Opinion ID: 1057949
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Pre-trial motion to suppress evidence

Text: R. Vaughn argues that Sindle was ineffective by failing to investigate adequately and prepare for the pre-trial motion to suppress the gun found at the residence in Alabama. Specifically, R. Vaughn argues that Sindle should have called his Alabama relatives as witnesses at the suppression hearing to establish standing to challenge the validity of the search warrant. If Sindle had put on such proof, he could have challenged the search as exceeding the scope of the warrant, thereby preventing the introduction of the gun into evidence. The trial court at the post-conviction hearing credited Sindle's testimony that R. Vaughn had told him unequivocally not to involve his relatives in the case and that it was for this reason that Sindle did not call the relatives to testify at the suppression hearing. The trial court found R. Vaughn's testimony to the contrary to be not credible. Because of the deference given to the trial court's findings of fact, particularly with regard to issues of credibility, see Burns, 6 S.W.3d at 461, we hold that the evidence presented at the post-conviction hearing does not preponderate against the trial court's finding that Sindle's conduct with respect to the motion to suppress was not deficient. Therefore, R. Vaughn has failed to satisfy the first prong of the Strickland test, which requires the petitioner to show that counsel's actions were so deficient as to fall below the objective standard of reasonableness under prevailing professional norms. See Strickland, 466 U.S. at 688, 104 S.Ct. 2052. Furthermore, R. Vaughn failed to show prejudice. Even if the gun had not been introduced into evidence, there were multiple eyewitnesses who identified him as one of the shooters.