Opinion ID: 2785233
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: The Defense Trial Strategy

Text: Defense counsel did not call any witnesses on Campbell’s behalf. The only evidence he put on was a stipulation that during the investigation, police seized several items of clothing from Douglas and White that had Shepherd’s blood on them. During cross-examinations of Johnson and Peete, defense counsel did not impeach them with the full scope of their criminal histories or the details of their plea agreements with the State. In particular, counsel did not impeach Johnson with a prior juvenile adjudication for felony aggravated battery. Nor did he impeach Peete with a prior juvenile adjudication for felony mob action—a crime that took place less than three years before Shepherd’s beating. 5 Both of these crimes were among the charges against Campbell. 6 Defense counsel also failed to elicit testimony that at the time Johnson agreed to testify against Campbell, he was facing prison time for two reasons separate and apart from the 5 Felony mob action, under Illinois law, consists of “the use of force or violence disturbing the public peace by 2 or more persons acting together and without authority of law.” 720 Ill. Comp. Stat. 5/25-1 (1995). 6 Because defense counsel never cross-examined Peete about his violent criminal history, the prosecution was able to tell the jury in closing argument that Peete was “as clean as they get.” The prosecution also told the jury in closing: “Did you hear any evidence about Steven Peete’s horrible criminal record? Did you hear anything about Steven Peete other than that he’s a 19 year old with a child, a girlfriend, a job, living right in the middle of the war zone of Bellefontaine or this lawless area? Did you hear anything else about him?” 10 No. 13-2634 dropped first-degree murder charges: (1) he had been conditionally discharged on an adult felony conviction for unlawful use of a weapon in 1997, only one year before Shepherd’s murder, and (2) there was a pending petition to revoke his probation for a domestic battery incident. Both of these facts gave Johnson an even stronger incentive to cooperate with the State. The jury never heard these details. During closing argument, Campbell’s lawyer offered four reasons for finding that the prosecution had not proven its case against Campbell beyond a reasonable doubt. First, he argued that it was too dark on the night of the beating for anyone to identify any suspect reliably. This theory was based on the testimony of a single paramedic, called by the prosecution, who arrived on the scene after the group of men had already fled. The paramedic testified that there was “poor lighting in the area” and called the scene “quite dark.” Second, counsel argued that Shepherd’s injuries were inconsistent with the testimony of Johnson, Peete, and Butler, who testified that Campbell struck and kicked Shepherd all over his body when, according to the testimony of a medical expert, Shepherd’s injuries were “confined from his neck area up.” Third, counsel observed that no physical evidence linked Campbell to the crime. And fourth, counsel argued that it was reasonable to infer from the evidence that Shepherd got out of his van with a gun and provoked the group of men into beating him, but that Campbell did not participate. The jury convicted Campbell of first-degree murder. He was sentenced to 55 years in prison.