsel. Our review of the record of the postconviction-relief hearing has revealed that at no time did the hearing justice unequivocally preclude the introduction of such evidence. Rather, when Mr. Larngar's counsel initially indicated that a particular witness had information about the social conduct of Mr. Larngar's trial counsel, the hearing justice simply stated, I'm not so sure we are going to get into that. In response to the prosecutor's objection on the grounds that the only conduct of Mr. Larngar's trial counsel which was relevant was that which occurred in the courtroom during the trial, the hearing justice disagreed; the hearing justice stated that trial counsel's conduct outside the courtroom was relevant insofar as it had an impact on her ability to represent Mr. Larngar. The hearing justice did express some concern about whether the particular witness called by Mr. Larngar's counsel, one Albertus Bruce, was the appropriate vehicle through which to introduce evidence about what he euphemistically referred to as the social conduct of Mr. Larngar's trial counsel. Notwithstanding that concern, however, after cautioning Mr. Larngar's postconviction-relief counsel to tread very lightly when questioning the witness, the hearing justice did allow him to proceed. Mr. Larngar's counsel at the hearing agreed to tread lightly, but he then never posed any questions to the witness concerning alleged drug use on the part of Mr. Larngar's trial counsel. Regardless of why Mr. Larngar's postconviction-relief counsel chose not to further explore the issue of the alleged drug use, the blunt fact is that it was he who opted to stay away from that issue; the record is clear that the hearing justice did not forbid him from pursuing that line of questioning. [20] Accordingly, it is our opinion that there is no merit in Mr. Larngar's contention that the justice who presided over the postconviction-relief hearing erroneously barred the introduction of evidence relative to the alleged drug use issue.