Opinion ID: 2452857
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Impeachment of Hicks

Text: There is no doubt that Hicks was a key witness for the state. She testified that Hall returned to the car from White's jewelry store with bloody hands and stolen jewelry. She also testified that Hall said he shot White in the head and that he did it because the only good witness is a dead witness. At trial, Hall's counsel cross-examined Hicks. Hall's counsel obtained an admission from Hicks that, although she testified that Hall was away from the car for ten minutes, she had previously told police that Hall was away from the car for just a few seconds. Hall's counsel forced Hicks to admit that she was using a lot of cocaine for at least two weeks prior to the day of the crime and that she had previously falsely denied using drugs. Hall's counsel also elicited admissions from Hicks that she has been treated by health professionals, has undergone electroshock therapy, and has used Prozac. Hicks also admitted on cross-examination that she initially went to the press rather than the police with information about the murder, and that she did not give the police all the jewelry from White's shop at once. Hall's counsel also asked Hicks about statements she had allegedly made claiming she was testifying against Hall because of his relationship with Laura Loveless. Hall's counsel suggested during cross-examination that Hicks was testifying against Hall in exchange for immunity from prosecution for receiving stolen jewelry. When Hicks denied that she had been in contact with Hall since his arrest and claimed that she was afraid of him, Hall's counsel introduced the testimonies of witnesses claiming Hicks had in fact been in contact with Hall. Hall's counsel also questioned Hicks about statements she made during her videotaped statement to the police, suggesting that Hicks knew several details about the crime and, therefore, played a more direct part in it. Hall claims his counsel did not go far enough. He claims she was ineffective because she should have cross-examined Hicks with the pretrial videotaped statement in which Hicks stated that Hall planned only to break in and steal from White's store when White was not there; in short, to commit a burglary, not a robbery. Hall contends this would have shown that he had no predisposition to kill White and would have supported his version of the facts. The manner in which cross-examination is conducted, and the extent of cross-examination, are matters of trial strategy best left to the judgment of trial counsel. Kinder, 942 S.W.2d at 335. At the evidentiary hearing, Hall's counsel testified that she considered Hall's case to be a two-witness trial, with the essential witnesses being Hall and Hicks. Counsel further testified that Hicks' trial testimony was, for the most part, consistent with her videotaped testimony. In the videotape, Hicks explains the crime in detail. It was not unreasonable for Hall's counsel to conclude that more harm than benefit would come from its use at trial. The motion court did not err. Point denied.