Opinion ID: 1133414
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Defense counsel's failure to mention Morgan in opening statement

Text: Defendant faults defense attorney Bernstein for not mentioning Dennis Morgan in his opening statement, which described how defendant found baby Amanda unconscious at the foot of the stairs. That failure, defendant asserts, enabled the prosecutor in closing argument to argue that the Dennis Morgan did it defense was concocted only after defendant had a chance encounter with Morgan in jail after the start of the trial. We reject this contention. Defense counsel's opening statement did not tie the defense to any particular theory; it simply told the jury in general terms that the evidence would show defendant to be innocent of each and every allegation in this case. Defendant has not met his burden of demonstrating that there `could be no satisfactory explanation' for counsel's conduct. ( People v. Kipp, supra, 18 Cal.4th at p. 367, 75 Cal.Rptr.2d 716, 956 P.2d 1169.)