Opinion ID: 853352
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Inadequate Preparation of Defense Witnesses

Text: Wrinkles asserted before the post-conviction court that counsel were ineffective because they failed adequately to prepare him and Dr. Engum for their trial testimony. In support of this contention, Wrinkles relies exclusively on a discrepancy between his and Dr. Engum's trial testimony concerning the sequence in which the victims were shot. Wrinkles testified that he shot Debbie, Mark, and then Natalie. R. at 2730-32. However, Dr. Engum testified that Wrinkles told him during the April 1995 evaluation that he shot Natalie, Mark, and then Debbie. R. at 3075. Wrinkles seems to argue that if counsel had adequately prepared him and Dr. Engum, they would have been aware of this discrepancy and therefore they would have presented only one sequence of the shootings at trial. Not having done so, Wrinkles alleges that his and counsels' credibility was destroyed. Wrinkles' argument is not persuasive. Attorney Danks, who examined Wrinkles at trial, testified at the post-conviction hearing that he prepared Wrinkles by talking with him about his testimony and about the defense theory of the case. P-C R. at 1043. Attorney Vowels testified that he engaged in role-play with Wrinkles before trial. P-C R. at 1204. Attorney Danks' billing records reflect that he spent approximately 19.75 hours consulting with Wrinkles prior to trial, including 5.5 hours the day before voir dire started, P-C R. at 1162-68, while attorney Vowels' billing records show that he spent 33.5 hours consulting with Wrinkles prior to trial, also including 5.5 hours the day before voir dire started, P-C R. at 1296-1310. Attorney Danks, who also examined Dr. Engum at trial, testified at the post-conviction hearing that he went over Dr. Engum's testimony with him. P-C R. at 1044. In like fashion, Attorney Vowels also testified that he discussed Dr. Engum's testimony with him. P-C R. at 1203. Counsels' billing records support their testimony: attorney Danks' billing records reflect that he spent 4.25 hours consulting with Dr. Engum before trial, including 1.5 hours the day before Dr. Engum testified, P-C R. at 1166, 1167, while attorney Vowels' billing records show that he spent 3.5 hours consulting with Dr. Engum before trial, P-C R. at 1307, 1309, 1310. Wrinkles' real argument seems to be that counsel found out too late about the discrepancy and therefore their desperate attempt to fix the problem was not sufficient. Reply Br. of Appellant at 9. The record shows that counsel were aware of the two sequences of the shootingsat the very least, the night before Dr. Engum testified. R. at 3071-72. Consequently, Dr. Engum did not testify on direct examination about the sequence of the shootings about which Wrinkles told him during the April 1995 evaluation. However, this information came out on cross-examination. R. at 3071. Dr. Engum then gave a possible explanation for the discrepancy. R. at 3078-79. He testified that Wrinkles' recollection of the sequence of the shootings may have been impaired by methamphetamine and alcohol. R. at 3076, 3078, 3080. Further, Dr. Engum explained that he was hired as an expert to diagnose Wrinkles and evaluate his state of mind at the time of the shootingsnot to testify on behalf of the defense as a factual witness regarding the sequence of the shootings. R. at 3076-77. Counsels' performance was not deficient. Even assuming counsels' performance was deficient, Wrinkles has failed to show prejudice. Basically, the discrepancy in Wrinkles' and Dr. Engum's testimony amounts to a difference between Wrinkles admitting that he shot the victims in one order as opposed to another. It does not change the fact that Wrinkles dressed in camouflage, painted his face, armed himself, cut the phone lines, broke into the Fulkerson home, and shot and killed his wife, brother-in-law, and sister-in-law. The post-conviction court did not err in concluding that counsel were not ineffective on this basis.