Court Opinion

ID: 9662590
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-23 23:13:40.422042+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:27:11.030244
License: Public Domain

BILLINGS, Judge,
concurring in result.
This Court recently considered the use of similar testimony by the identical so-called expert lawyer seeking to demonstrate incompetency of trial counsel in a capital case and held that the motion “[CJourt was as qualified as the witness to form an opinion on trial counsel’s competency.” Sidebottom v. State, 781 S.W.2d 791 (Mo. banc 1989).
The attorney, offered as an expert in the defense of death penalty cases, graduated from law school in 1975. She initially was employed by the Legal Aid Defender’s Society and thereafter employed by the City of Kansas City for six years defending litigation and involved in housing and zoning problems. From Kansas City she went to Texas and worked one year as a police legal advisor and one year for the city in general municipal work. In 1983 she commenced work for the Jackson County Public Defender’s Office and continued in that work until she was employed by a large Kansas City law firm in 1988. At the firm she said, “My primary assignments are appointed work for the courts, pro bono work, what criminal law they have, juvenile court matters, class action suits over in the prison. I have two death penalty habeas, and then—I’m technically in the business litigation department.” She said she has handled or been involved in 50 to 60 felony trials and several murder cases, including death penalty cases. In some of the capital cases her participation consisted of doing research, preparation of motions, and interviewing witnesses. She has never served as lead counsel in a capital trial.
The attorney testified she had attended training seminars on the defense of capital murder cases, including those conducted “by the Illinois State Public Defenders, the National Association of Advancement for Colored People Legal Defense Fund,” the Kentucky Public Advocates Death Penalty Seminar. She has served as a “facilitator” (“it’s sort of like a teacher”) at the Missouri Public Defenders Death Penalty Seminar. She subscribes to the “Southern Poverty Law” and has worked with Millard Farmer who is associated with Southern Poverty Law Center and “probably the most active death penalty defender in the country.” In addition, she participates in the Missouri Bar Criminal Law Section and is a member of the National Legal Aid and Defenders Association.
The opinions voiced by the “expert” are nothing more than second-guessing of the decisions, trial strategy, and tactics of the trial attorneys, through the omniscient eye of hindsight. Speculation and conjecture as to a different result do not give rise to ineffective assistance of counsel. While a mental examination may very well be called for in some capital cases, the law does not mandate such an examination in all capital cases. The lower court properly rejected the testimony of the witness-lawyer.