Court Opinion

ID: 9733095
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 16:53:30.052762+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:26:38.397854
License: Public Domain

SULLIVAN, Judge,
concurring.
Upon the authority of Ben-Yisrayl v. State, 738 N.E.2d 253 (Ind.2000), I concur in the majority opinion with regard to the argument concerning the alleged ineffective assistance of trial counsel. We are precluded from redetermining trial counsel’s performance, upon a ground other than that asserted upon direct appeal.
*71With regard to the issue presented as to whether appellate counsel was ineffective, I would not rest the determination upon the majority’s conclusion that because the jury found that the shooting was knowing or intentional, the giving of a reckless homicide instruction would not have given rise to a different result. Given the evidence that Moody did not intend to shoot Hobson but only to scare him, it is quite possible, if not probable that the jury would have determined guilt of the lesser offense. The murder verdict demonstrates to me that trial counsel’s “all or nothing” tactical decision backfired.2
Be that as it may, the very fact that trial counsel’s performance was tactical in nature reflects that appellate counsel had no viable argument that trial counsel’s performance fell below the standard of reasonable professional representation. Appellate counsel’s representation was not ineffective. For this reason, I agree that reversal is not appropriate.

. That trial counsel was employing a tactical effort by not tendering a lesser offense instruction is reflected in the earlier memorandum decision that a voluntary manslaughter instruction would have been "incompatible with the theory of defense” that the shooting was accidental.