Opinion ID: 3019333
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Outten’s District Court Habeas Proceedings

Text: On December 28, 1998, Outten filed in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware a 28 U.S.C. § 2254 pro se petition for a writ of habeas corpus, a 28 U.S.C. § 2251 motion to stay the state court proceedings, and a motion to proceed in forma pauperis. Outten IV, 2004 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 5546, at . The Court granted a stay of execution and the 16 motion to proceed in forma pauperis. Id. It also entered an order appointing counsel and setting a schedule to file an amended petition. Id. In October 1999, Outten filed his first amended habeas petition to clarify his grounds for relief. Id. at –3. He also filed a motion to supplement the record with the expert report of a post-conviction mitigation specialist, Lori James-Monroe, and a motion for an evidentiary hearing on his ineffective assistance of counsel claims during both the guilt and penalty stages of the trial proceedings. Id. at . In August 2000, Outten filed his second amended habeas petition. He also motioned the Court for an evidentiary hearing to expand the record as to “(1) claims relating to [Gibbons]; (2) a claim relating to trial counsel’s failure to present a coherent case of mitigation at sentencing; and (3) a claim relating to [Outten’s] allocution at sentencing.” Id. at –4. The District Court held a limited hearing on Outten’s guilt phase issues, but refused to allow him to cross-examine trial counsel concerning their efforts to prepare for, investigate, and present a case in mitigation at sentencing. Id. at . It did, however, allow Outten to supplement the record with documents retrieved by James-Monroe and noted below. James-Monroe is a University of Maryland-trained social worker who specializes in forensic matters, including mitigation in capital cases, and other mental health and psycho-social 17 stresses. In preparing her expert report, she interviewed Outten, his mother (Carol Outten), his wife (Kathryn Outten), his sisters (Robin Outten and Amanda Hart), his brother (John Outten), his friends (Debbie Coryell, Mary Owens, Kathy Belford, Karen Julian), and a Delaware Division of Child Protective Services employee (George Plerhopoles). She also examined the following documents: Outten’s first amended petition for habeas review, the psychiatric report of Dr. John O’Brien, III, William Penn High School records, Child Protective Service records, Governor Bacon Mental Health Center records, Delaware Correctional Center records, Family Court records, and the transcript of trial counsel’s mitigation presentation to the jury on March 2, 1993. In connection with the last item, James-Monroe opined that, “[i]n her professional opinion, no mitigation theme was prepared and only ‘sketchy’ family dynamics were introduced in the way of testimony. There was no extensive personal history presented by an expert, family member or counsel.” JamesMonroe Report, App. at 170. She also uncovered “[t]he following mitigation information [that] was not reported during the original penalty phase, although readily available with minimal investigation efforts.” Id. at 176. Family Issues • Outten was reared by his parents, Carol and Foster Outten. Outten’s deceased father, Foster, 18 was “abusive and scary.” According to Carol, Foster “physically abused her from the time they met in 1962, until approximately 1973.” “[H]is physical assaults on her transferred to the children and everyone in the home felt the emotional abuse.” He “would control everyone through his violent rages brought on by drinking.” Carol explained “that she wanted to leave him or at least call the police, but he threatened on many occasions to kill her and the children.” • According to Carol, she typically worked the 4 p.m. – 12 a.m. shift at the [P]ost [O]ffice. Therefore, the children were left in the care of their father until she arrived home. Many times [when she arrived] she found the children in corners of the home afraid to move . . . . [M]any times the children would have been there all day and gone without food or completing their homework. She recalled that on one occasion [Outten’s sister] Amanda had a “black and blue” bruise on her forehead from falling asleep in the corner. Carol stated that Foster implemented this practice because he did not want to “be bothered by the 19 children while he drank and watched television.” • Carol would often gather the children and leave their home after one of her husband’s rages or abusive actions. Many times they did not have anywhere to go and would walk the streets or seek shelter in an abandoned home or apartment lobby. They would return home hours later, hoping that Foster had “passed out from drinking.” • “Each Outten child has stories concerning the rage of their [sic] father and their [sic] mother’s inability to protect them.” For instance, Outten “recalled an incident when the children and Mrs. Outten returned from an outing. Foster immediately grabbed John [Outten’s brother] and began choking him. Foster exclaimed, ‘you left the dog tied up, I am going to show you how it feels to choke to death.’” When James-Monroe questioned John concerning this event, “he immediately began to sob.” After he stopped crying he stated: Dad said[,] “I want you to feel what the dog felt.” He was choking me so hard. 20 Mom tried to stop him. He was drunk and had a bottle of rum sticking out of his pocket. I fell to the floor and I think I was unconscious for a little while. I’m not sure [who] called the police, but I remember we went to [F]amily [C]ourt because of this incident. They were going to lock my father up for maybe two years. After hearing that my mother dropped the charges. I left home after that. • In 1974, Foster was attacked and mugged and, as a result of those injuries, was diagnosed with aphasia—an acquired disorder caused by brain damage that affects an individual’s ability to communicate. Not being able to function as he did in the past caused Foster . . . to become more aggressive and abusive. In addition, he became depressed and his drinking increased. The depressed moods coupled with intensified drinking led to . . . suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. Many times the children would find him [o]n the floor passed out from taking an overdose of his medication or after slitting his wrist . . . . The family felt helpless, hopeless and 21 guilty, while resenting and being angered by his abuse. • Outten has one brother, John, and two sisters, Amanda and Robin. Each has suffered from alcoholism and/or drug addiction. None of the children completed high school. • Outten has fathered three children, Crystal, Foster Jack, and Shane. “He maintains contact with his daughter through letter writing.” Foster Jack and Shane are from the union of Outten and Karen Julian. Shane resides in Pennsylvania and Foster Jack is deceased. Neurologic Issues • During her investigation, James-Monroe discovered that, while pregnant with her children, Carol drank regularly. “This is through her own admission.” In addition to regular drinking, Foster physically and mentally abused her. The physical abuse included “body blows and punches [to] her body and face.” According to James- M onroe, “[a]lcohol consumption during pregnancy coupled with physical abuse . . . have detrimental and long lasting effects on unborn children.” 