Opinion ID: 2633199
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Heading: Standards for Establishing Deficient Performance

Text: The burden is on Thomas to demonstrate by a preponderance of the evidence that counsel's performance was inadequate and fell below an objective standard of reasonableness ( In re Gay (1998) 19 Cal.4th 771, 790, 80 Cal.Rptr.2d 765, 968 P.2d 476), i.e., that Thomas was deprived of reasonably effective assistance ( Strickland, supra, 466 U.S. at p. 687, 104 S.Ct. 2052; accord, People v. Wade (1988) 44 Cal.3d 975, 989, 244 Cal. Rptr. 905, 750 P.2d 794). We assess the reasonableness of counsel's performance deferentially. ( Strickland, at p. 689, 104 S.Ct. 2052; People v. Mincey (1992) 2 Cal.4th 408, 449, 6 Cal.Rptr.2d 822, 827 P.2d 388.) We consider counsel's performance from his perspective, analyzing counsel's decisions based on what he knew or should have known at the time. ( People v. Gonzalez (1990) 51 Cal.3d 1179, 1243-1244, 275 Cal.Rptr. 729, 800 P.2d 1159; In re Andrews (2002) 28 Cal.4th 1234, 1253, 124 Cal.Rptr.2d 473, 52 P.3d 656.) The reasonableness of counsel's performance is assessed according to the prevailing norms at the time. The United States Supreme Court has declined to articulate specific guidelines for appropriate attorney conduct and instead ha[s] emphasized that `the proper measure of attorney performance remains simply reasonableness under prevailing professional norms.' ( Wiggins v. Smith (2003) 539 U.S. 510, 521, 123 S.Ct. 2527, 156 L.Ed.2d 471; accord, Rompilla v. Beard (2005) ___ U.S. ___, 125 S.Ct. 2456, 2462, 162 L.Ed.2d 360.) In evaluating counsel's performance, we assess both the reasonableness of counsel's decisions and the reasonableness of the investigation that underlay each decision. [B]efore counsel undertakes to act, or not to act, counsel must make a rational and informed decision on strategy and tactics founded upon adequate investigation and preparation. ( In re Marquez, supra, 1 Cal.4th at p. 602, 3 Cal.Rptr.2d 727, 822 P.2d 435; accord, In re Avena, supra, 12 Cal.4th at p. 722, 49 Cal.Rptr.2d 413, 909 P.2d 1017; see also In re Jones (1996) 13 Cal.4th 552, 564-565, 54 Cal.Rptr.2d 52, 917 P.2d 1175.) `[S]trategic choices made after thorough investigation of law and facts relevant to plausible options are virtually unchallengeable; and strategic choices made after less than complete investigation are reasonable precisely to the extent that reasonable professional judgments support the limitations on investigation. In other words, counsel has a duty to make reasonable investigations or to make a reasonable decision that makes particular investigations unnecessary. 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.' ( In re Lucas (2004) 33 Cal.4th 682, 722, 16 Cal.Rptr.3d 331, 94 P.3d 477, quoting Strickland, supra, 466 U.S. at pp. 690-691, 104 S.Ct. 2052.)