Opinion ID: 1859694
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Expert Testimony on Hair Analysis

Text: Finally, Jones argues that the trial court erred in denying his petition on the ground that trial counsel was ineffective for failing to object to the State's introduction of expert testimony on the subject of hair analysis. The testimony in question was from Chantell Beckett, a criminalist with the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory. Beckett testified that she had examined one head hair, one head-hair fragment, and one pubic hair taken from Mary Phillips's body and compared them to known samples from Jones. She testified that the hairs were microscopically similar. Jones contends that her testimony was both irrelevant and incompetent. We affirm because Jones has failed to demonstrate that his defense was prejudiced by this evidence. Jones candidly concedes that counsel's failure to object to Beckett's testimony did not prejudice him during the guilt phase, ostensibly because the jury heard evidence of his confession to police, as well as the testimony of the surviving victim. He contends, however, that had this testimony been excluded, his sentence could have turned out differently. The fact that his sentence could have been different is not the standard. To prevail on a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel, the defendant must show that counsel's performance was deficient and that counsel's deficient performance prejudiced his defense. Dillard, 338 Ark. 571, 998 S.W.2d 750. Prejudice is shown only when the decision reached would have been different absent the errors. Id. We thus affirm the trial court's denial of postconviction relief. Affirmed. SMITH, J., not participating.