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Thread: Arron Lee Lawson - Ohio Death Row

  1. #21
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    Sentencing phase in quadruple murder trial to begin Tuesday morning

    By Dan Klein
    WSAZ News

    LAWRENCE COUNTY, Ohio (WSAZ) - The penalty phase on the quadruple murder trial against Arron Lawson is set to begin at 9 a.m. Tuesday morning.

    The death penalty is an option in the case.

    A three-judge panel on Monday has found quadruple murder suspect Arron Lawson guilty on most of the counts he faced, according to our crew at the scene.

    Because it's a capital murder case, each charge had several aggravated circumstances/specifications that the prosecution must still prove, even though Lawson already had pleaded guilty to all charges.

    Lawson faced 13 counts in the killings of Donald and Tammie McGuire, along with their daughter Stacey Jackson Holston, and her son, 8-year-old Devin Holston. The murders happened October 2017 along state Route 93 in Pedro.

    Lawson was found not guilty on a rape charge involving Stacey Jackson, as well as the aggravated circumstance of aggravated murder while committing rape.

    The state also had to toss out a felonious assault charge involving another victim, Todd Holston, because it merged with an attempted murder charge involving that victim.

    In effect, the three-judge panel found that the prosecution did not present enough evidence to accept a guilty plea on certain charges.

    The victims' family had no comment Monday.

    https://www.wsaz.com/content/news/La...450517213.html
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

  2. #22
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    UPDATE | Defense rests in Arron Lawson case

    By Dan Klein
    WSAZ News

    LAWRENCE COUNTY, Ohio (WSAZ) -- UPDATE 2/27/19 @ 3:45 p.m.

    The defense has rested Wednesday in the case of convicted quadruple murderer Arron Lawson, our crew at the scene reports.

    The last witness called by the defense was Lawson's older sister, Stephanie Bentley.

    “I absolutely love my brother," Bentley testified. "We are very, very close.”

    Bentley went on to testify about the living conditions she and her brother grew up with. On Tuesday, Lawson's biological mother testified that the family endured a life of poverty and instability.

    Lawson faced 13 counts in the killings of Donald and Tammie McGuire, along with their daughter Stacey Jackson Holston, and her son, 8-year-old Devin Holston. The murders happened October 2017 along state Route 93 in Pedro.

    He pleaded guilty to all charges and was found guilty by a three-judge panel on most of those charges. The death penalty remains a possibility in the case.

    It appears closing statements will start Thursday morning.

    UPDATE 2/27/19 @ 1:55 p.m.

    Convicted quadruple murderer Arron Lawson could learn his fate Wednesday as the sentencing phase of his trial resumes.

    The court broke for lunch just before 1:30 p.m. following testimony from a forensic psychologist.

    Dr. Bob Stinson testified that Lawson was diagnosed with a borderline personality disorder. That means he could react with extreme -- and at times, irrational -- emotions, according to Stinson. The doctor also say Lawson would be more likely to strongly attach or detach himself from other people if he felt abandoned.

    Stinson said he actually found it somewhat surprising that Lawson doesn't have a bigger criminal history.

    Prosecutors pointed out that Lawson had positive people in his life, including several family members. While cross examining the doctor, the prosecution also mentioned that the notes from Lawson's first visit to a psychiatric hospital do not mention any abuse at the hands of Lawson's parents.

    Lawson faced 13 counts in the killings of Donald and Tammie McGuire, along with their daughter Stacey Jackson Holston, and her son, 8-year-old Devin Holston. The murders happened October 2017 along state Route 93 in Pedro.

    Because it's a capital murder case, each charge had several aggravated circumstances/specifications that the prosecution must still prove, even though Lawson already had pleaded guilty to all charges.

    Lawson had a second stay at the psychiatric hospital, and prosecutors say that shows Lawson knew how to get help and used reason.

    The admitted killer apologized Tuesday to the court, saying he is genuinely sorry for what he did.

    “No way to say how truly sorry I am,” Lawson said unannounced. “I do believe I deserve life in prison ... I’m sorry for every single person that I hurt.”

    UPDATE 2/27/19 @ 7:51 a.m.

    Convicted quadruple murderer Arron Lawson could learn his fate today as the sentencing phase of his trial resumes.

    Court is scheduled for 9 a.m. this morning in Lawrence County, Ohio court.

    Lawson apologized Tuesday to the court, saying he is genuinely sorry for what he did.

    “No way to say how truly sorry I am,” Lawson said unannounced. “I do believe I deserve life in prison ... I’m sorry for every single person that I hurt.”

