Opinion ID: 2546714
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 12

Heading: Failure to Impeach Dr. Rabun

Text: Baumruk claims that the motion court clearly erred in overruling his claim that his counsel was ineffective for failing to impeach Dr. Rabun with the fact that when he first gave his opinion on Baumruk's mental state, Dr. Rabun's divorce was pending before Judge Hais. He claims that if his counsel would have cross-examined Dr. Rabun on this, it would have shown Dr. Rabun's bias towards holding unfavorable opinions regarding Baumruk. Dr. Rabun was called by the State as a rebuttal witness to Baumruk's not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect defense. Dr. Rabun had examined Baumruk three times prior to being called. He examined Baumruk in 1994 and concluded that Baumruk was not suffering from any psychiatric diagnosis. In 1999, he examined him again and diagnosed him with an amnestic disorder due to his head trauma. In 2000, Dr. Rabun was ordered to evaluate Baumruk's mental responsibility at the time of the offense. After an investigation, which included the review of numerous documents and interviews, Dr. Rabun vacated his amnestic disorder diagnosis and again found that Baumruk was not suffering from any mental disorder. Dr. Rabun concluded that Baumruk's shooting of his wife in the courtroom demonstrated planning for the most opportune time to carry out his acts against her and the others involved in the divorce case. After an evidentiary hearing, the motion court overruled Baumruk's claim because it found that, even though Dr. Rabun's dissolution was in front of Judge Hais, the dissolution was uncontested and, therefore, would have no impeachment value. It also concluded that there was not even a slight possibility of a different result had counsel cross-examined Dr. Rabun about his uncontested dissolution that occurred 11 years prior to Baumruk's most recent trial. The failure to impeach a witness does not constitute ineffective assistance of counsel unless such action would have provided a viable defense or changed the outcome of trial. State v. Ferguson, 20 S.W.3d 485, 506 (Mo. banc 2000). Baumruk does not allege that the impeachment would have provided a viable defense. That being so, this Court must only determine if the motion court clearly erred in determining that impeachment of Dr. Rabun regarding his uncontested dissolution would have changed the outcome of the trial. This Court does not believe that the motion court clearly erred in determining that it would not.