Opinion ID: 2714924
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Investigation ofExpert Witnesses

Text: At trial, Moser presented one expert witness for the defense, Dr. Janice Ophoven. She testified that Rafael died from asphyxiation. Gomez claims that Moser was ineffective for failing to consult with more expert witnesses who could have presented a more thorough defense. The record simply does not support this contention. As noted, the Strickland standard for ineffective assistance of counsel provides a high level of deference to trial counsel's strategic decisions. In any ineffectiveness case, a particular decision not to investigate must be directly assessed for reasonableness in all the circumstances, applying a heavy measure of deference to counsel's judgments. Id. Given this deference, Gomez has not proved that Moser's investigation of experts was deficient and has not shown that she was prejudiced by such alleged deficiencies. Moser pursued six or seven different experts, particularly in the area of pediatric forensic pathology and epilepsy. He was able to secure the services of Dr. Ophoven. He also specifically pursued Dr. May Griebel at the University of Arkansas. His declaration states that he sent her materials, but 22 In re Pers. Restraint of Gomez No. 86711-9 she returned them, saying she was unable to complete a review. Moser had difficulty obtaining a local expert to work on the case because many had potential conflicts with Dr. Feldman, one of the State's experts. Even after securing Dr. Ophoven, Moser continued to try and secure additional experts, sending them relevant materials for review. In the end, only Dr. Ophoven was willing or able to assist with an opinion consistent with the defense's view of events. Moser contacted multiple experts and secured one to explain Rafael's death. He was not required to search the entire country for experts, finding multiple witnesses who could provide the most favorable opinion for the defense. Given the great deference afforded investigative decisions under the Strickland standard, Gomez has not met her burden of proving that Moser's investigation of experts was deficient. Furthermore, a thorough review of the trial transcript reveals that Dr. Ophoven provided adequate testimony that generally supported the defense's theory of the case. For this reason, Gomez has not shown that Moser's alleged deficiency in investigating experts prejudiced her at trial. 23 In re Pers. Restraint of Gomez No. 86711-9