    Lawson also apologized to everyone in the crowded courtroom, including the victims’ family members.

    Earlier On Tuesday, Lawson’s biological mother testified, telling the court a death penalty sentence would be more than she could bear.

    Her emotional testimony came during the sentencing phase of the trial. On Monday, a three-judge panel found Lawson guilty of most charges in the case. The death penalty remains an option.

    Carolyn Taylor, who is Lawson’s mother, was calm and matter-of-fact throughout most of her testimony – until she reflected on what the death penalty could bring. She said she’ll be there for her son “no matter what.”

    Taylor added, “No parent wants to see their child go before them,” saying the death penalty would “devastate us.”

    Lawson faced 13 counts in the killings of Donald and Tammie McGuire, along with their daughter Stacey Jackson Holston, and her son, 8-year-old Devin Holston. The murders happened October 2017 along state Route 93 in Pedro.

    Because it's a capital murder case, each charge had several aggravated circumstances/specifications that the prosecution must still prove, even though Lawson already had pleaded guilty to all charges.

    Taylor testified that she and her son had a tough life, talking about growing up in poverty, being married at 17 and having kids with five different men. She said Lawson lived with his father and stepmother during much of his childhood.

    Taylor also said Tammie McGuire, her sister, was her best friend. During cross examination, Taylor testified that Lawson was in love with Stacey Jackson Holston, although she never suspected any type of sexual relationship at the time.

    Also during testimony, Taylor said her son only remembered going to the mobile home on the day of the murders and getting into an altercation with Todd Holston who he said attacked him. Lawson told his mother his only choice was to defend himself with a pocket knife. She even believed that all the way up to less than a month ago, “There’s no way a mother would believe her son would do this.”

    Todd Holston was wounded during the attacks but recovered from his injuries.

    Taylor went on to say that her son, Todd Holston and Stacey Jackson Holston were all friends and she never knew of any problems. She said her son, Arron, would frequently babysit Devin Holston and Devin's 2-year-old brother Braxton.

    Court adjourned around 5:30 Tuesday. The forensic psychologist is expected to start testimony at 9 a.m. Wednesday with his summary, and then prosecutors will have a chance to cross examine him.

    Closing arguments could begin either Wednesday or Thursday. Keep checking the WSAZ App and WSAZ.com for the latest information.

    https://www.wsaz.com/content/news/La...450517213.html
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

  3. #23
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    Arron Lawson receives death penalty in Ohio quadruple murder case

    By Raven Brown
    WVAH News

    LAWRENCE COUNTY, Ohio (WCHS/WVAH) — UPDATE, 2:45 p.m.

    A three-judge panel has handed down a death sentence for a man who was found guilty in a quadruple murder case in Lawrence County, Ohio.

    The judges made the ruling Thursday in the case of Arron Lawson.

    Lawson has been found guilty in shooting to deaths of Stacey Holston, her 8-year-old son Devin Holston, Stacey’s mother, Tammie and Donald Mcguire, all of Pedro, Ohio, at their home two years ago.

    Lawson addressed the court.

    “Thank you for giving me a fair and honest trial, and I thank the prosecution for doing the right job," Lawson said. "I don’t hold it against them. Truthfully, I voted for them."

    Prosecutor Brigham Anderson said the last time someone was sentenced to death in Lawrence County was in the 1960s.

    https://wvah.com/news/local/closing-...le-murder-case
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

  4. #24
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    Lawson entered Ohio's death row on 3/25/19.

    https://www.drc.ohio.gov/death-row
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  5. #25
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    Attorney questions quadruple murderer’s competency, representation in appeal to Ohio high court

    The Supreme Court of Ohio last week heard arguments seeking to vacate the death sentence of convicted Lawrence County quadruple murderer Arron Lawson.

    Lawson, 26, of Pedro, Ohio, was sentenced to death in February 2019 after pleading guilty to 4 counts of murder in the deaths of Devin Holston, 8; his mother, Stacey Holston, 24; her mother and Lawson’s aunt, Tammie McGuire, 43; and Tammie’s husband, Donald McGuire, 50, on Oct. 11, 2017, at the Holstons’ home at Pedro.

    He also admitted to nine other counts, which included a knife attack conducted the same day on Todd Holston, Devin’s father and Stacey’s husband, as well as burglary and abuse of a corpse.

