Opinion ID: 2148851
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Defense Counsel's Failure to Object to Aggravation Evidence

Text: Defendant next argues, in anticipation of this court's conclusion that his counsel failed to properly object to the introduction of the gang affiliation or religious activities evidence, that his counsel was ineffective for his failure to do so. Since we have previously concluded that defense counsel's objection to the gang affiliation evidence was sufficient to preserve the issue for review, we need only address whether defendant's counsel was ineffective for his failure to object to the introduction of the religious activities evidence. As previously noted, claims of ineffective assistance of counsel are examined under the two-prong test established in Strickland. Under Strickland, a defendant must show both that his counsel's performance fell below the objective standard of reasonableness and that there is a reasonable probability that, but for counsel's errors, the result of the proceeding would have been different. Strickland, 466 U.S. at 694, 80 L.Ed.2d at 698, 104 S.Ct. at 2068. Since we have determined that evidence concerning defendant's religious activities was admissible at the sentencing hearing, defendant cannot argue that it was unreasonable for his attorney to fail to object to its admission. See People v. McCarthy, 213 Ill. App.3d 873, 887, 157 Ill.Dec. 755, 572 N.E.2d 1219 (1991) (noting that whether to object is a trial strategy, and to object when it would be overruled would be futile). In that defendant cannot meet his burden under the first prong of the Strickland test, his ineffective-assistance claim must be rejected.