Opinion ID: 1090851
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: whether the circuit court's order pertaining to russell's testimony prejudiced his defense.

Text: ¶ 99. Russell alleges that defense counsel acquiesced in a requirement that Russell be forced to commit perjury on the stand. Defense counsel unsuccessfully tried to introduce evidence concerning Officer Cotton's illegal dealings with inmates and gang threats against Russell. Russell then took the witness stand and testified in accordance with the trial judge's rulings. Defense counsel alleged on direct appeal that these rulings were erroneous. We found the issues to be without merit. See Russell, 607 So.2d at 1113-16. ¶ 100. Though Russell argued that he should have been able to introduce evidence concerning Officer Cotton's dealings and gang threats, neither he nor defense counsel ever connected these factors at the first trial to say that in combination, these factors amounted to a threat on his life. The State argues that this is merely a backhanded way of trying to raise an issue that has already been decided. We agree. Where a defendant tries to introduce evidence, fails, and then testifies in accordance with the trial court's evidentiary rulings, this is not perjury and is not ineffective assistance of counsel. This issue is barred by res judicata under Miss. Code Ann. § 99-39-21(3) (Rev.2000).