Opinion ID: 59634
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Evidence from Grandmother’s Residence

Text: On direct appeal, Martinez argued that his Fourth Amendment rights had been violated by the above described warrantless searches. With respect to the evidence obtained from his grandmother’s house, the State conceded, and the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals found, that there were no exigent circumstances allowing the police to search the backpack and bag without a warrant. However, the Court held that “there is no possibility that the erroneously admitted clothing” moved the jury from a state of nonpersuasion to one of persuasion. The Court thus held that the error was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt. In his motion for COA, Martinez asserts that counsel erred in failing to call Martinez as a witness at the suppression hearing and thus he “was not afforded an opportunity to explain the privacy interests he enjoyed at either location where his property was found, or to assert his standing in his personal property.” We note that in his motion he does not provide what his testimony 20 No. 06-70021 would have been at the hearing. Nonetheless, even assuming arguendo that counsel rendered ineffective assistance by failing to call Martinez as a witness, we are convinced that he cannot make a substantial showing that he was prejudiced. Martinez contends that clothing found at his grandmother’s house served to “bolster” the testimony of Belinda Prado. Martinez does not explain what or how it bolsters her testimony. In any event, Belinda did testify that the vest belonged to her uncle. She also testified that Martinez was wearing the vest when he left her house that morning after the murders. The fact that the clothing recovered matched Belinda’s description of Martinez’s clothing the morning of the murders does offer some corroboration of her testimony. However, such corroboration is of no moment because that testimony is with respect to undisputed facts. Martinez has admitted that both he and Belinda were at the scene of the crime. Thus, any corroboration of Belinda’s identification of Martinez on the morning of the murders is not prejudicial. Martinez has failed to make a substantial showing on the prejudice prong of this particular claim of ineffective assistance of counsel.