Opinion ID: 1426947
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 16

Heading: Failing to present evidence of child abuse suffered by appellant and of his positive childhood character.

Text: During the post-conviction proceedings, Leonard presented an affidavit from his brother, Barry Leonard, stating that their stepfather had regularly beaten them both as children. Leonard says his counsel were ineffective for not discovering and presenting this evidence and for not calling as witnesses people whom Saunders interviewed in Florida before the trial, including a teacher, school counselors, and an ex-girlfriend. These people had known Leonard and had positive things to say of him. Other than the childhood beatings, Leonard has not alleged with any specificity what available evidence was not presented. Evidence of childhood beatings is important mitigating evidence, but Saunders provided adequate reason for not presenting any of the evidence in question. Saunders testified at the post-conviction hearing that the people she interviewed had positive things to say about Leonard, but nothing outstanding. Leonard's ex-girlfriend was reluctant to testify and was not surprised that Leonard was accused of murder in Nevada because she knew of his Florida murder. The teacher and counselors had known Leonard only a short time during his grade school years and had superficial contact with him. Saunders considered that with Leonard's school records and the testimony of his mother and father, testimony by the teacher and counselors would only be cumulative. Saunders interviewed Barry Leonard, but he told her nothing about any childhood abuse. Barry had also just been released from the Florida State Penitentiary. We conclude that counsel made a reasoned, tactical decision not to call these witnesses.