Searcy Laverne Wyatt
v.
State of Iowa
Appellant
Searcy Laverne Wyatt
Appellee
State of Iowa
Attorney for the Appellant
Sara Pasquale
Attorney for the Appellee
Katherine Wenman, Assistant Attorney General
Court of Appeals
Court of Appeals Opinion
Opinion Number:
Date Published:
Summary
Appeal from the Iowa District Court for Scott County, Tamra Roberts, Judge. AFFIRMED. Considered without oral argument by Greer, P.J., Langholz, J., and Potterfield, S.J. Opinion by Potterfield, S.J. (12 pages)
After a bench trial led to convictions for one count of second-degree sexual abuse and one count of third-degree sexual abuse, Searcy Wyatt sought postconviction relief (PCR). Wyatt asserted trial counsel provided ineffective assistance by failing to (1) call additional witnesses on his behalf, (2) use exhibits he provided, and (3) adequately prepare him to testify at trial. The district court denied Wyatt’s application. On appeal, Wyatt asks us to reverse the district court’s ruling on the same claims of ineffective assistance of trial counsel. OPINION HOLDS: Wyatt failed to establish that counsel breached an essential duty in any of the three claims he raised, so we need not consider the alleged cumulative prejudice he suffered. We affirm the district court’s denial of his PCR application.
