Opinion ID: 2485442
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Failure to Call Dr. Krop

Text: In his third claim, Lukehart contends that the postconviction court erred in finding that trial counsel was not ineffective for failing to present the testimony of Dr. Krop during Lukehart's guilt phase trial. We disagree. At the evidentiary hearing, trial counsel testified that he presented Dr. Krop during the penalty phase, but that he did not present this testimony during the guilt phase. Trial counsel explained that the prosecutor in this case had a policy not to depose mental health experts who testified in the penalty phase; she just read the expert's reports. However, trial counsel testified that if he had listed Dr. Krop as a guilt phase witness, the prosecutor would have deposed him. Trial counsel testified that he was afraid this would open the door to Lukehart's conduct after killing the infant and stated that he and Dr. Krop were concerned about revealing Lukehart's conduct to the jury because his conduct was the most emotional and extreme at that point. To avoid revealing damaging information through Dr. Krop's testimony, trial counsel testified that he had to walk on eggshells during his examination of Dr. Krop at the penalty phase. After the evidentiary hearing, the postconviction court denied Lukehart's ineffective assistance of counsel claim regarding the failure to present Dr. Krop during the guilt phase trial, finding that defense counsel's decision constituted a reasonable trial strategy. Thus, there is competent, substantial evidence to support the postconviction court's finding that this decision was a reasonable trial strategy. Because the decision was reasonable, Lukehart's trial counsel was not ineffective under Strickland. See Bowles v. State, 979 So.2d 182, 188 (Fla.2008) (citing Gaskin, 822 So.2d at 1248 (Trial counsel will not be held to be deficient when she makes a reasonable strategic decision to not present mental mitigation testimony during the penalty phase because it could open the door to other damaging testimony.)). Moreover, to the extent Lukehart is raising an ineffective assistance of counsel claim for trial counsel's failure to raise the defense of diminished capacity during the guilt phase, we deny relief. We have repeatedly rejected similar claims. See Evans v. State, 946 So.2d 1, 11 (Fla.2006) ([D]efense counsel is not ineffective for failing to present the defense of diminished capacity because diminished capacity is not a viable defense in Florida.); Hodges v. State, 885 So.2d 338, 352 n. 8 (Fla.2004) (This Court has held on numerous occasions that evidence of an abnormal mental condition not constituting legal insanity is inadmissible to negate specific intent.); Spencer v. State, 842 So.2d 52, 63 (Fla. 2003) (holding that evidence of defendant's disassociative state would not have been admissible during the guilt phase).