Opinion ID: 1352137
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: He received a timely parole in Texas.

Text: Under the facts of this case, only the first, second, and fourth warrant discussion.
Although he did not raise mental impairment as a defense at trial, Fierro offered as a mitigating factor that his capacity to appreciate the wrongfulness of his conduct or to conform his conduct to the requirements of law was significantly impaired at the time of the shooting, apparently as a result of heavy consumption of alcohol. He also offered as mitigation the fact that he had a history of alcohol abuse. Fierro's parents testified on his behalf on this point. Jose Fierro, his father, testified that his son came to his house on the night of the shooting between midnight and 1:00 a.m. to borrow some money for gas. Mr. Fierro testified that his son was drunk at that time. R.T., Feb. 27, 1987, at 17. He also testified that his son's behavior changed when he began drinking and that he would lose control when drunk. Id. at 20. Fierro's mother, Apolonia Fierro, also testified that her son was drunk the night of the shooting. She testified that he left the house about 7:30, and was very drunk. Id. at 23-24. She testified that when he drank, he would lose control, and would drop on the floor. She claimed he would never [do] something like this in his full five senses, and that sometimes he could not remember things that happened to him when he had been drinking. Id. at 32. She also testified that, from the time he was eleven years old, he heard voices and would complain of severe headaches. Id. at 28. A friend of Fierro's, Juan Rubi, and Fierro's sister also testified that he had a drinking problem and that he would not remember things that happened while he was drinking. Id. at 36-39; 40-49. Fierro's girlfriend testified that the day of the shooting, Fierro left the apartment in the afternoon and returned with a heavy odor of beer on his breath. R.T., Dec. 1, 1986, at 77-78. She further testified that he left the apartment again later that evening, and that when he returned between 10:00 and 11:00 p.m. his breath still smelled heavily of alcohol. Id. at 80-81; Dec. 2, 1986, at 28. The defense also offered as mitigating evidence the psychological evaluations of two doctors who examined Fierro at the beginning of the case in order to determine whether he was competent to stand trial. Otto L. Bendheim, M.D., stated that Fierro claimed to have only partial recollection of the events of that night because he was extremely intoxicated. He claimed to have consumed two fifths of whiskey and three six packs of beer, [12] and to have taken some medication. Dr. Bendheim found that with the exception of possible alcoholic intoxication, which he could not corroborate from other sources, there was nothing to indicate that Fierro was unaware of the nature, quality, and consequences of his conduct at the time of the crime, but that if Fierro had been as severely intoxicated as he claimed, his impulse control could have been affected. Psychiatric Report dated March 17, 1986. Ronn Lavit, Ph.D., found that Fierro was by report under the influence of alcohol and may have been experiencing significant impairments in his cognitive/emotional functioning at the time of the crime. Dr. Lavit reported that Fierro claimed a significant history of alcohol abuse and stated that he drank when he heard voices to numb himself from them. Dr. Lavit gave his professional opinion that Fierro's mental condition at the time of the offense was likely impaired by his reported excessive drinking prior to the incident. Psychological Evaluation dated March 25, 1986. Even if the trial court finds the evidence insufficient to establish the mitigating circumstance set forth under A.R.S. § 13-703(G)(1), the court's analysis must also conform to the guidelines we established for considering A.R.S. § 13-703(G)(1) evidence of mental impairment in McMurtrey I. It is well settled that a judge should consider any evidence of mental impairment to mitigate capital punishment. Lockett v. Ohio, 438 U.S. 586, 98 S.Ct. 2954, 57 L.Ed.2d 973 (1978); Walton, 159 Ariz. at 588, 769 P.2d at 1034. In McMurtrey I, we reviewed the judge's role: If after considering the offered evidence, the court concludes that, with respect to the defendant's mental condition, it merely establishes a character or personality disorder then the court may, under Richmond, conclude that the mitigating circumstance in § 13-703(G)(1) does not exist. In order to remain faithful to Lockett and Watson, however, the court's inquiry may not end there. The court must consider the offered evidence further to determine whether it in some other way suggests that the defendant should be treated with leniency. For example, a defendant may offer evidence of several factors including a difficult family history in an effort to establish the mitigating circumstance in § 13-703(G)(1). The court may not refuse to consider the independent mitigating effect, if any, of the family history merely because all the factors taken together fail to establish the mitigating circumstance in § 13-703(G)(1). 136 Ariz. at 101, 664 P.2d at 646. The testimony of Fierro, his family, and his girlfriend provided the only direct evidence of Fierro's intoxication on the night of the crime. The trial judge found that evidence insufficient to establish that Fierro's capacity to appreciate the wrongfulness of his conduct or to conform it to the requirements of the law was impaired at the time he committed the crime. Special Verdict, Mar. 6, 1987. We defer to his conclusion, based as it is on credibility and weight. However, the inquiry should not have ended there. The record reveals that, from age eleven, Fierro has suffered from psychological illness for which his family could not afford adequate psychiatric treatment. R.T., Feb. 27, 1987, at 26-29. The record also reveals that Fierro spent most of the first six months of his post-arrest incarceration in the psychiatric ward of the prison where he exhibited psychotic behavior. He attempted suicide and suffered from headaches, hallucinations, and insomnia. He continued to complain of hearing voices, repeatedly smeared feces on himself, and needed medication to alleviate his condition. Maricopa Medical Center, Treatment Records, Oct. 15, Nov. 6 and 24, Dec. 3, 1985, Jan. 17, 1986. The record further reflects a history of alcohol abuse. Given the previous history, we find these facts relevant to an evaluation of Fierro's condition prior to the crime. We believe these factors, taken together, have the type of independent mitigating effect discussed in McMurtrey I, despite the failure to establish impaired capacity at the time of the crime. Here, as in McMurtrey I, even though the trial court found the evidence did not rise to the level of establishing that the defendant was significantly impaired as used in § 13-703(G)(1), he should have realized that the evidence offered on mental impairment had an independent mitigating effect and should have been considered.
