Opinion ID: 1859418
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Trial Events Concerning Submission of Penalty Phase Mitigation Issues.

Text: After Mr. Deck was found guilty of first-degree murder in the deaths of the Longs and on related crimes, the penalty phase of the trial was held. Mr. Deck presented mitigation evidence from four witnesses regarding his horribly abusive childhood. His aunt testified that his parents separated when he was eight or nine, and he and his three younger siblings went to live with their mother. The house and the children were filthy. Carman's younger brother, Michael, testified that their mother was always off drunk at clubs or with her boyfriends, so Carman would take care of his younger siblings. Sometimes he would even have to go out and find food for them, although he had no money, because they were always hungry and their mother was never there. He would give them baths and play with them, almost like he was their parent. Finally, just before Thanksgiving of 1975, when Carman was ten and his youngest brother two and one-half, his mother abandoned him. Carman and his brothers lived with his father and his father's girlfriend for awhile, but eventually his father got a new girlfriend who did not want him, and he was placed in foster care. The children were not kept together, and Carman was moved from foster home to foster home. When Carman was 13 or so, he went to live with the Pucketts. Mr. Puckett traveled 800 miles to testify at the trial. He said Carman fit in wonderfully with his family, helping to take care of Mrs. Puckett, who was not able to see, and helping with whatever was asked. Carman had a great relationship with the Puckett children. He told the Pucketts he was afraid to love anymore because if he loves it gets taken away from him. The Pucketts said love was there for him with them and that he could love them, and they tried to adopt him. But, DFS took him away and put him back with his mother, over his protest that if you take me out of here you're killing me. Carman's mother continued to abuse him, finally throwing him through a plate glass window. At that point, he was sent to live with other relatives, but lost contact with his siblings. When Carman was in his teens he turned to crime and ended up in prison, but later he and Michael again became close. Michael testified he still loved Carman and trusted Carman with his children. After the parties finished presenting their evidence in the penalty phase of the trial, the court held an instruction conference. Defense counsel offered two instructions regarding non-statutory circumstances in mitigation of punishment based on MAI-CR3d 313.44A. The court refused both instructions. Defense counsel did not have alternate instructions ready, so new instructions based on MAI-CR3d 313.44A were downloaded from the court's computer and printed. Counsel failed to note that the last two paragraphs of MAI-CR3d 313.44A apparently did not print. In any event, she offered an incomplete version of the downloaded instructions. Proposed Instruction 8 said: As to Count I, if you unanimously find that the facts and circumstances in aggravation of punishment, taken as a whole, warrant the imposition of a sentence of death upon the defendant, you must then determine whether there are facts or circumstances in mitigation of punishment which are sufficient to outweigh the facts and circumstances in aggravation of punishment. In deciding this question, you may consider all of the evidence presented in both the guilt and the punishment stages of trial. Proposed Instruction 13 was identical except for its numbering and its reference to Count III rather than to Count I. The two paragraphs from MAI-CR3d 313.44A that should have been included at the end of Instructions 8 and 13, but were not, would have read: You shall also consider any (other) facts or circumstances which you find from the evidence in mitigation of punishment. It is not necessary that all jurors agree upon particular facts and circumstances in mitigation of punishment. If each juror determines that there are facts or circumstances in mitigation of punishment sufficient to outweigh the evidence in aggravation of punishment, then you must return a verdict fixing defendant's punishment at imprisonment for life by the Department of Corrections without eligibility for probation or parole. MAI-CR3d 313.44A. Defense counsel offered no objections to the omission of these two paragraphs from Instructions 8 and 13 when the court asked for comments or objections on the record with respect to any instruction. The trial court subsequently charged the jury with the incomplete versions of Instructions 8 and 13. During deliberations, the jury sent the judge a note asking, [w]hat is the legal definition of mitigating (as in mitigation circumstances)? Instruction 8. The judge responded, Any legal terms in the instructions that have a `legal' meaning would have been defined for you. Therefore, any terms that you have not had defined for you should be given their ordinary meaning. The jury then sent another note, asking, Can we have a dictionary? The judge replied, No, I'm not permitted to give you one. Counsel for Mr. Deck neither requested that mitigation be defined nor objected to the trial court's responses to the jury's requests. The jury fixed punishment at death on both counts.