Opinion ID: 1681690
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Hearing on Mental Retardation

Text: Jones next filed a successive postconviction motion, alleging that he is mentally retarded. At the time, Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.203, which governs this issue, was not final, and the circuit court summarily denied Jones's motion. Jones appealed the order, arguing that he was entitled to a hearing under Atkins v. Virginia, 536 U.S. 304, 122 S.Ct. 2242, 153 L.Ed.2d 335 (2002), and rule 3.203. We relinquished jurisdiction for the court to hold an evidentiary hearing. At the hearing, three witnesses testified: one (Dr. Eisenstein) on behalf of Jones, and two (Dr. Enrique Suarez and Lisa Wiley, a psychological specialist with the Department of Corrections) on behalf of the State. The parties stipulated that evidence from the evidentiary hearing would be considered cumulatively with the evidence from prior proceedings. The evidence established the following: Jones was born in 1961. At a young age, he and his siblings were taken from his alcoholic mother and sent to live with different relatives. Jones and his sister Pamela lived with their aunt Laura Long in Miami. Jones ran away a few times, and at age 11 stowed away on an airplane and flew to New York City, where he lived for a time with his alcoholic mother. At age 13, he overdosed and was admitted to intensive care in Miami, and in 1975, at age 14, at the request of the juvenile court he was admitted to Jackson Memorial Hospital for psychiatric evaluation. With the observation that Jones had a completely normal mental status during his stay, he was discharged with a diagnosis of unsocialized aggressive reaction of adolescence, with no psychiatric treatment needed. A hospital document indicated that Jones previously had been labeled at a juvenile facility as having borderline mental retardation, but no documentation supported the statement. School records indicated that Jones was in regular classes. He earned mostly Cs in grades one and two, with some As and Bs in English and writing. His third-grade teacher reported that he was of a little above average intelligence and did well in school. In seventh grade he again earned Cs with Bs in English. In eighth grade as he began using drugs, skipping school, and having disciplinary problems, his grades dropped precipitously. Jones dropped out of high school at age 16. During his teenage years, he was in several juvenile placements over various periods of time. After discharge from the State juvenile system in 1978, Jones stayed in Miami a short time, working as a waiter. Then he hitchhiked alone to Texas, supporting himself by working various jobs and selling drugs. Then, he flew to San Francisco, where he supported himself mostly through robberies. Jones returned to Miami in 1979 for a short time, and then traveled to Atlanta, where he lived for several years, working various jobs over time, including bouncer and waiter. During that time, he had several girlfriends, and lived for a time with a common law wife. He returned to Miami in 1986, where he supported himself by cutting lawns and selling drugs. Then, in 1989 he was arrested for armed robbery, and he was under sentence of imprisonment in 1990 when, at the age of 29, he committed the murders of the Nestors and was shot in the head. Various doctors administered either the WAIS-R (Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scales) or WAIS-III intelligence tests between 1991 and 2005, and Jones's IQ scores were as follows: 72, 70, 67, 72, and 75. The doctors also administered other tests, including the MMPI (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory) and the WRAT (Wide Range Achievement Test). Dr. Eisenstein, a neuropsychologist, had been involved in Jones's case beginning with the trial and during those fifteen years had tested and interviewed Jones on various occasions. Admitting that he had not previously diagnosed Jones as mentally retarded, he nevertheless opined that he was. Eisenstein testified that the criteria for diagnosing mental retardation are an IQ score of below 70, two areas of deficiency in adaptive skills, and onset before age 18. Acknowledging that Jones's scores were higher than that, the expert stated that the applicable diagnostic manual allowed for a mental retardation diagnosis when the IQ fell in the 70 to 75 range if the other two criteria are met. Accordingly, Eisenstein conducted a retrospective diagnosis to assess Jones's adaptive levels before age 18. He concluded that Jones's adaptive skill levels as an adult were not part of the criteria defining mental retardation. Eisenstein determined that before age 18 Jones had significant deficits in adaptive functioning in the areas of (1) communicationfamily members said Jones was not articulate and was a slow learner; (2) academic functionfamily members said he was mentally slow and needed special schooling, and some school records showed failing grades; (3) self-directionJones's sister said Jones needed her help when he was young and Eisenstein opined that Jones's older, common law wife served as a mother figure or a caregiver to take care of him; (4) social interpersonal skillsfamily members said Jones was a loner; and (5) health and safetyfamily members said Jones did not take care of himself as a child, and he had numerous medical concerns that no one addressed. Accordingly, Eisenstein