Opinion ID: 3158883
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Johnson’s mitigation hearing

Text: {¶ 103} The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, in affirming the district court’s granting of a writ of habeas corpus, faulted Johnson’s 1998 trial counsel for failing to thoroughly investigate the circumstances of Johnson’s childhood: The errors of Johnson’s attorneys, particularly their lack of investigation, had a serious impact on the mitigation theory presented to the jury. Competent counsel could have put on evidence that “differ[ed] in a substantial way—in strength and subject matter—from the evidence actually presented at sentencing.” Hill v. Mitchell, 400 F.3d 308, 319 (6th Cir.2005). As the district court found, “not one witness testified about the abuse that [Johnson] and his brother suffered as a way of life,” and the jury 25 SUPREME COURT OF OHIO “was misled into believing that [Faulkner] had raised [Johnson] properly and provided for his needs.” Johnson v. Bagley, 544 F.3d 592, 603-604 (6th Cir. 2008). {¶ 104} Johnson presented significantly more mitigating evidence at his 2011 mitigation hearing than he did at his initial trial in 1998, particularly with regard to his family background and very difficult childhood. At the 2011 mitigation hearing, the defense presented five witnesses and Johnson’s unsworn statement. {¶ 105} Johnson’s mother, Demeatra Johnson, and his maternal grandmother, Marian Faulkner, testified about his family background and childhood. Demeatra did not testify at the 1998 trial. {¶ 106} According to Faulkner, everyone in her family drank alcohol frequently. Her mother enjoyed going to bars and drinking on weekends. Her father was an alcoholic and drug addict and he was periodically incarcerated. And her adoptive father drank often, physically abused her, and beat her mother. Faulkner’s adoptive father and another male relative tried to molest her as a child. {¶ 107} Faulkner began drinking at age 16, when her aunt took her to a bar. Eventually, she drank every morning and evening, taking liquor from home. {¶ 108} Faulkner became pregnant with Johnson’s mother when she was 17 years old, but she tried to abort the fetus herself and continued to drink alcohol. Demeatra was born early, weighing less than four pounds, and was incubated. Faulkner did not visit Demeatra for four or five days, and even when she did finally see her, she did not touch her. Faulkner relied on her mother for assistance in raising her child. {¶ 109} Faulkner stated that she knows that she was a good parent to Demeatra, but she also admitted that she did not like her and that alcohol was always more important to her than parenting. Faulkner held a job, but she went to 26 January Term, 2015 a nearby bar every day and “drank [her] lunch” and returned to the bar again after work. According to Demeatra, Faulkner regularly went to bars, got drunk, and passed out. When drunk, Faulkner beat Demeatra, and she disciplined her with belts and cords. One night, Faulkner brought home a man who raped Demeatra. {¶ 110} Demeatra was taking drugs by age nine, and she later sold drugs as well. She exchanged sex for drug money, rides in cars, and a place to stay. Demeatra was in and out of detention facilities as a teenager and frequently ran away. {¶ 111} Demeatra became pregnant with Johnson at age 16. She reportedly consumed drugs and alcohol throughout the pregnancy, but Johnson’s birth records do not indicate any health problems. {¶ 112} Demeatra lived with her mother and grandmother for several months but then took Johnson (who was still a baby) to North Carolina with his father. They lived in a shack with no electricity or water, and they did not always have food or diapers. Demeatra regularly put Johnson in a closet if he cried, sometimes for an entire day. She mashed up Percocet, Percodan, or heroin and put it in Johnson’s bottle or applesauce so he would sleep. She also gave him beer. Once Demeatra was angry with her boyfriend for beating her and Johnson, so she set the bed on fire while her boyfriend was in it. {¶ 113} Demeatra and Johnson returned to Ohio a short time later. Demeatra was pregnant again and soon gave birth to Ronnie. Demeatra continued to do drugs and live a carefree life. Faulkner took care of her two grandsons, giving them food and shelter and sending them to school. Faulkner resented having to care for the boys, but she did not want them in foster care. She formally took custody in 1981. {¶ 114} According to Faulkner, she had a “close and loving relationship” with Rayshawn and Ronnie. She tried to be a good parent, but she also said that alcohol was more important to her than the boys. According to Faulkner, she 27 SUPREME COURT OF OHIO carried a flask everywhere, regularly experienced pounding headaches, hangovers, and blackouts, and drove drunk. She recalls whipping the boys with a leather belt and an iron cord and hitting them with a bat when she was hung over. Faulkner said that she stopped drinking by the time Johnson was in middle school. However, she still has beer sometimes. Notably, Faulkner has never been convicted of driving under the influence, and although she did receive one speeding ticket in her life, she was not driving under the influence at the time. She also admitted that she did not say anything about having an alcohol problem when she testified in 1998. {¶ 115} When Johnson was 12 or 13, Demeatra took a more active role in his life. She taught him how to drink, smoke marijuana, and cut, cook, and deal cocaine. They got high together. According to Faulkner, Johnson was out of control by this point. He disobeyed, caused trouble at school, stole, drank, and ran away. He was repeatedly in court, charged with offenses like drug abuse and stealing money from his great-grandmother. In November 1997, Faulkner threatened to put Johnson, who was living with her at