Opinion ID: 76484
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Testimony Given During Symonds' and Dawley's Proceedings

Text: 15 Shortly after the murder, statements were taken from Symonds and Dawley by Monroe County investigator Ricky Speir. 4 In each statement, Speir asked Symonds and Dawley whether they had been threatened or promised anything in exchange for their statements, and Symonds and Dawley each responded [n]o. R2-10, Ex. Vol. 16, Ex. 48 at 2560, 2580. Symonds and Dawley were jointly tried in juvenile court about one month later. One of Carr's attorneys attended the trial. 16 During the trial, Symonds's counsel questioned Symonds regarding her earlier statement to Speir concerning the crimes. Symonds then corrected some things in that statement. R2-10, Ex. Vol. 22, Ex. 55 at 4657. Specifically, she changed her earlier statement that Dawley had handed the baseball bat to Carr to say that Burgeson had handed the bat to Carr. Dawley testified that he did not assist Carr in any way, and had not touched anything except the knife. He explained that, when Burgeson gave Carr the bat, Carr handed Dawley the knife and Dawley then handed the knife to Burgeson. Dawley was asked whether he had understood that he was not required to talk to the officers, but could remain silent, and he responded that he understood it very well and spoke freely because he was going to tell him the truth about everything. Id. at 4694. 17 At Dawley's sentencing in 1992, his trial attorney, James Finley Brown, Jr., testified: 18 He was made no promises by the District Attorney's Office or anybody else in exchange for whatever cooperation he gave them. And, I know that, because I was his lawyer from the beginning. His testimony was — He had already talked to the police officers. I ... was appointed after that. And, he talked to them and gave them the statement that he did. He has been consistent throughout his talking with either myself or any of the other authorities in the case. I feel like he has been as straightforward as he can about it.... I know his participation was done without any promises, in other words. He did what he did to tell what happened. 19 R2-10, Ex. Vol. 23, Ex. 58 at 5313.