Opinion ID: 707605
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Mitigating Effect of Nichols' Character Evidence Beyond Scope of Special Issues

Text: 60 Nichols argues that the district court erred by failing to find that the punishment phase special issues (see note 6, supra ) did not allow the jury to give effect to Nichols' mitigating character evidence. We reject this contention. At the least, the second special issue concerning future dangerousness provided an adequate vehicle for the jury to give effect to this mitigating evidence, placing it within the effective reach of the sentencer, and there is no reasonable likelihood that the jury would have found itself foreclosed from thus considering it. The Supreme Court and this Court have many times so held. See Johnson, --- U.S. at ----, 113 S.Ct. at 2669; Crank v. Collins, 19 F.3d 172, 175 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 114 S.Ct. 2699, 129 L.Ed.2d 825 (1994); James v. Collins, 987 F.2d 1116, 1122 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 114 S.Ct. 30, 125 L.Ed.2d 780 (1993); Barnard v. Collins, 958 F.2d 634, 640 (5th Cir.1992), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 113 S.Ct. 990, 122 L.Ed.2d 142 (1993); Graham v. Collins, 950 F.2d 1009, 1030-1033 (5th Cir.1992) (en banc), aff'd on other grounds, 506 U.S. 461, 113 S.Ct. 892, 122 L.Ed.2d 260 (1993). Cf. Jurek v. Texas, 428 U.S. 262, 267, 96 S.Ct. 2950, 2954, 49 L.Ed.2d 929 (1976). No Penry-type evidence was presented. See Penry v. Lynaugh, 492 U.S. 302, 109 S.Ct. 2934, 106 L.Ed.2d 256 (1989). 61