the time, out of her house. {¶ 116} After Johnson was arrested, he admitted to Faulkner that he had murdered Shanon. He cried, apologized, and said he needed help because he is crazy. {¶ 117} Demeatra and Faulkner asked the jury to spare Johnson’s life. Demeatra said that Johnson did not have a chance with her as his mother, and she blamed herself for his behavior. Faulkner emphasized that Johnson is a changed man, who has been “born again.” If he is allowed to live, she believes that Johnson can be a mentor and help raise his 14-year-old son. {¶ 118} Dr. Robert Smith, a forensic psychologist, obtained Johnson’s family history, reviewed numerous records, met with Johnson twice, and administered tests. {¶ 119} Smith described Johnson’s family as “very dysfunctional.” His great-grandmother, grandmother, and mother had become single mothers at very 28 January Term, 2015 young ages. Each had mental-health issues, abused alcohol, and neglected and abused her children. And in every case, the maternal grandmother became responsible for child-rearing, but then attempted to return the child when problems arose. {¶ 120} Smith explained that this familial dysfunction likely caused a series of problems for Johnson, contributing to his mental-health problems and addiction. Johnson has low self-esteem and a sense of inadequacy because Demeatra neglected him. And he likely did not learn to connect with people because his mother and grandmother were addicts, and addicts commonly have difficulty showing affection to their children. Johnson was not taught the difference between right and wrong, did not learn to make good choices, and did not witness positive social interactions. Instead, Demeatra taught her son how to sell drugs, and Johnson observed her doing drugs and trading sexual favors for drug money. Furthermore, according to Smith, Faulkner was no better as a caregiver to Johnson than she had been to Demeatra. Smith conceded that there was no documented record of physical abuse against Johnson. {¶ 121} Johnson has a low average IQ (83) and did not perform very well in school. For a time he took Ritalin for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. The schools identified Johnson as developmentally handicapped and put him in a special class. He tended to work best in structured individual or small-group settings. {¶ 122} Smith diagnosed Johnson with dependencies on alcohol and marijuana and with dysthymia, a form of depression most often found in people with dysfunctional family backgrounds. He explained that drugs and alcohol change the way one’s brain functions and observed that it is common to suffer from both mental illness and addiction, each of which can affect the other. Johnson’s past treatment for addiction was probably unsuccessful because he did not also receive help for his mental-health problems. 29 SUPREME COURT OF OHIO {¶ 123} Smith called Johnson’s use of alcohol and drugs around the time of Shanon’s death excessive. Johnson told Smith that he had a high tolerance for alcohol and drugs, reporting to Smith that he consumed a case of beer and smoked 15 “blunts”—described by Smith as cigars emptied of tobacco and loaded with marijuana—per day. On the morning Shanon died, Johnson woke up, smoked a blunt, and decided to rob the Markses’ house. But he told Smith that he did not enter the house intending to hurt or kill anyone and that he thought Shanon was still alive when he left. {¶ 124} Finally, Smith testified about Johnson’s behavior following his conviction in 1998. While in prison, Johnson earned his GED and has held multiple jobs. He had received only two incident reports during 14 years of incarceration, and neither of them led to discipline. {¶ 125} On cross-examination, Smith admitted that he did not document a diagnosis of depression when he first examined Johnson in 1999. He also acknowledged that his diagnosis differed from that of Dr. James Hawkins, the defense psychiatrist who testified at Johnson’s first mitigation hearing. Hawkins had diagnosed Johnson with antisocial or sociopathic personality disorder. He had also testified that Johnson tended to exaggerate his symptoms, had an inflated opinion of himself, and lacked remorse. {¶ 126} Rayshawn Johnson Jr., Johnson’s 14-year-old son, testified that he loves his father deeply and visits him in prison. He stated that Johnson counsels him to avoid drugs, stay in school, keep out of trouble, and be godly. He wants to be able to continue to talk to his father. Rayshawn Jr. asked the jury not to impose the death penalty, saying, “That’s all I got left.” {¶ 127} Nancy Bare testified about her work with Johnson through a prison ministry. Bare and Johnson met 11 times, beginning in January 2011, to pray, read scriptures, and discuss God. Bare asked the jury to spare Johnson’s life because 30 January Term, 2015 she believes that “God has placed a call upon his life” to counsel and minister to others, including his son and other “young men who have turned the wrong way.” {¶ 128} Finally, Johnson made an unsworn statement, in which he accepted full responsibility for his actions and offered his “deepest and most sincere apology.” He explained that he had been a different man 14 years before, one who relied on drugs and alcohol to escape reality. He had no father, only a drug-addicted mother who encouraged him to use drugs and alcohol. But now Johnson is sober and the Lord is in his life. He believes that he can mentor young men with addictions and help them learn to change. He is also trying to be a father to his son and has successfully counseled him against using drugs. {¶ 129} Johnson said that Shanon did not deserve to die and that he wishes he could bring her back. He prays nightly for Shanon’s family and understands that his apology is not nearly enough. Johnson asked for forgiveness and mercy and apologized again to both Shanon’s family and his own.