Opinion ID: 777262
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Miscellaneous allegations

Text: 74 At various points in his briefs, Moss contends that his counsel was ineffective because she failed to call any defense witnesses, made no objections, and gave a short closing argument. Moss relies on Groseclose v. Bell, 130 F.3d 1161, 1169-71 (6th Cir.1997), to support his position. Despite Moss's argument, Groseclose is distinguishable from the present case. The Groseclose court identified three aspects of the defense counsel's performance that made his representation objectively unreasonable: 75 (1) his failure to have any defense theory whatsoever; (2) his failure to conduct any meaningful adversarial challenge, as shown by his failure to cross-examine more than half of the prosecution's witnesses, to object to any evidence, to put on any defense witnesses, to make a closing argument, and, at sentencing, to put on any meaningful mitigation evidence; and (3) perhaps most importantly, his abdication of his client's case to [his co-defendant's] counsel. 76 Id. at 1169. 77 In addition to finding this performance deficient, the Groseclose court concluded that a reasonable probability existed that the outcome would have been different if the defendant had received effective representation because [t]he State's evidence tying Groseclose to the perpetrators of the murder was relatively weak. Id. at 1170. The court also emphasized that if defense counsel had presented mitigating evidence at the sentencing phase of the trial, a reasonable probability existed that the death sentence would not have been imposed. Id. at 1170-71. 78 Moss contends that, like the defense counsel in Groseclose, his counsel failed to conduct a meaningful adversarial challenge. The problem with Moss's argument, however, is that he does not identify any witnesses that his counsel should have called or objections that she should have made. United States v. Murray, 751 F.2d 1528, 1535 (9th Cir.1985) (rejecting the defendant's claim that his trial counsel provided ineffective assistance, noting that the defendant did not identify any witnesses that his counsel should have called that could have been helpful). Although Moss contends that Modelski's closing argument was deficient because she stated that there is more than reasonable doubt about Moss's guilt, this statement would have resulted in an acquittal for Moss if the jury had believed it. Contrary to Moss's belief, therefore, it does not represent a concession of Moss's guilt that constitutes the ineffective assistance of counsel. Nor does the brevity of Modelski's closing argument, which Moss also challenges, establish constitutionally deficient performance. Finally, unlike the facts in Groseclose, the state's evidence against Moss was quite strong in light of the testimony of the two eyewitnesses. 79 Moss has thus failed to demonstrate that his counsel's performance in these respects was objectively unreasonable. In addition, because Moss's allegations are conclusory, he is unable to show a reasonable probability that the result of his trial would have been different even if his counsel had performed in some other manner. We therefore conclude that Moss failed to establish an ineffective-assistance-of-counsel claim based upon the contention that his counsel did not present a significant adversarial challenge.