Ex parte Jimenez
The defendant was not entitled to a new trial because she was denied adequate funding to hire additional and better qualified experts, and because trial counsel was ineffective by failing to retain or make a written request for additional qualified experts. A defendant is not entitled to the best or most expensive expert, but is entitled to at least one expert upon a showing that the expert can provide assistance which is likely to be a significant factor at trial. The defendant forfeited consideration of her constitutional claim on habeas review by failing to file a proper written Ake motion and ensuring the trial judge formally ruled on it. The defendant does not have a constitutional right to a “team of experts” paid for by the taxpayers, and defendant’s counsel was not ineffective in failing to request such a team.
Ex parte Jimenez
Read Opinion

