Opinion ID: 1611770
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Failure to Request Co-Counsel

Text: Cole's next claim is that trial counsel should have hired co-counsel to assist with the penalty phase. We find that this subclaim is legally insufficient because Cole has alleged neither deficient performance nor resulting prejudice for the trial court's failure to secure co-counsel. The claim as alleged is: 35. Counsel was ineffective for not requesting the assistance of co-counsel. This was the first penalty phase Mr. Gleason had tried as lead counsel. His ineffective presentation of mitigating evidence could have been done effectively if he had the assistance of an experienced co-counsel as recommended by the ABA Standards for Criminal Justice 5-6.1 36. Counsel's ineffective performance, which was compounded by the absence of co-counsel, is evident in the bench conference during which counsel relied on Mr. Cole to make the legal decision of what evidence to present. Counsel's ineffectiveness forced Mr. Cole to make the legal decision not to enter Mr. Paul's life sentence as evidence. If the jury heard that Mr. Paul, who possessed the murder weapon and whose fibers were found on the victim, received a life sentence, it is likely they would have given Mr. Cole a life sentence. (Record citation omitted.) The only prejudice alleged by Cole with any specificity concerns the presentation of Paul's life sentence. However, as noted above, Cole is not entitled to relief on that claim. The general allegation that mitigating evidence could have been better presented is an insufficient allegation of prejudice. As Cole makes no further allegation of prejudice relating to this subclaim, Cole has failed to demonstrate that his counsel was ineffective for failing to request co-counsel.