State v. Keelen

I agree that the record is sufficient to address appellant’s claim on appeal that he received ineffective assistance of counsel at trial. I also agree that appellant’s counsel at trial was not ineffective for opting not to make an opening statement. I respectfully disagree, however, with the majority’s finding that defense counsel was not ineffective despite failing to object to hearsay, and even strategically eliciting hearsay.

At trial, Detective Sanders attempted to testify that the victim’s mother told him that appellant was her child’s caretaker on the evening she was injured. Defense…