Opinion ID: 78121
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Richard Shere, Jr.

Text: DEFENSE: I want you to tell me about your religious beliefs. I know it's hard for you and it's hard to testify here today, but tell the jury what are your religious beliefs. How do you feel about the Lord? SHERE: Well, it's kind of hard growing up in a world of material things all your life and then having to adapt to a spiritual world, but I'm very close to God and I'm starting to really understand him. In the last three years I've really took on a lot of what it's all about, you know, got a whole lot of understanding about what the Lord and the [B]ible is about. I've read a lot on it and I've proven to myself that the [B]ible is true and everything in it is true. DEFENSE: Who's helped you come closer to God? Can you tell the jury what you've done, what kind of things you've done to work on your faith and become deeper in your faith? SHERE: Well, in the last three years I've been involved in a lot of church activity and that's helped me out a lot because I like building things. My pastor has coached me through everything in the last three years, and I feel that she's helped me more than anybody as far as getting involved in that type of environment, and I've really liked it. It's been very beneficial to me. DEFENSE: Would you like to have the opportunity to bring other people closer to God? SHERE: Yes. DEFENSE: How would you like to do that? SHERE: I talk to people all the time, other inmates and stuff. I try to keep most everybody happy and out of trouble. I see a lot of bad people in there. I never thought there was that many bad people. . . . . DEFENSE: How often do you pray, Rick? SHERE: I pray every morning when I wake up and every night before I go to sleep. DEFENSE: How long have you been in the habit of praying every morning and every evening? SHERE: Pretty much for the last seven months. Before that I prayed probably three times a week. DEFENSE: Have you ever said a prayer for Drew Snyder? SHERE: Yes, ma'am. DEFENSE: Okay. Can you tell the jury about that? SHERE: After his death I felt, you know, that I can't really say nothing bad about him, but I just felt that he wasn't saved, and I pray that the Lord will take that into consideration on his part. And I pray that he will be saved along with me and my family and everyone else.
PROSECUTOR: Okay. You talked quite a bit with your attorney about your religious beliefs and you indicated, I think, that you have strong feelings about the Lord and you've been saved. Is that true? SHERE: Yes. PROSECUTOR: I think you went on to say that you had been reading the [B]ible and learning about the laws that God said apply to your life. Is that true? SHERE: Yes, sir. PROSECUTOR: You know that one of those laws that God says applies to your life and everybody's life is one of the Ten Commandments, thou shalt not kill. Is that correct? SHERE: Yes, sir. PROSECUTOR: Do you believe that applies to you, sir? SHERE: Yes, sir. I believe that applies to everyone. PROSECUTOR: Right. Also, a little bit further in that same book, Exodus Chapter 21, more laws are given to Moses for the people of Israel. Part of those laws say that if a man lies in wait or premeditates the death of another man and by doing that kills him that the sentence is death. DEFENSE: Your honor, I'm going to have to object to this. PROSECUTOR: Do you agree with that? THE COURT: Objection sustained. SHERE: Yes, I believe PROSECUTOR: Mr. Shere, you said that you said a prayer for Drew and that was after his death. Is that right? SHERE: Yes, sir. PROSECUTOR: Did you do anything to give him a Christian burial on Christmas of 1987? DEFENSE: Object, Your Honor. THE COURT: Objection overruled. SHERE: He was buried in a really beautiful place and I said a prayer over the grave after I was forced to cover him up. The jury returned a 7-5 recommendation in favor of the death penalty, which the court followed in sentencing Shere to death. Shere appealed his conviction and sentence on various grounds, but on direct appeal his appellate counsel raised no challenge to the Biblical references the prosecutor made during the penalty phase of the trial.