Opinion ID: 1291981
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Failure to object to admission into evidence of stained pants.

Text: Doyle claims that the district court erred in concluding that trial counsel were not ineffective for failing to object to admission into evidence of the denim pants recovered during a search of the bedroom closet in Doyle's residence. Doyle specifically argues that the pants were not relevant evidence and their admission into evidence prejudiced him because the pants were stained with some unidentified substance, which the jury might have inferred was Mason's blood. We conclude that the district court did not err. Even assuming that the state failed to demonstrate the relevance of this evidence, Doyle has not shown that he was prejudiced by its admission at trial. The other evidence adduced in support of Doyle's guilt was strong. Additionally, Doyle does not dispute the court's findings that the pants were introduced in a perfunctory manner without comment or further reference. We further note that the officer through whose testimony the pants were introduced testified only that the pants were seized out of an abundance of caution. No testimony or argument suggested that the stain was blood. In light of the foregoing facts, we conclude that Doyle has failed to demonstrate that, but for deficient performance of counsel, the result of trial would probably have been different.