22 • Outten suffered two head trauma injuries as a child. During the first incident, Outten’s mother pushed him into the side of a porcelain tub, causing him to strike his head and, as a result, lose consciousness. The second incident, which also resulted in a loss of consciousness and required medical attention, occurred when he was struck in the head with a wrench. School Performance • Outten’s school records indicated that he was initially placed in a class for the learning disabled in 1976 at the age of ten. “It is documented that this referral was necessary due to his hyperactivity and intellectual ability. In the eighth grade, . . . Outten was reading on a third grade level.” A 1980 evaluation stated: Jack is currently functioning at a low average level of intelligence. The difference between his verbal I.Q. part of the test and the performance section was significantly favoring the latter. . . . [His] [p]oorest score (retarded level) was obtained in the area of concentration. • Dr. David Pearl, a school psychologist who 23 evaluated Outten, noted the following in 1982: [Jack] was restless, moved his legs back and forth, had difficulty maintaining eye contact and gave the general impression that his problems were “none of my business.” He did mention that he had been on medication for hyperactivity but had stopped taking the pills about a year ago. He also noted that he had difficulty relating to his father, [and] was frequently physically abused by him . . . . Jack made only cursory attempts to complete the House-Tree-Person drawings and the [s]entence completion test. His drawings were very small and located at the very top of the page on the left hand side[,] which is indicative of a restricted personality, frustrated in his attempts to attain goals which seem unattainable. • After numerous foster care and treatment facility placements, Outten withdrew from school in the eleventh grade and never graduated from high school. Psychological Issues 24 • Outten was a victim of violence. Specifically, he was the victim of childhood abuse at the hands of his father. According to Outten, Mr. Plerhopoles [Divison of Family Services staff], and family friends, Outten’s father . . . was an alcoholic who constantly controlled his family with physical and emotional abuse . . . . Outten suffered and ran away from home at the age of sixteen. After running away, he was taken in by [a foster] family. • After Outten ran away from home, a series of events ensued. He continued to stay with the [foster] family. James-Monroe notes that, “[w]hile being cared for by the [foster] family, [Outten’s foster mother] began to have inappropriate sexual contact with . . . [him].” According to Outten, she “initiated the contact by placing his hand on her breast. She coerced the sixteen-year-old to perform oral sex and fondle her.” [Outten’s foster father] discovered this and, in July 1982, asked that Outten be removed from his home. • Outten was then placed in the Franklin Street Shelter for run-away children, where he remained 25 for five days before the staff asked that he be removed. He was then sent to Camelot Group Home, a facility for troubled children. By August 1982, he was committed to the Governor Bacon Health Center. According to Mr. Plerhopoles, Governor Bacon had the public reputation of being the “dumping ground for [children] that no one wanted or knew what to do with.” • Outten was released from Governor Bacon and returned home to his family in August 1983. Representatives of Governor Bacon described him as “depressed and hopeless,” with “difficulty expressing his feelings.” • Outten suffered two major losses in his life—the death of his father and the death of his young son, Jack Foster. Outten’s father died of bone cancer in 1991. Despite all of the abuse he suffered at the hands of his father, Outten cared for Foster entirely during the last six months of his life. According to James-Monroe, “[i]t is not uncommon for abused children and adult survivors to develop attachments to those who abuse and neglect them, relationships they will strive to maintain even at the sacrifice of their own well-being.” In July 1991, Outten fathered a child with Karen Julian, Jack Foster. The baby 26 only lived fourteen days before dying of many complications. According to the Outten family, “Julian was using illicit drugs during her pregnancy[,] which resulted in the non- development of certain of the child’s organs.” Substance Abuse • Outten was a substance abuser. He admitted to the use of alcohol, amphetamines, marijuana, crack cocaine, LSD, and the intravenous use of powder cocaine. His immediate family [and friends] acknowledged this use. . . . Outten’s drug use began at the age of 10 with ‘sneaking’ some of his father’s liquor. In addition, he was able to drink with neighbors. . . . By the age of 14, he was smoking marijuana, which eventually led to intravenous cocaine use and late stages of alcoholism. . . . His substance abuse continued until the date of the underlying offense. Id. at 176–81. James-Monroe’s report detailing the above-described 27 mitigation evidence not investigated or presented at sentencing notwithstanding, the District Court denied relief on all of the claims raised in Outten’s § 2254 petition. With respect to trial counsel’s duty to investigate, the Court concluded that “trial counsel’s overall defense strategy of portraying [Outten] as loving, caring, and non-violent,” combined with the hope “that the jury would have reservations about [Outten’s] involvement in the murder[,] . . . was [a] strategy choice . . . within the range of professionally reasonable judgment.” Outten IV, 2004 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 5546, at –50. Despite its denial of habeas relief, the District Court did grant a certificate of appealability as to three claims pertaining to Outten’s sentencing: whether trial counsel were ineffective (1) in their investigation and presentation of mitigating evidence, (2) for failing to seek severance of Outten’s penalty phase from that of the Shelton brothers, and (3) for failing to object to the prosecutor’s comments concerning Outten’s allocution to the jury.