Opinion ID: 2448475
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: failure to object to drug evidence

Text: Whitfield argues that his counsel was ineffective in failing to object to evidence that Linda Scott gave Whitfield heroin. During post-trial proceedings, Whitfield's trial counsel testified that she did not object to this evidence because of trial strategy. She said that regardless of the admission of this testimony, she felt that the jury would know that drugs were involved in this incident; therefore, she made a strategic decision to focus her attention regarding Scott on other matters. While it is true that we need not take at face value trial counsel's statement of whether a particular decision was trial strategy, see Light, 835 S.W.2d at 940, given the circumstances of this case, counsel's reasoning and decision were sound. We conclude, therefore, that the failure to object to Scott's testimony was legitimate trial strategy, which does not constitute ineffective assistance.