Fierro's most emphatic argument for leniency is the fact that the victim had a gun, fired a warning shot at Fierro, threatened Fierro, and may have shot first, frightening Fierro or causing him to believe he had to shoot to save his own life. The fact that a victim produced a gun and fired, precipitating a shoot-out during a residential burglary, has been considered a mitigating circumstance at least once, along with other factors, and used to reduce a death sentence. Watson II, 129 Ariz. at 64, 628 P.2d at 947. [13] In Watson, two intruders, one displaying a gun, entered the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Gallman and ordered the couple to get down on the floor. While one of the intruders, Timothy Reid, searched Mrs. Gallman's purse, the other, Spencer Watson, went upstairs. As Reid was leaving the residence, Mr. Gallman obtained a gun and shot him twice. Apparently Watson, coming down the stairs, saw Gallman firing at Reid and shot Gallman four times from behind. State v. Watson (Watson I), 114 Ariz. 1, 4, 559 P.2d 121, 124 (1976). On appeal after remand, we considered, inter alia, the fact that the victim fired first in reducing the sentence to life. Watson II, 129 Ariz. at 64, 628 P.2d at 947. In the present case, the circumstances causing Fierro to fear for his life are arguably at least as compelling as the circumstances in Watson. Manross testified that Moseley jumped out of the car armed with a .38 revolver, fired off a warning shot, then yelled at Fierro, The next one is going to be coming at you. R.T., Dec. 1, 1986, at 35-36. The transcript of the 911 call indicates that Moseley threatened several times to shoot Fierro. [14] Manross further testified that just prior to the exchange of gunfire, Moseley, with his gun leveled at Fierro, began to approach and yelled at Fierro to come out. [15] At that point, Manross told the emergency operator that Moseley had been drinking and was a little excited. Transcript of 911 call, at 6. The operator instructed Manross to tell Moseley to calm down, a deputy is on the way. Id. at 7. After Manross told Moseley the deputy's on his way, take it easy, the shooting commenced. Id. It is not clear from the record who fired first. However, the evidence certainly indicates that it would have been reasonable for Fierro to feel his life was in danger and he had to shoot to save himself. The fact that Fierro was indicted and convicted only on the charge of felony murder and not premeditated first degree murder lends some support to a conclusion that he had not specifically intended to kill Moseley but shot because he feared for his life. While this is certainly neither excuse nor justification for the murder, it is certainly a factor that should be weighed in mitigation. Watson II, 129 Ariz. at 64, 628 P.2d at 947. c. Disposition of Aggravation/Mitigation Findings The aggravating circumstance of prior conviction of a crime of violence was not established and, on this record, cannot be established. Thus, the trial court erred with respect to one of the three aggravating circumstances. Additionally, the record does not establish that the trial judge complied with McMurtrey I when he simply concluded that the mitigating factor of significant impairment was not established. So far as this record shows, the trial judge may not have given weight to the nature of evidence adduced on that point that had an independent tendency to mitigate, even though it did not establish significant impairment. Finally, the trial judge failed to give sufficient consideration in mitigation to the question of whether, under Watson II, the victim may have fired first, thus leading Fierro to fire out of fear for his life. Our usual practice in a case such as this is to remand to the trial court for reconsideration of the death sentence in light of our findings of aggravation and mitigation. However, the disposition of our independent proportionality review makes remand unnecessary. 2. Proportionality review When the death penalty is imposed, we also conduct a proportionality review to determine whether the sentences of death are excessive or disproportionate to the penalty imposed in similar cases, considering both the crime and the defendants. Richmond, 114 Ariz. at 196, 560 P.2d at 51. We acknowledge a heightened concern for the proportionality of death sentences imposed in cases involving burglary and robbery. Our concern stems from the United States Supreme Court's mandate that a state may not put a person to death unless its statutory scheme initially narrows the class of those who may be considered for the death penalty, then further narrows the class of those who should actually receive it. Woodson v. North Carolina, 428 U.S. 280, 96 S.Ct. 2978, 49 L.Ed.2d 944 (1976); Roberts v. Louisiana, 428 U.S. 325, 96 S.Ct. 3001, 49 L.Ed.2d 974 (1976). Arizona's felony murder statute [16] requires neither premeditation nor intent to kill or injure. It renders death eligible any persons engaged in committing certain ennumerated offenses, including