Opinion ID: 2594892
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Cleveland

Text: At prosecution request, the court judicially noticed that in 1986, Cleveland was convicted of possession for sale of cocaine. The prosecution also presented evidence that he had other convictions for assault with intent to commit murder, robbery, kidnapping, and assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer. It presented evidence of the circumstances of those crimes. In August 1980, Cleveland, armed with a pistol, and another person accosted a man and woman in the couple's car, stole some of their property, and drove away with the man in the car. Eventually, Cleveland shot the man and fled. In January 1984, Cleveland drove his car into a police officer who had stopped him for speeding. In mitigation, Cleveland presented the testimony of his grandmother, of the minister who had presided over Cleveland's wedding, and others who testified about his good qualities. Cleveland often helped his uncle, Alvin Woods, who was a paraplegic. He was good with children and loved dogs. He attended and helped out at church. Some of the witnesses testified that he was too good a person to receive the death penalty. Cleveland also called as a witness Peterson, who had testified at the guilt phase. Before her testimony, the court informed the jury that what she was about to say had been legally inadmissible until then. Peterson testified that the night of the murders, Veasley told her that he had made Nelson and Hunter lie down on the floor with their hands behind their backs, made them scoot on their bellies with their heads up against the door, and then shot them each twice in the head.