    He first shot Stacey Holston 3 times, before killing the McGuires after they arrived at separate times to check on Holston. Devin Holston was shot after returning home from school. Lawson lay in wait for hours after that before Todd Holston returned to the home. Lawson attacked him with a knife before fleeing and sending police on a 36-hour manhunt.

    The Ohio justices heard appeal arguments in the case March 2, but it could be months before a decision is made.

    Lawson’s attorney Thomas Adolf Rein argued a mixture of prescription drugs and incompetent representation led to the defendant’s demise. However, Lawrence County Prosecuting Attorney Brigham Anderson said the court did its due diligence to make sure he was competent to make decisions, like to move forward without a jury trial, on his own.

    In Rein’s main argument, he said Lawson’s due process rights were violated when the judge accepted a waiver to be tried by a jury and guilty plea without seeking more information about his competence.

    While he had been examined by a psychologist before the trial, he had not been examined to determine if he was able to understand the ramifications of waiving his right to a jury trial and pleading guilty, Rein argued March 2.

    “Certainly, at that point, everyone should have taken a step back and said, ‘Wait a second. What’s going on here? He’s going against the advice of counsel. Why?’” he said.

    He was also not made aware that if only 1 juror agreed he shouldn’t receive death, his life would be spared, Rein said.

    The attorneys argued that Lawson telling the judge he was on mood-stabilizing medications should have been a red flag to raise concerns about his competency. Rein said there is nothing in the record or follow-up about Lawson’s medication.

    “It was ignored,” Rein said. “It wasn’t just overlooked. It was ignored.”

    Lawson’s attorneys also said his constitutional rights were violated because his trial counsel provided ineffective assistance, which they said was proven when they allowed the court to proceed without a jury trial or further competency examinations.

    They, too, allowed the case to move forward despite knowing the judge’s concerns over Lawson’s prescriptions.

    The Lawrence County Prosecutor’s Office argued the process was fair. There was a nine-day break between the time the jury was excused and the first hearing was held before the judicial panel, which decided Lawson’s fate. The prosecutor said they had time during that period to request or seek a competency examination.

    Rein also questioned why nothing was done during those 9 days.

    The prosecutor said the judge conducted “an extensive and exhaustive colloquy” with Lawson, in which he responded to the judge’s questions 145 times. At no point did those answers appear to be inappropriate or show signs he was not competent.

    In his March 2 arguments, Anderson said the defendant’s choice was not a decision based on mental illness, but one made because the defendant didn’t want to put the family through a graphic trial. Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor said that would be a rational reason for why he waived those rights.

    His attorneys had dozens of years’ experience in defending murder suspects and repeatedly said Lawson was ignoring their advice in moving forward without the jury, which shows their actions were not below the expected professionalism, Anderson said.

    Justice Jennifer Brunner continually questioned a statute that requires a competency hearing to be done, but Anderson said he did not believe it applies because defendants under the law are presumed to be competent and there was no indication he was not.

    Brunner also questioned studies that showed a mixture of the drugs Lawson was taking can cause mental issues.

    The prosecutor said the presence of prescription mood-stabilizing drugs in his system did not require a competency hearing, nor is one required by law. He argued that the judge’s assessment and opinion of his attorneys showed the medications were not affecting his decision-making at trial.

    “His lawyers, who are experienced trial and death penalty lawyers, chose not to have him evaluated for competency because there was never any question about his competency,” Anderson said.

    Lawson is housed at the Chillicothe Correctional Institution and is 1 of 135 inmates on death row in Ohio. The state has conducted 56 executions since 1999.

    (source: The Huntington Herald-Dispatch)
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

  6. #26
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    Death Penalty Affirmed for Lawrence County Man Who Confessed to Murders

    By Dan Trevas
    Ohio Court News

    The Ohio Supreme Court today affirmed the conviction and death sentence of a Lawrence County man who confessed to killing his cousin, her 8-year-old son, and two other family members.

    A divided Supreme Court affirmed the death penalties issued to Arron Lawson for the 2017 murders of Stacey Holston; her son, identified as D.H.; her mother, Tammie McGuire; and her mother’s husband, Donald McGuire. On the eve of his trial, Lawson wavered between confessing and standing trial before ultimately pleading guilty and allowing a three-judge panel to sentence him to death.

    Writing for the Court majority, Justice Sharon L. Kennedy noted that a medical expert testified that Lawson had been diagnosed with several mental illnesses, including bipolar disorder, which presented “significant mitigating factors” when considering whether the death sentences were appropriate.

