Opinion ID: 2632488
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Failure to Call Witnesses and Admit Other Evidence

Text: Floyd also argues that Kurth was ineffective because he failed to call several witnesses on Floyd's behalf. Decisions on whether to call a certain witness are strategic and tactical and generally within the exclusive province of the attorney. See State v. Nunn, 247 Kan. 576, 581, 802 P.2d 547 (1990); Winter v. State, 210 Kan. 597, Syl. ¶ 2, 502 P.2d 733 (1972). Again, the defense strategy in this case was to direct blame at Tom. We have thoroughly reviewed the record on the testimony of the witnesses Floyd suggests were necessary. We conclude that the testimony would have been either inconclusive, cumulative, or, worse, would have confused the jury and obscured the theory of the defense. Kurth's failure to call the numerous witnesses cited by Floyd did not constitute deficient performance. Floyd also cites as deficient performance Kurth's failure to introduce an answering machine tape of Tom's messages. However, the State introduced a written transcript of the messages, and Tom read the transcript at trial. Kurth also presented testimony about the tape's contents through James Bolinger. The tape itself would have been cumulative.