Hawkins v. State

Introduction

KURT S. ODENWALD, Judge

Dominic Lamar Hawkins (“Hawkins”) appeals the denial of his Rule 29.151 motion after an evidentiary hearing. On appeal, Hawkins argues that his defense counsel was ineffective in creating a nega*114tive inference for the jury when he told the jury in his opening statement that Hawkins would testify, and then did not call Hawkins to testify at trial. Because defense counsel’s decision to tell the jury that Hawkins would testify was a reasonable trial strategy, later complicated by an unforeseeable event, the motion court did not clearly err in denying Hawkins’s…