Opinion ID: 1914829
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Commonwealth Witness Nigel Bell

Text: The next claim we address is Appellant's contention that counsel was ineffective for failing to impeach Commonwealth witness Nigel Bell. At trial, Mr. Bell testified that he saw Appellant exit the deli, obtain the concealed shotgun from Dwight, and return to the deli moments before the shooting. Appellant claims that trial counsel should have impeached Bell's testimony by calling Bell's girlfriend, Nicole Shaffer, to the stand. Appellant insists that Shaffer's statement to police shortly after the shooting conflicts with Bell's statement. The PCRA court dismissed this issue without a hearing, finding that Appellant failed to establish Shaffer's willingness to testify. The PCRA court further concluded that Shaffer's statement did not conflict with Bell's testimony. Where a defendant claims that counsel was ineffective for failing to call a particular witness, we require proof of that witness's availability to testify, as well an adequate assertion that the substance of the purported testimony would make a difference in the case. Generally, we require a defendant to demonstrate that: (1) the witness existed; (2) the witness was available to testify for the defense; (3) counsel knew of, or should have known of, the existence of the witness; (4) the witness was willing to testify for the defense; and (5) the absence of the testimony of the witness was so prejudicial as to have denied the defendant a fair trial. Commonwealth v. Washington, 592 Pa. 698, 927 A.2d 586, 599 (2007). See also Commonwealth v. Bryant, 579 Pa. 119, 855 A.2d 726, 746 (2004) (citing Commonwealth v. Begley, 566 Pa. 239, 780 A.2d 605, 630 (2001)). Appellant argues that the PCRA court erred in dismissing his claim simply because he did not attach an affidavit to his petition to establish Shaffer's willingness to cooperate. Appellant insists that trial counsel should have pursued Shaffer as a witness regardless of her willingness to testify, as she could have been impeached with her statement in the event she was uncooperative on the stand. Appellant argues that the PCRA does not require an affidavit and that such a document was unnecessary here. [9] Regardless of whether the attachments to Appellant's PCRA petition sufficed to establish Shaffer's availability as a witness, his claim nonetheless fails because its underlying premise is faulty. Even if we were to assume that the substance of Shaffer's police statement would have reached the jury, either by way of her direct testimony or via impeachment, Appellant has not established that it would have affected the verdict. Shaffer's statement simply does not contradict Bell's testimony. Appellant focuses on the fact that Shaffer said she was with Bell on the night in question, and yet she did not state that she saw Dwight give Appellant the shotgun/umbrella. Of course, Shaffer's failure to state that she observed something does not mean that Bell's observations did not occur. As the PCRA court observed, Shaffer's testimony that she did not see something [that Bell saw] did not contradict Bell's testimony. PCRA Ct. Op. at 11. Bell's identification of Appellant was corroborated by two independent eyewitnesses.