Opinion ID: 1941931
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 10

Heading: Failure to Produce Testimony of Certain Witnesses.

Text: Finally, Davlin assigns that his trial counsel was ineffective for failing to subpoena and/or produce the testimony of two witnesses from the first trial. We note that these issues were raised by appellate counsel in Davlin's direct appeal, but that this court declined to reach the issue, given the state of the record before us. Though it is not entirely clear from the record, apparently these witnesses Guilliatt and Lee Davisboth testified at Davlin's first trial. Davlin generally claims in his motion that Guilliatt and Davis would provide him with an alibi and would provide other exculpatory evidence. In his motion, Davlin also generally alleges that trial counsel was ineffective for failing to introduce Guilliatt's and Davis' testimonies from the first trial in lieu of live testimony at his second. Davlin's first argumentthat trial counsel was ineffective with respect to his failure to subpoena and/or produce the testimony of Guilliatt and Davisis without merit. In fact, a review of the record demonstrates that trial counsel actually requested a continuance in order to attempt to locate the witnesses and had subpoenas issued which could not be served because the witnesses could not be located. We conclude that because trial counsel actually did what he is now accused of not doing, his performance could not have been deficient. With respect to Davlin's other contentionthat trial counsel was ineffective for failing to introduce Guilliatt's and Davis' testimonies from Davlin's first trialwe conclude that Davlin has not alleged sufficient facts to entitle him to postconviction relief. As is noted above, an evidentiary hearing on a motion for postconviction relief must be granted when the motion contains factual allegations which, if proved, constitute an infringement of the movant's rights under the Nebraska or federal Constitution; no such hearing is required where a motion alleges only conclusions of fact or law. [21] In his motion, Davlin alleges the following: Trial counsel provided ineffective assistance of counsel by not offering the sworn prior testimony of ... Davis and... Guilliatt if, in fact, witnesses Guilliatt and Davis [were] unavailable and in so doing failed to offer important exculpatory and alibi evidence. [Davlin] was prejudiced thereby and such error was not harmless beyond a reasonable doubt. There is nothing in Davlin's motion (or indeed in the record) that would suggest the nature of the exculpatory evidence to which Guilliatt and Davis would testify. Nor is there any indication what alibi either might provide Davlin. Rather than providing any detail, Davlin alleges only conclusions of fact and law. Such are insufficient to support the granting of an evidentiary hearing. As such, Davlin's fifth and final assignment of error is without merit.