Opinion ID: 1906630
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Appellant's Prior Criminal History and Testimony

Text: Appellant next argues that previous counsel was ineffective for failing to raise trial counsel's ineffectiveness in questioning Appellant regarding two instances of his prior criminal misconduct. During Appellant's direct examination, trial counsel asked him of his convictions for stealing a go-cart in 1979 and for theft by deception in 1978. We reject Appellant's contention that this questioning constituted ineffective assistance of trial counsel. By taking the witness stand, Appellant opened the door to the Commonwealth to impeach him concerning these prior crimen falsi convictions. See Commonwealth v. Bighum, 452 Pa. 554, 563, 307 A.2d 255, 260 (1973) (Commonwealth may introduce in rebuttal evidence of prior convictions to attack the credibility of a defendant who has elected to testify in his own behalf). Trial counsel's strategic decision to introduce these convictions on direct examination of Appellant, to preempt the Commonwealth's less favorable introduction of these matters, was reasonable under the circumstances. Cf. Commonwealth v. Birdsong, 538 Pa. 587, 601, 650 A.2d 26, 32 (1994) (counsel's decision to disclose defendant's prior bad acts in order to show motive for the Commonwealth's witness to lie held a reasonable trial tactic). We will not hold counsel to be ineffective if there was a reasonable strategic basis for counsel's trial tactics. Commonwealth v. Washington, 549 Pa. 12, 700 A.2d 400 (1997). Appellant's also claims former counsel were ineffective for failing to raise trial counsel's ineffectiveness for coercing Appellant into taking the witness stand, and for not objecting to the trial court's falsus in uno, falsus in omnibus instruction to the jury. The first portion of this issue lacks merit, as the record clearly shows that Appellant was fully aware that, by taking the witness stand, the Commonwealth could introduce his prior criminal convictions, but nevertheless Appellant voluntarily chose to do so. N.T., 1/22/82, p. 129. Appellant's statements on the record concerning his decision to testify on his own behalf contradict any claim that he was coerced into testifying. His position that trial counsel was ineffective for failing to object to the falsus in uno, falsus in omnibus instruction likewise lacks merit. Although the instruction has been criticized as superfluous, Commonwealth v. Maute, 336 Pa.Super. 394, 405, 485 A.2d 1138, 1144 (1984), counsel will not be held to be ineffective if the instruction given was proper, Commonwealth v. Tyler, 305 Pa.Super. 15, 23, 451 A.2d 218, 222 (1982). Here, the prosecutor specifically requested at a sidebar conference that the charge be given, and the trial court reluctantly consented to give the charge, with no objection from Appellant's trial counsel. We do not, however, find that Appellant suffered any prejudice because of the charge given. [15] The trial court's falsus in uno, falsus in omnibus instruction applied to witnesses for the Commonwealth and Appellant's witnesses equally, [16] and we can see no particular prejudice to Appellant from this general instruction to the jury regarding its role in making credibility determinations of all witnesses.