Opinion ID: 1642921
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Failure to Investigate and Present Mitigating Evidence Concerning Mental Health

Text: ¶ 20. This issue was raised in both Knox's original Petition for Post-Conviction Relief, as his sole claim for ineffective assistance, and his Supplement/Amendment to Petition for Post-Conviction Relief, under Issue C. ¶ 21. Knox argues that trial counsel failed to adequately investigate mitigation factors and interview potential mitigation witnesses. Knox notes that trial counsel called no witnesses during the guilt phase of his trial and only two witnesses during the sentencing phase, Knox's mother and aunt. Trial counsel also introduced copies of Knox's Social Security records during the sentencing. Knox suffered a head injury while doing construction work in 1998. Knox claimed that he suffered from headaches because of this injury. In October 1998 he applied for SSI disability due to his head injury. His application was denied. ¶ 22. Knox also attaches two affidavits from Deidre Jackson, a paralegal, and Tomika Harris, an investigator, both with the Mississippi Office of Capital Post Conviction Counsel. Each affidavit states that Jackson and Harris conducted a phone interview with Mildred Knox, mother of Steve Knox, on January 30, 2003. The affidavit states that Steve Knox was a slow child who didn't talk much until the age of seven and that she believed he had learning disabilities, but she couldn't afford to take him to a doctor; that he wet his pants until his was ten, but medication helped that problem; that Steve would wake up on some days and complain that he could not see, and would stay in bed until his vision returned; that Steve's favorite hobby growing up was boxing; that Steve couldn't hold a job for a long period of time; and that he seemed to have mental problems but the problems worsened when Steve was struck in the head with a backhoe bucket at a construction job in North Carolina. Knox states that this information could have been presented at trial or should have led to further investigation as to mitigating evidence or even as to possible mental retardation. ¶ 23. Knox also states that he had a prior history of substance abuse beginning at the age of fourteen, that he was a heavy user of crack and occasionally marijuana, and as a result of his drug use, he was often homeless. Knox cites no authority for these assertions. ¶ 24. Knox cites Williams v. Taylor, 529 U.S. 362, 120 S.Ct. 1495, 146 L.Ed.2d 389 (2000), where the United States Supreme Court found that counsel had been ineffective at the sentencing phase of trial because of counsel's failure to investigate and uncover proof of Williams's tragic childhood because counsel thought that state law barred access to certain relevant records. The Court said counsel could have discovered that Williams's parents had been imprisoned for criminal neglect of their children, that Williams had been beaten by his father, that Williams had spent time in an abusive foster home, that Williams was borderline mentally retarded and did not advance past the sixth grade in school, and that Williams had helped authorities during his stay in prison. ¶ 25. Knox also cites Jackson v. Calderon, 211 F.3d 1148 (9th Cir.2000), where Jackson's attorney was found to be ineffective in the sentencing phase for spending about two hours investigating in preparation for sentencing and calling only Jackson's estranged wife and mother as witnesses. In invalidating the death sentence, the Ninth Circuit stated that Jackson's attorney never investigated beyond the mother and wife because he never expected the case to reach the sentencing phase, and he never investigated or presented evidence concerning Jackson's addiction to PCP or his PCP intoxication at the time of the murder, never investigated a separate aggravating factor, and never investigated beatings Jackson had endured as a child or signs that Jackson was mentally ill. See also Smith v. Stewart, 140 F.3d 1263 (9th Cir.1998) (death sentence vacated where counsel presented no mitigating evidence when evidence concerning mental problems, drug abuse and family ties was available). ¶ 26. The State answers by first stating that the affidavits of the Office of Capital Post-Conviction Counsel staff contain hearsay, and when Mildred Knox purports to convey what other people have stated, they contain double hearsay. The State cites Bishop v. State, 882 So.2d 135, 156 nn. 11 & 12 (Miss.2004), where this Court found that similar affidavits would not be considered in post-conviction proceedings. ¶ 27. The State then discusses the Social Security documents attached by Knox to his Petition, noting that the same documents were admitted as an exhibit during the sentencing phase of Knox's trial. Defense counsel was allowed to give a short explanation to the jury concerning Knox's injury and his attempt to be declared disabled by the Social Security Administration. ¶ 28. The State also cites the affidavit from trial counsel Gus Sermos, which states that Sermos and co-counsel Rosenthal met with Knox on numerous occasions, and trial counsel concluded that neither Knox's sanity nor his competency to assist counsel and go forward with the case were issues in question. Sermos further states in the affidavit that he spoke to or attempted to speak to numerous members of the Knox family and the way in which he evaluated the information they gave him. ¶ 29. The State points out that Knox managed to hold certain menial jobs and was never declared disabled by the Social Security Administration. The State points out that Knox has supplied little or nothing as to what an effective attorney performing a proper investigation would or should have found in the way of mitigating testimony. The State argues that the accusation that trial counsel failed to properly investigate is merely an unfounded allegation. We agree with the State. This issue is without merit.