    “But this is also a case in which the defendant slaughtered four people, including the callous slaying of an 8-year-old child,” she wrote. “With respect to each of the four aggravated murders before us, we find that the aggravating circumstances outweigh the mitigating factors beyond a reasonable doubt."

    Justices Patrick F. Fischer, R. Patrick DeWine, and Michael P. Donnelly joined Justice Kennedy’s opinion.

    In a separate concurring opinion,Justice Donnelly stated he “reluctantly” concurred with imposing the death sentence. He noted that as the case was pending, a new state law took effect in April 2021, which makes a person with a serious mental illness – including bipolar disorder – ineligible for the death penalty if the illness played a significant role in the crime. He wrote R.C. 2929.025 allows Lawson to seek postconviction relief, giving him another chance to challenge his death sentence.

    Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor joined Justice Donnelly’s opinion.

    Justice Melody J. Stewart indicated without a written opinion that she concurred in part and dissented in part with the majority opinion and would reverse the death sentences.

    In a dissenting opinion, Justice Jennifer Brunner wrote the trial court should not have relied on assurances of counsel that Lawson was competent to make the decision to plead guilty to all the offenses for which he was charged. She criticized the use of an expert’s report during the mitigation phase as a substitute indicator for mental competency and argued that Ohio statute required a psychological evaluation before Lawson’s plea could be accepted.

    Citing the need for establishing best practices in determining competency, especially in death penalty cases, Justice Brunner would have reversed and remanded the case to the trial court to order a competency examination along with a new hearing to determine further action based on the findings and recommendations of the evaluation.

    Murder Planned after Relationship Ended

    Holsten was Lawson’s first cousin and lived with her husband, Todd, and their sons D.H. and 2-year-old B.H. in the small community of Pedro. Lawson lived nearby and visited the Holstens daily. Lawson stated he and Holston had been having a sexual affair, which she broke off a week before the murders.

    Lawson visited her the day before the murders while her husband was at work. During the visit, he entered a bedroom at the back of the house, opened a window, and inserted a book between the window and the sill to hold the window open. The next morning, after Todd Holsten left the house for work, Lawson entered through the rear window he had opened. He had a shotgun, knives, and a backpack with items including flashlights, toilet paper, and a tarp.

    The school bus picked up. D.H. to take him to school. His mother sent along a note to the school to put D.H. on another bus that afternoon to take him to his grandparents’ house after school. After D.H. left, Lawson shot Holsten three times. He dragged her body into D.H.’s bedroom and had sex with her corpse, and then covered her body with a blanket and futon mattress.

    Her husband, who worked more than an hour away in Maysville, Kentucky, was concerned when he did not receive a text from his wife as she usually sent to ensure he arrived at work safely. He tried repeatedly to call and text her, but she did not respond.

    Call to School Made to Lure Son Home

    After killing Holsten, Lawson used her phone to call the school and pretended to be her husband. He told the school secretary there was a change of plans and D.H. should return home instead of going to his grandparents. The school made the change. As

    Lawson waited for D.H. to return, he fed B.H., changed his diaper, and put him down for a nap.

    When D.H. came home, he asked Lawson where his mother was and when his father was coming home. Lawson told D.H. that Lawson’s PlayStation 3 videogame console was in D.H.’s bedroom behind the dresser. As D.H. looked for the game, Lawson shot him twice and killed him. He left the child’s body where it fell and covered it with clothes, and he continued to wait in the Holsten home.

    Husband’s Concern Intensifies

    Around 6:30 p.m., Todd tried to contact his wife on his way home. After not reaching her, he decided to call her mother, Tammie McGuire, who lived nearby. McGuire agreed to check on her daughter and drove to the house. She was on the phone with Todd at the time she unsuccessfully attempted to enter the house, and Todd told her to break in.

    As the two were on the phone together, Todd heard her scream, “Oh, my God!” Lawson said he hid behind a bedroom door and, when she opened the door, he stepped out and shot McGuire to death.

    Todd, concerned by what he heard, called McGuire’s husband, Don. He went to check on his wife, and when he entered through the front door, Lawson shot and killed him.

    Todd arrived shortly thereafter. When he entered the house, Lawson attacked him with a knife, stabbing him repeatedly. Todd wrestled the knife from Lawson and pinned him to the couch. When Todd asked about his wife and the children, Lawson said they were OK, and Todd forcefully removed Lawson from the house. Lawson drove away in the McGuires’ truck.

