Opinion ID: 2585362
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Whether the evidence supports the three-judge panel's finding of aggravating circumstances

Text: The panel found that the State had proved three aggravating circumstances: three prior felony convictions involving the use or threat of violence to the person of another. See NRS 200.033(2)(b). The record shows that in support of the 1979 felony assault conviction alleged as an aggravator, the State presented police reports, a certified copy of the judgment of conviction from the State of Washington, and testimony from the assault victim. This evidence showed that in December 1978, Dennis became intoxicated, argued with his girlfriend over his unemployment and threatened to kill her. He then held her up against a door and put a knife to her neck. During the altercation, he ripped the knife blade through her hand, saying, [H]urts, don't it? Although she managed to escape, the attack left her hand scarred. Police subsequently arrested Dennis at a local barroom frequented by him. He was thereafter convicted of second-degree felony assault and sentenced to a ten-year term of imprisonment, suspended for a five-year term of probation. In support of the 1984 felony assault and felony arson convictions, each alleged as aggravators, the State presented police reports, certified copies of the judgments of conviction from the State of Washington, and testimony from victims. This evidence showed that in December 1983, Dennis had a personal relationship with a woman, Bonnie, whose daughter, Lana, was sixteen years old. Lana and Dennis had been involved in a dispute stemming from an incident when Dennis went on a rampage and kicked in the door of Bonnie's home while Lana and her siblings were present. A couple of days after this incident, Lana was at the home of a family friend. As the two were watching television and eating dinner, Dennis lit the home on fire. When Lana became aware of the fire, she contacted police. When confronted by police responding to the arson report, Dennis acted as if he did not know what had precipitated a police response. He then swung a knife at an officer. Even after surrounded by five officers, he refused to drop the knife, saying that he wanted to make a point. He made menacing gestures with the knife toward each of the responding officers and threatened to stab anybody who tried to take his knife. He challenged the officers to shoot him and challenged a canine officer to let his dog loose so that Dennis could stab the dog. Dennis then lunged and thrust his knife at the canine officer, and was shot. Notably, although Dennis smelled of alcohol at the time of his arrest, the arresting officer reported there was no indication that Dennis was intoxicated or not in control of himself at the time of the assault. Dennis was convicted of one count each of second-degree assault and second-degree arson. He was sentenced to ten years of imprisonment on each count, to be served concurrently with each other, and consecutively to the sentence for the 1979 assault conviction, for which his probation was revoked. We conclude that this evidence is sufficient to prove each of the three aggravating circumstances found by the panel. See generally Parker v. State, 109 Nev. 383, 393, 849 P.2d 1062, 1068 (1993).