robbery and burglary, whenever a death results. In State v. Clark, 126 Ariz. 428, 616 P.2d 888 (1980), this court held that a killing committed during the perpetration of a robbery was a killing for pecuniary gain under A.R.S. § 13-703(F)(5) [17] and must be considered an aggravating factor calling for the imposition of the death sentence. [18] The result of combining these doctrines is that the same factor that renders a person merely eligible for the death penalty  connection with a burglary or robbery  may require that death be imposed. We feel an additional responsibility, therefore, to make sure the sentences imposed in these cases are proportionate. In Watson II, we reiterated that the death penalty should be reserved for only the most aggravating of circumstances, circumstances that are so shocking or repugnant that the murder stands out above the norm of first degree murders, or the background of the defendant sets him apart from the usual murderer. 129 Ariz. at 63, 628 P.2d at 946. Although this crime was certainly tragic, we do not feel the circumstances of the crime set it above the norm of first degree murders. We find the present case differs significantly from those in which we have upheld a death sentence because an unarmed victim or witness was killed during the course of a burglary or robbery to facilitate the defendant's escape or help him evade detection. In State v. Hensley , the defendant and two accomplices decided to rob a bar after casing several grocery stores. Brandishing a .357 magnum, the defendant ordered the three people in the bar, a bartender and two patrons, to lie on the floor. One of the accomplices then took the money from the cash register. Even though the unarmed victims posed no threat, the defendant shot each execution style as he left the bar so no witnesses would be left to identify the robbers. 137 Ariz. 80, 83, 669 P.2d 58, 61; appeal after remand, 142 Ariz. 598, 604, 691 P.2d 689, 695 (1984). In Nash, the defendant stole a .357 revolver, went to a coin shop, and began talking with the attendant. The defendant then shot the attendant as he sat motionless behind the counter. As the attendant fell, he grabbed a revolver from behind the counter and managed to fire a shot at the defendant but missed. After this failed attempt at self-defense, the victim pleaded with the defendant for mercy. With obvious premeditation, the defendant shot him twice more, then took approximately $600 from the cash register and fled. 143 Ariz. at 396, 694 P.2d at 226. In LaGrand, the defendant and his half-brother decided to rob a bank. After the manager was unable to open the vault, the brothers took him into his office, where he was bound, gagged, and then stabbed twenty-four times. 153 Ariz. at 23-24, 734 P.2d at 565-66. We find the facts of the present case readily distinguishable from these murders, [19] and much closer to the facts in the following cases in which a victim was killed because he discovered a burglary in progress. In Williams, the defendant shot and killed a neighbor investigating a residential burglary. We stated that no explanation for the killing exists other than Bunchek was killed because he discovered a burglary in progress. 166 Ariz. at 142-143, 800 P.2d at 1250-51. Nevertheless, we found that we are unable to conclude that the death penalty is justified by the manner in which Bunchek was killed. Id. (death sentence upheld on other grounds). In State v. Lujan, the defendant and others, who had been drinking all afternoon, decided to commit an evening burglary. A resident of the housing unit being burgled happened on the scene. One of the burglars hit the victim, knocking him to the ground. The defendant then stabbed the victim once and fled. This court stated, We do not, in this case, find the killing to be set apart from the normal first degree murder. 124 Ariz. 365, 372-73, 604 P.2d 629, 636-37 (1979). As with Williams and Lujan, we find little in the present case to set it apart from the norm of first degree murders, especially considering that Moseley, unlike the victims of Williams and Lujan, was armed and threatened the defendant. We must also consider whether the defendant's background sets him apart from the usual murderer. Williams, 166 Ariz. at 142-43, 800 P.2d at 1250-51; Britson, 130 Ariz. at 387, 636 P.2d at 635. We have held that Fierro's prior convictions in Texas and Arizona may not be used to establish the aggravating circumstance under A.R.S. § 13-703(F)(2). The prior convictions, however, may properly be considered on proportionality and tend to justify singling him out from other first degree murderers to receive the death penalty. On the other hand, considering Fierro's history of psychological illness, we believe a careful examination of his background renders him less, not more, deserving of a death sentence than the typical first degree murderer. Accordingly, we find the imposition of the death penalty in this case would be out of proportion with the penalties imposed in other cases in this state.