Opinion ID: 852198
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: ATM Transaction

Text: Kubsch contends his counsel was ineffective for failing to introduce evidence that someone other than Kubsch withdrew two hundred dollars from the Kubsch's bank account the day after the murder. See Tr.PCR at 406-16, Ex.PCR Pet. 15, 23, 26, 27. Kubsch contends that this evidence supports his theory that he was not the murderer because it is possible that someone may have used Beth's missing ATM card to make the withdrawal. Further, Kubsch contends that an identification could be achieved with the help of photo and video surveillance of the ATM, which captured an image of the person who withdrew the funds. However, two detectives testified that the quality of the images was such that the person could not be identified. Tr.PCR at 192, 220. Furthermore, it is clear that a personal identification number was necessary for the person to access the account using the ATM card, Tr.PCR at 410, and Kubsch presented no evidence suggesting that he was unaware of the withdrawal or that it was not authorized. We agree with the post-conviction court that [i]nasmuch as Kubsch was at liberty at the time of this withdrawal and could have made or authorized the withdrawal, without more, this evidence has no exculpatory value. Appellant's App.PCR at 379.
For his next allegation of deficient performance Kubsch faults trial counsel for eliciting certain testimony from Gina DiDonato. The essential facts are these. The State called Kubsch's friend Dave Nichols as a witness. Among other things Nichols testified that he spoke with Kubsch on the telephone around eight o'clock on the evening of the murders and Kubsch told him that Aaron and Rick had been shot and stabbed and that Beth was also dead. Tr.2 at 2454-56. At that point, police had not yet discovered that Beth was dead or that Aaron and Rick had been shot. See Tr.2 at 1478-79, 1612, 1666-67, 1691, 2583. Defense counsel cross-examined Nichols in an attempt to establish that he may have heard this information from someone other than Kubsch. Tr.2 at 2464. In order to advance the defense theory that Nichols was mistaken about where he heard the information, counsel called DiDonato  Nichols' ex-wife  to testify that she had heard the same information in the form of rumors in January of 1999 at the restaurant where she worked and that she relayed those rumors to Nichols. Tr.2 at 2930-31. DiDonato testified that she heard from a jailer that Kubsch had been bragging in jail about shooting Aaron and Rick in the mouth. Tr.2 at 2930-31. The jailer was not called to testify, however there is a police report indicating that the jailer denied ever making such a statement. See Appellant's App.PCR at 456-57. Kubsch contends that DiDonato's testimony was inaccurate and highly prejudicial to the defense. Kubsch seems to contend that the statement from the jailer to police indicating that he disagreed with DiDonato's rendition of the conversation proves that DiDonato's testimony was inaccurate. Regardless of whether DiDonato's testimony was accurate, the use of her testimony was a reasonable trial strategy. The State introduced evidence through Nichols that Kubsch had shared details of the murders unknown to anyone other than the killer at the time of the conversation. It was not unreasonable for counsel to try to convince the jury that Nichols may have heard this information several months later from a gossiping waitress. Furthermore by choosing not to call the jailer to impeach DiDonato's testimony that she heard a rumor at work, counsel avoided reinforcing Nichols' testimony that Kubsch was the source of the information before police discovered Beth's body or the gunshot wounds to Aaron and Rick. See, e.g., Roche v. State, 690 N.E.2d 1115, 1126 (Ind.1997) (noting that a matter of trial strategy cannot form the basis for establishing ineffective assistance of trial counsel unless there was no sound basis for not pursuing the strategy).