Opinion ID: 2452857
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Additional Evidence to Impeach Hicks

Text: Hall also claims his trial counsel was ineffective for choosing not to introduce a letter allegedly sent to Hall by Hicks. Hall claims the letter should have been used to impeach Hicks' testimony that she had not contacted Hall since his arrest. Hall's counsel called John Mahan, Agnes Carpenter, and LeRoy Carpenter to impeach Hicks' testimony that she had not contacted Hall while he was awaiting trial. Therefore the motion court found that the letter from Hicks to Hall would have been cumulative evidence, and trial counsel will not be found ineffective for failing to present cumulative evidence. Kinder, 942 S.W.2d at 336. The motion court did not err in finding that Hall's counsel was not ineffective for failing to introduce this letter. Point denied. Hall also complains that his counsel should have introduced the testimony of Laura Loveless. Hall claims that Hicks was angry because Loveless was having an affair with Hall. Hall claims Loveless would have testified that Hicks threatened her during the trial, making her afraid to testify on Hall's behalf. Loveless testified at the evidentiary hearing but did not testify in the manner in which Hall claims she would have testified had she been called at trial. Loveless testified that she and Hicks had verbal arguments but that she was not afraid of Hicks and that she did not remember Hicks threatening to harm her if she testified for Hall. The motion court did not err by finding that Hall's counsel was not ineffective for failing to call Loveless as a defense witness. Point denied. Hall also complains his counsel was ineffective for failing to call Curt Hough as a defense witness. Hough testified at the evidentiary hearing that Hicks did not tell Hough that she was lying to the police about the facts surrounding White's murder. Hall's trial counsel explained that she did not call Hough as a witness because he was not prepared to say that Hicks lied, and because he did not want to testify. The motion court did not err in finding that Hall's counsel was not ineffective for failing to call Hough as a defense witness. Point denied.