Opinion ID: 1119543
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Testimony of Doleman's family members

Text: At the post-conviction evidentiary hearing, Doleman's mother and sister stated that they could have testified during Doleman's penalty hearing, but that they were never contacted by trial counsel. Doleman's mother would have told the jury that during Doleman's childhood, she was a prostitute and drug addict, Doleman was physically abused, and Doleman was often abandoned. Also, Doleman's mother would have described the series of foster homes and reform schools that Doleman attended from the age of four. Doleman's sister was prepared to give similar testimony. We conclude that trial counsel's failure to contact and present Doleman's mother and sister as witnesses at Doleman's penalty hearing constituted ineffective assistance of counsel. According to Doleman's mother, she did not have a phone, and Doleman did not know where she or his sister were before his trial. However, Doleman's sister had a telephone and knew how to locate Doleman's mother. We conclude that a reasonable investigation by Doleman's trial counsel could have located Doleman's sister and mother. Without taking reasonable steps to investigate Doleman's family, Doleman's trial counsel could not discover whether their testimony would benefit his client. Without that knowledge, we conclude that trial counsel could not make a reasonable tactical decision whether Doleman's family members should testify at the penalty hearing. See Strickland, 466 U.S. at 691-92, 104 S.Ct. at 2066-67. Further, we conclude that the failure of trial counsel to introduce Doleman's family members as witnesses at the penalty hearing prejudiced Doleman. While evidence of Doleman's turbulent childhood was presented through his Boy's Town records, we cannot underestimate the impact that live testimony from Doleman's family members could have had on the jury. The knowledge that Doleman's family had regarding Doleman's difficult childhood and multiple foster homes could have effectively humanized Doleman in the eyes of the jury. Further, considering Doleman's role as an aider and abetter in the murders underlying this case, testimony from Doleman's family could have influenced the jury's death eligibility decision. See Love, 109 Nev. at 1140, 865 P.2d at 324.