Opinion ID: 3066031
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Poyson’s Sentencing Memorandum

Text: In early November 1998, Poyson filed a sentencing memorandum urging the court to find three statutory and 25 nonstatutory mitigating circumstances.1 As relevant here, 1 At the time of Poyson’s sentencing, Arizona law required the sentencing judge to impose a sentence of death if the court found one or more aggravating circumstances and “no mitigating circumstances sufficiently substantial to call for leniency.” Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 1310 POYSON V . RYAN Poyson argued that his history of drug and alcohol abuse, troubled childhood and personality disorders constituted both statutory and nonstatutory mitigating circumstances. Substance Abuse: Poyson argued that his substance abuse was a statutory mitigating circumstance because it impaired his capacity to appreciate the wrongfulness of his conduct or conform his conduct to the requirements of law at the time of the murders. See Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 13-703(G)(1) (1998). In the alternative, he argued that, even if his substance abuse was not causally related to the murders, it constituted a nonstatutory mitigating circumstance. In support of these arguments, Poyson emphasized his biological parents’ use of drugs and alcohol at the time of his conception, his mother’s use of drugs and alcohol during pregnancy, an incident in which Poyson was involuntarily intoxicated at the age of three or four, Poyson’s abuse of alcohol beginning at age 13 and Poyson’s five-month placement at WestCare, a residential treatment facility, for substance abuse treatment in 1992, when he was 15. Poyson also pointed to evidence that he used PCP two days before the murders, used alcohol the night before the murders, used marijuana the day of the murders and had suffered a PCP flashback during Delahunt’s murder. 703(E) (1998). The law enumerated 10 aggravating circumstances, see id. § 13-703(F), and five statutory mitigating circumstances – including diminished capacity, duress, minor participation and the defendant’s age, see id. § 13-703(G). The sentencing court also was required to consider any nonstatutory mitigating circumstances offered by the defendant – i.e., “any factors proffered by the defendant or the state which are relevant in determining whether to impose a sentence less than death, including any aspect of the defendant’s character, propensities or record and any of the circumstances of the offense.” Id. POYSON V . RYAN 11 Troubled Childhood: Poyson argued that his troubled childhood was a statutory mitigating circumstance because it affected his behavior at the time of the murders. In the alternative, he argued that his troubled childhood constituted a nonstatutory mitigating circumstance. Poyson emphasized his mother’s use of drugs and alcohol during the first trimester of pregnancy. He argued that alcohol and drug use during pregnancy can cause brain damage and birth defects and lead a child to engage in delinquent and criminal behavior. He also attached to the sentencing memorandum several scientific articles on fetal alcohol syndrome. The memorandum pointed out that Poyson never knew his biological father, lacked a stable home life, was physically and mentally abused by several adults (including Aguilar and Milner), was devastated by Sabas’ suicide and was sexually abused and sodomized at a young age.2 Poyson emphasized that his delinquent behavior and substance abuse began shortly after the death of Sabas and the sexual assault. Mental Health Issues: The sentencing memorandum argued that Poyson suffered from several personality disorders, constituting a nonstatutory mitigating circumstance. The memorandum pointed to a 1990 psychiatric evaluation by Dr. Bruce Guernsey. According to the sentencing memorandum, Guernsey diagnosed Poyson with severe “conduct disorder,” reported that Poyson exhibited symptoms of antisocial behavior, “manic depression” or “impulsive conduct disorder” and recommended that Poyson be prescribed medication to control his behavior. Poyson also pointed to a 1990 Juvenile Predisposition Investigation by Nolan Barnum. Barnum too 2 Poyson presented evidence that he was sexually assaulted by a neighbor on one occasion shortly after Sabas’ death. 12 POYSON V . RYAN recommended that Poyson be prescribed medication to control his behavior. A 1993 psychological evaluation performed by Jack Cordon and Ronald Jacques from the State Youth Services Center in St. Anthony, Idaho, diagnosed Poyson with “mild mood disturbance.” Dr. Celia A. Drake, who Poyson’s counsel retained to perform a forensic evaluation of Poyson, diagnosed “Adjustment Disorder with depressive mood, mild intensity,” and “Anti-social Personality Disorder.” Dr. Drake found Poyson’s overall intellectual functioning to be “in the low average range.”