Opinion ID: 1781175
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: handwriting samples

Text: Phillips claims that her counsel were ineffective in their handling of the court's order to produce handwriting samples. She alleges that she received conflicting advice from her attorneys on whether she should give a handwriting sample to the State. This conflicting advice, however, came after the events of May 17, 1990, when she first refused to submit a sample. At that time she was advised by counsel to submit a sample, but she disregarded the advice. Only the refusal of May 17-a decision that was not influenced by her attorneys-was admitted into evidence at trial. Further, Phillips does not attempt to allege that if all her attorneys had urged her to submit a sample that she would have done so, and in fact, the events of May 17 suggest otherwise. Phillips cannot show she was prejudiced by the actions of her counsel, because it was fully her initial decision to refuse to submit a handwriting sample. The motion court did not clearly err in denying this ineffective assistance of counsel claim.