Post-Conviction Relief • Ineffectiveness of Counsel • Character Witnesses
Commonwealth v. Kemp, PICS Case No. 17-0445 (C.P. Lycoming Mar. 15, 2017) Lovecchio, J. (20 pages).
Defendant was not entitled to call character witnesses where the issue of truthfulness was not relevant to the underlying criminal offenses. Defense strategy in the questioning of a witness was not unreasonable even though it opened the door for the prosecution to introduce evidence of defendant’s prior statements. Defendant’s petition for post-conviction relief based on ineffectiveness of counsel was denied.