    Todd discovered B.H. unharmed and then found the dead bodies. He called 911. Law enforcement tracked Lawson as he was driving the truck. He abandoned the truck and fled on foot into the woods, and spent two nights there before he emerged and was apprehended. He was taken to the Lawrence County Prosecutor's Office in Ironton, where he confessed to the murders.

    Death Penalty Imposed

    Lawson was indicted on four counts of aggravated murder with death penalty specifications. The charge for killing D.H. alone carried six death specifications. He was also charged with other non-death penalty crimes related to the murder and escape.

    After initially pleading not guilty, Lawson eventually pleaded guilty before a three-judge panel in February 2019. After conducting a mitigation hearing, the panel sentenced him to death on all four aggravated murder counts and imposed another 59 years and six months in prison for the other non-death penalty offenses.

    Because the death penalty was imposed, his case was automatically appealed to the Ohio Supreme Court.

    Judge Questioned Competency before Accepting Plea

    In his appeal, Lawson objected to the court’s acceptance of his guilty plea without first conducting a competency hearing to determine if he could be tried for the murders. Lawson contended the trial court had a constitutional duty to inquire into his competence to stand trial before accepting his plea.

    Lawson’s trial took place about a year after he was charged. Days before jury selection, Lawson’s lawyers told the trial judge that Lawson did not want a trial. Lawson told his attorneys he did not want to put himself and the families through a trial. The judge met in chambers with the defense lawyers and prosecutors, where one of Lawson’s lawyers said he explained to Lawson that if he pleaded guilty, the case would proceed before a three-judge panel, not a jury. The lawyer observed, “I suppose … if he wants to do that, there’s always a question of whether or not there needs to be an examination of his competence to waive jury in a capital case.”

    A prosecutor questioned whether Bob Stinson, a forensic psychologist who conducted several interviews with Lawson, his family, and others, could render an opinion on Lawson’s competence. Lawson’s attorney stated that he could not commit Stinson to being able to do that as Stinson conducted an assessment for the mitigation portion of the trial, and that is a different type of assessment than determining competency.

    The judge stated that he raised the issue of a competency evaluation “months ago,” but declined to order one because Lawson’s attorneys opposed it. Lawson’s attorney told the judge that they had no reason to believe Lawson was not competent. The judge continued that he was “second-guessing” himself and should have ordered the evaluation over the objection. Lawson’s attorney stated that the judge was “not incorrect” in not ordering the evaluation over the defense’s opposition. The prosecutor noted that the defense had not raised a question about Lawson’s competence to stand trial.

    After Wavering, Trial Averted

    The court took a recess to allow Lawson to discuss the matter with his family. After speaking with his mother, he decided he would proceed with a jury trial. The jury selection process resumed. The next day, acting against the advice of counsel, Lawson changed his mind and agreed to plead guilty before a panel of judges.

    The trial judge questioned Lawson at length about whether he understood his constitutional rights to have a jury hear his case. Lawson affirmatively stated a number of times that he understood the consequences of his decision. The trial court inquired of Lawson whether he had consulted with his family about his decision. Lawson answered that he “had a second thought throughout the night,” and that he had to “make a better decision for my life and not somebody else’s.” The trial court accepted Lawson’s waiver.

    Nine days later, the three-judge panel conducted a change-of-plea hearing where Lawson’s attorney told the court that they had discussed the change of plea with Lawson for about 90 minutes that day. The presiding judge asked whether Lawson’s attorneys ever had any concerns about Lawson having any “mental defect or deficiency” that would prevent him from knowingly, intelligently, and voluntarily waiving his rights. One of Lawson’s attorneys said he did not. The presiding judge then inquired whether an appropriate investigation into competency issues had been conducted. One of Lawson’s attorneys replied that after lengthy discussions with Stinson, they had elected not to raise the issue of incompetency.

    Justice Kennedy wrote that a defendant is rebuttably presumed competent and the U.S. Supreme Court has held that a competency determination is necessary only when a court has a reason to doubt the defendant is competent. The opinion stated that a defendant is legally competent to stand trial when the defendant “has sufficient present ability to consult with his lawyer with a reasonable degree of rational understanding … and … a rational as well as factual understanding of the proceedings against him.” A court is required to hold a hearing when it has been presented with “sufficient indicia of incompetence.”

    Lawson argued the record established “sufficient indicia of incompetence” to have required a hearing. He contended that his competency was called into question for deciding to plead guilty against the advice of his lawyers, displaying indecision by changing his mind about pleading guilty, and because at the time of his plea he was being treated with psychiatric medications.

