Opinion ID: 1476684
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Prosecutor's statement about victim's virginity

Text: Defendant claims that counsel should have objected when the prosecutor referred to Huggins's virginity. We note at the outset that the prosecutor never commented on Dunn's testimony that Huggins made pleas to Harris based on her virginity. He simply read Dunn's testimony: Question: What happened? ... He told her to take her clothes off. He told me to stand in front of the car. I was turned around, watching Kristin. She didn't take her clothes off right then. She was nervous, was shaking. She was talking, she saying what are you going to do. He just said, shut up, bitch, and take your clothes off. She said I'm a virgin. Question: What happened when she said that? He didn't care. He justhe grabbed her. He grabbed her and she start pulling on her clothes, trying to take them off, nervous and shaking, and he was unfastening his pants. ... And I heard her crying, and I turned around and she was telling him she was a virgin and stuff. And she said, no. I seen him having sex with her. [(Emphasis added).] There was no legal basis for defense counsel to object to the prosecutor's reading this admissible testimony to the jury, and thus there was no ineffective assistance due to a failure to make a baseless objection.