Opinion ID: 885360
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 9

Heading: The procedure used to present Amy Rodstein's testimony.

Text: ś 84 Dawson argues that his trial counsel rendered ineffective assistance when they agreed to have Amy Rodstein's guardian ad litem, Damon Gannett, question Amy at trial. Both sides reserved the right to submit additional questions to Amy through her guardian ad litem following her initial testimony. Dawson asserts that this procedure conceded Amy's credibility and the impact of her testimony. Dawson also contends that the procedure permitted leading questions concerning Dawson's involvement, and deprived Dawson of his opportunity to challenge or confront Amy's testimony in any meaningful way. ś 85 In response, the State contends that the procedure was the result of sound strategy adopted by Dawson's defense counsel and was not unreasonable under the circumstances. Moreover, Dawson agreed to the procedure. ś 86 The District Court found as follows: The procedure was a part of the strategy adopted by trial counsel and was not unreasonable under the circumstances. Ms. Rodstein was 16 years old at the time of trial and 15 years old at the time of the incident. She was the sole survivor. Much of her testimony was favorable to the defense. She did not hear or observe any strangling of her other family members while with Dawson. She was understandably a fragile witness. Beck apparently felt it was important to have her testimony. An agreement to handle her testimony as it was handled was something within his permissible strategy at time of trial. ś 87 At the evidentiary hearing to consider Dawson's petition for postconviction relief, Allen Beck explained why the defense agreed to the procedure for Amy's trial testimony: I had formed the opinion early on in the case from having Amy Rodstein's statements evaluated by a child psychologist that she was very definitely traumatized by the incident and may not be able to withstand the rigors of going through a normal examination-cross-examination in our adversarial system. .... It was clear to me through the course of interviewing her in Damon's office-Damon did the entire interview-that she would be able to perhaps get through a direct examination, but I doubted seriously that she would be able to get through a cross-examination, which would thus effectively not enable us to cross-examine her. Therefore, I suggested the procedure whereby Damon Gannett be the person who questioned her. ś 88 Defense counsel's decision to use a special procedure to present the testimony of Amy Rodstein was a reasonable strategy under the circumstances. Accordingly, we conclude that the District Court did not err when it found that Dawson's counsel's decision to allow Amy's guardian ad litem to question her at trial did not constitute ineffective assistance of counsel.