Court Opinion

ID: 9679782
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 07:06:41.032797+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:17:20.220957
License: Public Domain

BENAVIDES, Judge,
dissenting.
I dissent because I do not believe that a direct appeal can adequately explore the complete circumstances of the ineffective assistance claim presented. In this case, I would affirm the conviction without prejudice to the appellant to develop his ineffective assistance claim in a habeas corpus proceeding. Given the implausibilty of the appellant’s trial testimony, defense counsel may have intentionally opted not to request and argue a necessity defense to the jury which was also to determine punishment. By addressing the issue on direct appeal, we shall never know, and the State has been denied the opportunity to develop, the circumstances surrounding counsel’s failure to request an instruction on necessity.
McCORMICK, P.J., and WHITE, J., join.