Opinion ID: 2581010
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 19

Heading: Asserted ineffective assistance of defense counsel related to alleged misconduct

Text: Finally, defendant asserts that to the extent trial counsel failed to object to the foregoing instances of alleged prosecutorial misconduct or to request curative admonitions, defense counsel's legal representation was constitutionally ineffective. We disagree. In each of the circumstances described above, reasonable counsel may well have determined that an objection would be unwise, either because the challenged conduct was not improper or because an objection (and possibly an admonition as well) likely would have served to highlight matter that might be unfavorable to defendant. Accordingly, the appellate record does not preclude a satisfactory explanation for counsel's action, and hence we shall not find that counsel acted deficiently. (See Mendoza Tello, supra, 15 Cal.4th 264, 266, 62 Cal. Rptr.2d 437, 933 P.2d 1134; Pope, supra, 23 Cal.3d 412, 426, 152 Cal.Rptr. 732, 590 P.2d 859.) Defendant has failed to establish deficient performance under an objective standard of professional reasonableness. ( Strickland, supra, 466 U.S. 668, 687-691, 104 S.Ct. 2052; Ledesma, supra, 43 Cal.3d 171, 216-217, 233 Cal.Rptr. 404, 729 P.2d 839.) In any event, for the reasons previously recounted ante, part II.C, defendant also has failed to establish prejudice, that is, a reasonable probability of a more favorable outcome in the absence of the assertedly deficient performance. ( Strickland, supra, 466 U.S. 668, 691-696, 104 S.Ct. 2052; Ledesma, supra, 43 Cal.3d 171, 217-218, 233 Cal.Rptr. 404, 729 P.2d 839.) On the record before us, it is not reasonably probable that, had trial counsel made the objections or sought the admonitions the absence of which defendant now characterizes as error, the jury's verdict of guilt or special circumstance finding would have been different. In other words, trial counsel's alleged failings in this regard are insufficient to undermine confidence in the outcome of the trial. ( Strickland, supra, 466 U.S. at p. 694, 104 S.Ct. 2052.)