Opinion ID: 746902
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Liability Phase

Text: 17 Ineffective assistance of counsel occurs when an attorney's deficient performance prejudices the defense and renders the trial unfair and the result unreliable. Strickland, 466 U.S. at 687, 104 S.Ct. at 2064; McQueen v. Scroggy, 99 F.3d 1302, 1310-11 (6th Cir.1996). Reviewing courts focus on whether counsel's errors have undermined the reliability of and confidence that the trial was fair and just. Strickland, 466 U.S. at 686, 104 S.Ct. at 2063-64; United States v. Cronic, 466 U.S. 648, 658, 104 S.Ct. 2039, 2046, 80 L.Ed.2d 657 (1984); McQueen, 99 F.3d at 1311-12. To show prejudice, [t]he defendant must show that there is a reasonable probability that, but for counsel's unprofessional errors, the result of the proceeding would have been different. A reasonable probability is a probability sufficient to undermine confidence in the outcome. Strickland, 466 U.S. at 694, 104 S.Ct. at 2068; Nix v. Whiteside, 475 U.S. 157, 175, 106 S.Ct. 988, 998, 89 L.Ed.2d 123 (1986); McQueen, 99 F.3d at 1311. The performance and prejudice components of the Strickland test are mixed questions of law and fact, which this Court reviews de novo. Strickland, 466 U.S. at 698, 104 S.Ct. at 2070; McQueen, 99 F.3d at 1310-11. 18 Review of defense counsel's performance is highly deferential, Strickland, 466 U.S. at 689, 104 S.Ct. at 2065 Courts presume that defense counsel has rendered adequate assistance by exercising reasonable professional judgment and sound trial strategy. Id. at 690, 104 S.Ct. at 2065-66; accord McQueen, 99 F.3d at 1311; O'Hara v. Wigginton, 24 F.3d 823, 828 (6th Cir.1994). However, a defense counsel's performance must be reasonably likely to render ... reasonably effective assistance. Beasley v. United States, 491 F.2d 687 (6th Cir.1974). This requires a defense counsel to reasonably investigate the facts of the case or reasonably determine that an investigation is not necessary. Failure to do so is deficient performance. Strickland, 466 U.S. at 691, 104 S.Ct. at 2066-67; O'Hara, 24 F.3d at 828; Workman v. Tate, 957 F.2d 1339, 1345-46 (6th Cir.1992). 19 Here Austin complains that Livingston interviewed only Blankenship and himself. However, Austin did not identify any other leads that Livingston should have investigated that would have reasonably resulted in a different verdict. Livingston also filed few pretrial motions. Nevertheless, Austin did not identify any specific pretrial motions that Livingston should have filed that reasonably would have resulted in a different verdict. 20 Austin challenges Livingston's failure to call Blankenship or Austin's wife to testify at trial. Austin argues that Livingston should have called Blankenship because Blankenship gave Livingston a statement that Austin did not hire him to kill Watkins. However, Austin has not demonstrated that Livingston's tactical decision not to call Blankenship because of Blankenship's credibility and reliability problems was unreasonable, that Blankenship would have testified consistently at trial, or that Blankenship's uncertain testimony would have reasonably resulted in a different verdict. 21 Austin also maintains that Livingston should have called his wife to testify because: (1) she had as much reason as Austin to kill Watkins because Watkins would have testified against her also; and (2) she had a motive to implicate Austin in the murder because she was romantically involved with Casteel. However, Austin has not identified any evidence to this Court that his wife and Casteel hired Blankenship to kill Watkins or that they were romantically involved. Accordingly, Austin has failed to demonstrate that Livingston's conduct during the liability phase of the trial prejudiced his defense.