IN MITIGATION; AND WE HAVE HONORED HIS WISHES.
BUT HE NOW WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE FAMILY MEMBERS HERE IN THE COURTROOM, TO BE ALLOWED TO HEAR HIS UNSWORN STATEMENT.
SO YOUR HONOR, WE'RE BASICALLY SAYING WE'RE FINISHED REALLY SO I CANNOT IMAGINE ANY CIRCUMSTANCE WHERE WE WOULD BE CALLING ANY OF THE FAMILY MEMBERS, BUT I WANTED TO MAKE THE COURT AWARE OF OUR SITUATION.
NOW, THERE IS ONE OTHER THING, AND JUST TO MAKE YOU UNDERSTAND, JUDGE, WE HAVE A WHOLE FAMILY OUT HERE WHO ARE VERY, VERY UPSET WITH US BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE WE ARE KEEPING THEM OUT OF THE COURTROOM, AND ALL WE'RE DOING IS EXERCISING MR. MONROE'S DESIRES TO HAVE THEM NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE MITIGATION, AND YOUR HONOR, WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO BE THAT BLUNT WITH THEM, AND NOW WE HAVE ACCOMPLISHED WHAT WE WANTED TO ACCOMPLISH, AND NOW WE WOULD LIKE TO MOVE TO THE UNSWORN STATEMENT.
{¶ 34} Thereafter, appellant presented his unsworn statement:
MR. MONROE: I'M SURE YOU ARE ALL TIRED, YOU ALL BEEN ON THIS SINCE THE TRIAL STARTED. I GUESS I ASK MY MOTHER AND FATHER NOT TO TAKE THE STAND, I DID NOT ASK THEM TO TAKE THE STAND IN MY DEFENSE.
I HAVE A STATEMENT THAT I HAVE AND I WANT TO READ IT TO YOU.
I HAVE, WHEN I READ IT TO YOU, IT'S DIRECTED TO MY FAMILY. I DON'T REALLY CARE HOW YOU TAKE IT, IT'S NOT TO BE TAKEN ANY CERTAIN WAY, BUT JUST BASICALLY IT'S FOR MY FAMILY.
I DON'T WANT ANY OF THEM GETTING ON THE STAND TODAY AND BEGGING OR PLEADING FOR MY LIFE, I WONT' DO IT EITHER.
I HAVE NOT BEEN GIVEN A FAIR TRIAL. IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT I HAVE NOT BEEN GIVEN A FAIR TRIAL.
NOW, I JUST WANT TO READ MY STATEMENT. FIRST, I'D LIKE TO GIVE MY CONDOLENCES TO THE FAMILIES OF THE VICTIMS.
THE SECOND THING I WOULD LIKE TO SAY IS I'M NOT HERE BEGGING FOR OR PLEADING FOR MY LIFE. I DID ENOUGH BEGGING AND PLEADING AS A KID WHEN I WAS EIGHT YEARS OLD. WE HAD NO WATER, ELECTRIC, OR FOOD IN THE HOUSE, AND NO FATHER PROVIDER, AND OFTEN I WENT DOOR TO DOOR ASKING FOR WORK.
I WOULD CUT YOUR GRASS, RAKE YOUR LEAVES, TAKE YOUR TRASH OUT, I WOULD FIND WORK SOMEHOW IF THERE WAS NO WORK. NO WORK, I WOULD RESORT TO BEGGING. I DON'T CARE WHAT IT IS, JUST I SEE AND IF I HAVE NOT EATEN ALL DAY UNTIL I DO THEN THEY WON'T EAT EITHER.
I AM 25 YEARS OLD AND I REFUSE TO BEG FOR ANYTHING. BUT IT'S BEEN A LONG TRIAL AND I AM TIRED AND I'M SURE YOU ARE TIRED AS WELL.
I RESPECT ALL OF YOUR DECISIONS, MAINLY BECAUSE BASED ON THE EVIDENCE PRESENTED TO YOU. HOWEVER, I DO NOT AGREE WITH ALL THIS, THIS IS MY LAWYERS', MY LAWYERS' WHO MADE THIS TRIAL.
I KNOW IT'S NOT