Opinion ID: 2184797
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Trial Counsel's Lack of Experience and Resources and Failure to Present a Coherent Defense

Text: At the outset we consider defendant's general claim that his sixth amendment right to effective assistance of counsel was violated because trial counsel was unqualified to represent him due to lack of training and experience. Defendant observes that trial counsel had previously conducted only four jury trials, had no staff or co-counsel to rely upon, and lacked specific training in the defense of capital cases. Defendant also notes that his attorney represented him for a total fee of $200. According to defendant, his attorney should have requested that the court appoint co-counsel and provide funds for investigative assistance, mitigation experts and other experts as needed. As noted in People v. Lear, 175 Ill.2d 262, 274, 222 Ill.Dec. 361, 677 N.E.2d 895 (February 6, 1997), [h]aving a counsel with limited resources and limited experience is not a circumstance which this court has held to constitute per se ineffective assistance of counsel. In Lear counsel had only been out of law school for two years when appointed to represent the defendant, counsel had never tried a capital or homicide case before, counsel had received no formal training in defense of capital cases, counsel's office employed no investigators or other attorneys, the only assistance counsel received was from another attorney who performed 60 hours of legal research, and counsel had numerous other pending cases. As in Lear, counsel's alleged inexperience and lack of resources in the present case would be insufficient in itself to give rise to a sixth amendment violation. Rather, under Strickland `s two-part test, defendant must establish specific errors by counsel and resultant prejudice. Defendant also argues that trial counsel presented no coherent theory of defense to the jury. We emphatically disagree. Faced with evidence that defendant had approached police on his own initiative and confessed to the crime, counsel performed competently, albeit unsuccessfully, in attempting to undermine the State's case. Counsel presented testimony from defendant's former wife that defendant was with her on the morning of the crime. Counsel also elicited testimony from defendant's girlfriend that defendant was a heavy drug user and might have used drugs, alcohol or both at the time of his statements to police. While defendant allegedly confessed to killing the victim with a .45-caliber weapon, counsel established that the gun used was actually a .357-caliber weapon. Counsel vigorously cross-examined the State's witnesses and successfully objected on a number of occasions to the State's attempts to introduce hearsay testimony. During closing argument, counsel attempted to discredit defendant's confession, arguing that he was under the influence of drugs and alcohol and pointing out the discrepancy in defendant's statements as to the weapon used. Counsel also argued that defendant's confession omitted certain details of the offense and that aspects of defendant's account to police were contrary to human experience. In addition, counsel emphasized the lack of eyewitnesses and physical evidence implicating defendant. Defendant's charge that counsel failed to provide a coherent defense is unfounded.