Opinion ID: 2062476
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Testimony of Arneisha James and Lisa Brown

Text: A claim of ineffective assistance of counsel that relates primarily to the sentencing hearing, but which Gilliam also raises as a trial error, is Daneman's alleged failure to present favorable testimony from Arneisha James and Lisa Brown. Gilliam suggests that these two women, who saw him shortly before the murder, could have provided helpful information about his drug use and possible drug intoxication, as well as testimony that his crime was mitigated because he was acting under duress from Tony Drummond. The post conviction hearing judge found, in effect, that there was nothing to suggest James' and Brown's testimony would have been exculpatory or favorable to Gilliam. That finding was not clearly erroneous. See United States v. Muehlbauer, 892 F.2d 664, 669 (7th Cir.1990) (attorney's failure to call two witnesses that defendant claimed were critical did not constitute ineffective assistance of counsel where there was nothing in the record to suggest that witnesses would have helped exonerate defendant). Arneisha James and Lisa Brown gave statements to the police in which they described a visit that Gilliam, Tony Drummond, and Kelvin Drummond made to James' apartment shortly before the murder. In their statements, they indicated that, while in the apartment, Tony had the shotgun. This was consistent with Kelvin Drummond's testimony at Gilliam's trial that Tony Drummond had possession of the shotgun while the group was at James' apartment and Tony asked James' permission to put the shotgun in her closet during their visit. Tony Drummond's brief possession of the shotgun at James' apartment in no way establishes that Gilliam was acting under duress. It was uncontroverted that the shotgun belonged to Gilliam and that Gilliam had possession of the shotgun at the time of the murder and several days after the murder. Gilliam shot the victim while Tony and Kelvin Drummond were some distance away, unarmed, and in another car. Tony Drummond's possession of the shotgun at James' apartment was testified to by Kelvin Drummond and was uncontroverted. There was no reason why Daneman should have called James and Brown to corroborate Kelvin Drummond's testimony on this issue. See Proctor v. United States, 729 F. Supp. 473, 476 (D.Md.) (rejecting ineffective assistance of counsel claim where presentation of evidence defendant claimed was vital would have merely been cumulative), aff'd sub nom. 911 F.2d 721 (4th Cir.1990), cert. denied, 498 U.S. 1038, 111 S.Ct. 707, 112 L.Ed.2d 697 (1991). Additionally, neither James nor Brown could aid in establishing the possibly mitigating factor of drug impairment. [3] In her statement, James made mention of some of the group smoking marijuana, but made no mention of other drugs and gave no indication that Gilliam was exhibiting any signs of drug impairment, although she did indicate Tony Drummond, by contrast, was sick and lying down during the visit. At the post conviction hearing, James was called as a witness, but gave no indication that either she or Brown saw any signs that Gilliam was impaired by drugs. There was no showing that either James or Brown could have added anything of substance to either Gilliam's duress claim or his substantial impairment claim. Gilliam also contends that James could have testified about a letter Tony Drummond wrote to her in which he asked her not to tell anyone that he was wearing a white ski suit or that he had the gun at her apartment. Gilliam contends this letter shows Tony Drummond dominated the group and indicates Gilliam was therefore acting under duress. The short answer is that Tony Drummond's letter to Arneisha James may have suggested he dominated James; it does not suggest he dominated Gilliam. The letter quite simply is not admissible evidence to establish that Gilliam was acting under duress.