Opinion ID: 1831526
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 15

Heading: counsel's preparation

Text: Lastly, Gordon asserts that trial counsel was ineffective for failing to thoroughly investigate and prepare. This claim appears to be a redundant attack on trial counsel's strategic decisions discussed above. Gordon's argument in this claim largely consists of reargument of the other ineffective assistance of counsel claims raised in Gordon's brief. Specifically, Gordon reasserts the claims denied by the trial court following the evidentiary hearing. Because these claims have been previously addressed, it is unnecessary to rehash them here. With respect to his claim that trial counsel did not properly investigate and prepare for trial, the trial court concluded that Gordon had not satisfied either the deficient performance requirement or the prejudice requirement under Strickland. Gordon's argument consists of general complaints about trial counsel's knowledge of DNA, his knowledge of the existence of an alleged document, and his failure to present other defenses. These complaints appear entirely speculative. On the other hand, the record reflects that trial counsel researched the case, investigated Gordon's alleged alibis, consulted with potential alibi witnesses, hired an independent investigator to follow up on those alibis, consulted with the Public Defenders' office investigator, consulted with the codefendant's counsel regarding trial strategy, consulted with Gordon, and hired an expert to assess Gordon's ability to understand and comprehend the proceedings. This evidence supports the trial court's rejection of this claim. We have emphasized that the fact that there may have been more that trial counsel could have done or that appellate counsel in reviewing the record with hindsight would have taken a different approach does not mean that trial counsel's performance during the guilt phase was deficient. See Cherry v. State, 659 So.2d 1069 (Fla.1995). Further, the trial court also considered that trial counsel's preparation was hindered because of Gordon's insistence on proceeding to trial, even though trial counsel took over the case only two months before trial.