Opinion ID: 1309290
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Ineffectiveness of Counsel in Failing to Object to Hearsay Testimony of Investigating Officer.

Text: Defendant next contends that his conviction should be reversed because of trial counsel's ineffectiveness in failing to object to hearsay testimony by a police officer. Defendant, in his written argument, only states that this officer's testimony was a detailed preview of the accounts of some witnesses who would testify at trial, and some who would not. Defendant's argument does not specify the testimony to which this reference relates. He only suggests that this was hearsay testimony corroborating the trial testimony of Patrick Hall. Much of the officer's hearsay testimony pertained to events earlier in the day at Tina Roller's residence that cast little illumination on Gilley's slaying. Other hearsay evidence included matters told to the investigating officer by Hall, which were consistent with the latter's trial testimony. Defendant urges that under our cases all hearsay testimony is presumed to be prejudicial. The cases stating that proposition, however, involved alleged evidentiary error preserved by contemporaneous objection. The standard for reversible error is much different in cases involving alleged ineffective assistance of counsel. In evaluating an ineffective-assistance-of-counsel claim, we look to see whether, under all the circumstances, the performance of counsel fell below normal range. State v. Aldape, 307 N.W.2d 32, 41-42 (Iowa 1981); State v. Sunclades, 305 N.W.2d 491, 495 (Iowa 1981). We have recognized with respect to objections to jury instructions that counsel need not take advantage of every opportunity to object in order to satisfy the standard of normal competency. State v. Blackford, 335 N.W.2d 173, 178 (Iowa 1983). A similar standard prevails, we believe, concerning evidentiary objections. Our review of the hearsay testimony not objected to by defendant's counsel convinces us that this evidence was not likely to be outcome determinative. Consequently, we are unable to find a lack of normal competency from counsel's omission.