    The majority opinion noted that acting against the advice of counsel does not indicate incompetence. Refusing to heed counsel’s advice does not demonstrate an inability to understand the nature of the charges and proceedings or to assist in the defense.

    Rather, such a refusal shows the defendant’s ability to participate in his defense, the Court stated.

    The Court ruled that Lawson’s indecisiveness about pleading guilty was also not an indication of incompetency. Lawson explained that his change of mind stemmed from the emotional toll of meeting with his mother, but that upon further reflection, the best decision for him was to plead guilty. Also, Lawson’s indecision was brief, and he did not waiver in the face of his counsel’s contrary advice, a rigorous plea colloquy, or over the nine days before the change-of-plea hearing with the three-judge panel, the Court stated. The opinion noted that these events did not show that Lawson lacked either the ability to consult with his lawyer with a reasonable degree of rational understanding or that he was unable to understand the proceedings.

    The Court stated that “the fact that a defendant is taking antidepressant medication or prescribed psychotropic drugs does not negate his competence to stand trial.” The opinion noted that Lawson testified to being under prescribed psychotropic medications during the trial, but that he stated none of the medications prevented him from understanding what his attorneys or the court said to him. He appropriately answered the court’s questions and there is no evidence in the record that suggests the medications hampered Lawson’s ability to understand the proceedings and assist his attorneys. The Court concluded there was no indicia of incompetency that would have required the court to order a competency evaluation before proceeding.

    The Court also concluded that the trial judge’s questioning of whether a competency evaluation should have been ordered was not an indication that an evaluation was required. The Court rejected Lawson’s argument that he should have received a competency evaluation, and it rejected his other legal arguments.

    Supreme Court Independently Reviewed Sentence

    The Supreme Court conducted its own review of the death sentence and noted that Lawson’s mental-health history was the strongest mitigating factor in the case. The opinion noted that at various times as a child and young adult, Lawson was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder and he did not receive adequate treatment for those conditions.

    Stinson explained that Lawson’s family had a history of mental illness and drug and alcohol abuse, and that Lawson suffered abuse as a child. But Stinson did not testify that the murders were attributable to Lawson’s mental disorders, the opinion stated.

    The Court also noted that Lawson’s youth was a mitigating factor, since he was 23 years old when he committed the murders. While youth is a factor, the Court noted that by age 23, Lawson had some “time to distance himself from his childhood.”

    While Lawson’s mental-health history was entitled to substantial weight and the remaining mitigating factors carried some weight, they did not overcome the aggravating circumstances, including the “great weight” involved in murdering a child younger than 13, the opinion stated. The Court determined the aggravating circumstances outweighed the mitigating factors and upheld the convictions and death sentences.

    Dissent Questioned Review Process

    In her dissent, Justice Brunner questioned why the majority would rely on the opinions of attorneys and judges to determine Lawson’s mental competency, especially since it was revealed to the court that he was taking prescription medications at the time of his plea. Justice Brunner noted the trial court did not ask nor was told before accepting Lawson’s plea that he was taking the medication because he had been diagnosed with mental illnesses.

    “Our inquiry in this appeal, however, is not whether we believe that Lawson was competent; it is whether these factors taken together should be held to reasonably indicate to a trial court that further inquiry into the defendant’s competency is required, to ensure the fairness of the proceeding, especially in a capital case,” she wrote.

    The dissent stated that rather than relying on the impressions of the trial court and the attorneys, the Court has a duty to expect a trial court to thoroughly evaluate a defendant by using trained medical professionals.

    “Remanding this case for a competency hearing would be of benefit to the public in ensuring a high standard of compliance with due-process principles in cases in which a death sentence could be imposed,” the dissent stated.

    2019-0487. State v. Lawson, Slip Opinion No. 2021-Ohio-3566.

    View oral argument video of this case.

    http://courtnewsohio.gov/cases/2021/SCO/1007/190487.asp
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

  7. #27
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    Distributed for conference March 18, 2022.

    https://www.supremecourt.gov/search....c/21-6818.html
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    Petition for certiorari denied.

    Lower Ct: Supreme Court of Ohio
    Case Numbers: (2021-3566)
    Decision Date: October 7, 2021

    https://www.supremecourt.gov/search....c/21-6818.html
    Thank you for the adventure - Axol

    Tried so hard and got so far, but in the end it doesn’t even matter - Linkin Park

    Hear me, my chiefs! I am tired. My heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever. - Hin-mah-too-yah-lat-kekt

    I’m going to the ghost McDonalds - Garcello

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