Opinion ID: 3149633
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Dean’s unsworn statement

Text: {¶ 313} Dean stated that this is a “heavy, heavy, weight for me to carry.” He then continued: 88 January Term, 2015 [T]he first thing I would like to do is to say that there is no scale to weigh the magnitude of the decision that you’re about to make, my life. And there’s no scale to weigh, you know, the tragedy that this family has to suffer for the loss of their son, father, and brother, uncle. It’s beyond my scope of comprehension. It’s beyond words. I can’t begin to imagine the pain and suffering that they all have to go through for—for not just today but for a lifetime. And that’s what this boils down to, a lifetime, my life; and I’ve lived a hard life. I’ve been through ups and downs, sideways, wrong turns, bad decisions; and I’m not the best man, but I’m a man. I’m a human being, and I have family who love and cherish me; and without a doubt, I don’t believe that they want to see me strapped to a table and poisoned to death by the State of Ohio. And I know that you never have ever imagined having to do God’s work and decide whether a man lives or dies by the stroke of a pen; and I know that’s a heavy, heavy weight to carry. And, you know, I just ask that you remember at the beginning of this trial it was constantly referred to as common sense and reason. I ask you, as a man, as a human being, to take these two words into the jury room with you when you deliberate to either save my life or take my life; and that’s compassion and mercy. That’s all that I ask. Thank you.