Court Opinion

ID: 9739883
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 20:22:51.883724+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:24:14.472455
License: Public Domain

WOLLMAN, Justice
(concurring in part, dissenting in part).
I join in Justice Wuest’s special concurrence. I would go further, however, and would hold that even if appellant’s counsel used the word “tramp” to describe appellant during counsel’s argument to the jury, the decision to use that term should not be faulted in view of the evidence, including appellant’s own testimony, regarding appellant’s sudden departure from Huron and his ultimate apprehension in Willmar, Minnesota. Counsel had the unenviable task of trying to persuade what was obviously a less than credulous jury that appellant’s account of his early morning departure from Huron in the stolen automobile, which he claimed was being driven by a Minneapolis painting contractor, who, unfortunately for appellant, either never existed or was unavailable at trial, was plausible in the light of appellant’s history of unilateral name changes and nomadic life style. Counsel could hardly have described appellant as a long-time resident of Huron, and his choice of either “tramp” or “transient” was not an unfair, unwarranted characterization in view of his trial strategy.*
I agree with Justice Wuest that the other claimed deficiencies in counsel’s performance were tactical decisions that certainly do not constitute plain error. Again, however, I would go further and would hold that on the face of the record before us, appellant’s claims of ineffective assistance are so lacking in merit as to not warrant further review.

 The portion of the transcript in question reads as follows: (By appellant’s counsel) "I mean, let’s classify him as a tramp. That may be a little strong but — he is looking for work. He wants a job. And if someone says, 'I have got a job in Minneapolis to do some painting.’ It is not so inconceivable that he wouldn’t go along with it.” In the margin of the transcript there appears a notation by the court reporter, "Correction. Word should be transient, eaj.”