concluded that because Jones met two prongs of the definition (onset before age 18 and deficiencies in adaptive skills), Jones's borderline IQ scores did not invalidate his diagnosis of mental retardation. Lisa Wiley, a Department of Corrections psychological specialist with a masters degree in clinical psychology, knew Jones from 1993 to 2005 when she conducted death row evaluations and counseling. She testified that Jones always kept a neat cell and demonstrated polite and appropriate behavior. He spoke rationally, coherently, and logically, and she never thought he was mentally retarded. She regularly met with inmates such as Jones who were on psychotropic medications, and she helped process death row inmates' requests for assistance. Jones filed written requests for assistance, such as a request to have his television repaired, and filed written grievances. In 2004, Jones wrote the following grievance complaining that money sent from someone in Europe had not been credited to his inmate account: Dear Sir, This is regarding I've had money transferred through a bank in Belgium and back on the Fri th13-04 I received a bank receipt from them  where as I have never had my money put in my account or received a deposit receipt from Tallahassee and I've tried to get a copy of the receipt made, but could not, so I'm sending you my receipt. So if you could please help me maybe after you see it you could make a copy and fax it to the bank, But according to the date, there is no reason why my money shouldn't be in my account, would appreciate your help. Dr. Suarez, a psychologist, examined Jones for the State. He also defined the criteria for mental retardation as significantly subaverage intellectual functioning, concurrent deficits in present adaptive functioning, and onset before age 18. He disagreed with Dr. Eisenstein, however, that the test for mental retardation limits the inquiry into adaptive functioning to the years before age 18. Dr. Suarez stated that according to the applicable diagnostic manual, the inquiry into adaptive functioning must consider present circumstances because true mental retardation is lifelong. A child deemed mentally retarded actually may be experiencing a developmental delay. With appropriate training and skill development, that individual may, as an adult, no longer have the level of impairment required for the diagnosis. Thus, a diagnosis of an adult, based solely on the person's adaptive functioning as a child, is invalid. Dr. Suarez stated that the purpose of the onset-before-age-18 requirement is to account for other causes. For example, an adult who suffered a head injury may test as mentally retarded, but without onset before age 18, that would not be the clinical diagnosis. Suarez interviewed Jones about his life history to the present, administered several tests, including achievement tests, nonverbal intelligence tests, memory tests, and the Adaptive Behavior Assessment System (ABAS). Dr. Suarez found Jones's test scores on several tests indicated that he was purposely not performing his best, and on the MMPI he found that Jones was malingering. On the ABAS administered to DOC staffers familiar with Jones's current abilities, Jones's adaptive functioning scores reflected a score of average, although all three staffers rated Jones's social skills as borderline or below average. Dr. Suarez also examined and considered the medical, school, prison, and testing records related to Jones, including those of the experts who previously examined Jones from the trial to the time of the hearing. Suarez concluded that Jones is not mentally retarded. Jones functions at least in the borderline to low average intelligence range, but borderline does not equal mental retardation. Dr. Suarez further opined that it was highly probable that Jones has mild to moderate cognitive deficits due to brain injury from being shot in the head in 1990. This suggested that Jones's pre-injury level of intelligence was higher than his present level. Regarding his interview with Jones, Suarez found Jones to be articulate and noted Jones's vocabulary, internally consistent sentences, detailed and insightful narration, and his understanding of concepts. For example, as Jones recounted abuse he suffered as a child, Dr. Suarez asked him if the abuse was ever reported to the authorities. Jones responded, They had a family code thing. They kept it secret like my cousin making my sister pregnant. In prison, Jones understood his own medical conditions, e.g., diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol, knew his medications, and was allowed to keep the medications in his cell and self-administer them on schedule. Jones recognized when he had medical problems, and requested help. [2] As to the onset before age 18 prong, Dr. Suarez testified that Jones's grades were good in school until junior high when his failing grades matched his poor conduct and effort. He also noted that for an eleven-year-old to stowaway on an airline takes a tremendous amount of sophistication. In short, Jones's demonstrated abilities, communication skills, and evident high degree of thought and daily functioning did not support a diagnosis of mental retardation. Finding no credible evidence to support Jones's claim, the circuit court held Jones did not meet even one of the three statutory requirements for mental retardation. Jones appealed, raising the issues discussed below.