NO B R I E F OF APPKT.T.PP. On A u g u s t 10, 1995, a Cuyahoga C o u n t y Grand J u r y i n d i c t e d t h e

Transcription

1 STATE OF OHIO; NO P l a i n t i f f - A p p e l l e e v s. CHANAN AQU-SIMMONS, B R I E F OF APPKT.T.PP D e f e n d a n t - A p p e l l a n t STATEMENT OF THE CASE On A u g u s t 10, 1995, a Cuyahoga C o u n t y Grand J u r y i n d i c t e d t h e d e f e n d a n t - a p p e l l a n t ( h e r e i n a f t e r A p p e l l a n t ), C h a n a n Aqu-simmons, a k a Adeeb W a k i l, on one c o u n t o f A g g r a v a t e d Murder, i n v i o l a t i o n o f R.C ; one c o u n t o f A g g r a v a t e d R o b b e r y, i n v i o l a t i o n o f R.C ; a n d one c o u n t o f A g g r a v a t e d B u r g l a r y, i n v i o l a t i o n Of R.C A l l t h r e e c o u n t s i n c l u d e d a f i r e a r m s p e c i f i c a t i o n. The a p p e l l a n t p l e d n o t g u i l t y a t h i s a r r a i g n m e n t on A u g u s t 15, On O c t o b e r 30, 1995 a t r i a l b e g a n. On November 8, 1995, t h e j u r y r e t u r n e d a v e r d i c t o f g u i l t y t o one c o u n t o f A g g r a v a t e d Murder w i t h f e l o n y m u r d e r a n d f i r e a r m s p e c i f i c a t i o n s, o n e c o u n t o f a g g r a v a t e d r o b b e r y w i t h f i r e a r m s p e c i f i c a t i o n s, a n d one c o u n t o f a g g r a v a t e d b u r g l a r y w i t h f i r e a r m s p e c i f i c a t i o n. On November 20, 1995, t h e m i t i g a t i o n p h a s e o f t h e t r i a l b e g a n. On t h a t same day, t h e j u r y d e c i d e d n o t t o i m p o s e t h e p e n a l t y o f d e a t h a n d t h e y recommended t h a t t h e a p p e l l a n t s e r v e t h i r t y f u l l y e a r s b e f o r e p a r o l e e l i g i b i l i t y. ^

2 On November 20, 1995, t h e t r i a l c o u r t s e n t e n c e d t h e a p p e l l a n t on c o u n t one t o s e r v e l i f e i m p r i s o n m e n t w i t h o u t p a r o l e e l i g i b i l i t y u n t i l t h i r t y y e a r s, p l u s t h r e e y e a r s f o r t h e f i r e a r m s p e c i f i c a t i o n t o r u n c o n s e c u t i v e l y p u r s u a n t t o law, t e n t o t w e n t y - f i v e y e a r s on c o u n t two, and a n a d d i t i o n a l t e n t o t w e n t y - f i v e y e a r s on c o u n t t h r e e, a l l s e n t e n c e s t o r u n c o n s e c u t i v e l y. The a p p e l l a n t f i l e d a t i m e l y N o t i c e o f A p p e a l. T h i s B r i e f o f A p p e l l e e, i n r e s p o n s e t o a p p e l l a n t ' s B r i e f, f o l l o w s. _ - STATEMENT OF THE FACTS E i g h t e e n y e a r - o l d N a b i l Zayed and h i s t w e n t y - o n e y e a r - o l d b r o t h e r, Z i a d, o p e r a t e d Shaw F o o d s on Hayden A v e n u e i n E a s t C l e v e l a n d, Ohio. N a b i l ' s body was d i s c o v e r e d i n t h e b a c k room o f t h e s t o r e a t a b o u t 7:45 a.m. on A u g u s t 2, T h r e e b u l l e t s h a d p i e r c e d h i s s k u l l. R o b i n L a n e Brown was e m p l o y e d a t a c h u r c h a c r o s s t h e s t r e e t f r o m Shaw F o o d s. She a r r i v e d f o r work a t 7:00 a.m. on t h e d a y i n q u e s t i o n. She n o t i c e d t h e m e t a l s e c u r i t y d o o r o p e n e d h a l f w a y. T h i s was u n u s u a l a s t h e s t o r e n o r m a l l y o p e n e d a t a r o u n d 10:00 a.m. (R. 1160). _ J a m e s A u s t i n w o r k e d a t t h e Q - F i v e L o u n g e, l o c a t e d n e x t d o o r t o Shaw F o o d s. He a r r i v e d e a r l y f o r work on A u g u s t 2, b e t w e e n 6:30 a n d 7:00 a.m. He p a r k e d h i s c a r and t o o k a w a l k a s he n o r m a l l y d o e s i n t h e m o r n i n g b e f o r e t h e p l a c e o p e n s. As he w a l k e d down Hayden Avenue, he o b s e r v e d t h e v i c t i m a n d a n o t h e r b l a c k man w a l k i n g f r o m a s t o r e f r o n t where t h e v i c t i m w o u l d p r a y e v e r y m o r n i n g (R. 1170). When A u s t i n w a l k e d b a c k t o w a r d Shaw F o o d s, he o b s e r v e d t h e

3 s t e e l s e c u r i t y d o o r up (R. 1174, 1179). G l o r i a H o p k i n s was w a l k i n g t o w a r d s t h e M a r a t h o n m i n i - m a r t when s h e o b s e r v e d t h e d o o r t o Shaw F o o d s a j a r. S h e o p e n e d t h e d o o r and h o l l e r e d i n t o t h e d a r k s t o r e. H e a r i n g no r e s p o n s e, s h e w a l k e d t o w a r d t h e r e a r s t o r e r o o m. She saw a p o t a t o c h i p r a c k o v e r t u r n e d a n d s u s p e c t e d s o m e t h i n g was wrong (R. 1191). I n t h e doorway o f a s t o r a g e room, s h e o b s e r v e d t h e b o t t o m s o f a p a i r o f t e n n i s s h o e s. S h e r a n o u t o f t h e s t o r e a n d c a l l e d W h i l e w a i t i n g f o r p o l i c e, s h e o b s e r v e d a n e i g h b o r h o o d d r u g d e a l e r, V i c Young, n e a r a phone b o o t h a c r o s s t h e s t r e e t f r o m Shaw F o o d s. S h e a l s o o b s e r v e d two b l a c k m a l e s i n f r o n t o f t h e " M u s l i m s t o r e " - one was an o l d e r m a l e w i t h g r a y h e a r a n d w e a r i n g M u s l i n a p p a r e l - a n d a n o t h e r y o u n g e r, s h o r t e r b l a c k m a l e. S h o r t l y t h e r e a f t e r, t h e v i c t i m ' s o l d e r b r o t h e r, Z i a d, a r r i v e d a t t h e s c e n e. O t h e r f r i e n d s and r e l a t i v e s p r e c e d e d h i m t h e r e. T h e y t a l k e d i n A r a b i c i n t h e s t r e e t a n d s u d d e n l y Z i a d t o o k o f f r u n n i n g t o w a r d t h e M u s l i n s t o r e. R e l a t i v e s f o l l o w e d a n d h a d t o r e s t r a i n Z i a d f r o m t h e two men Ms H o p k i n s h a d s e e n t h e r e e a r l i e r (R. 1202). The two men s u d d e n l y d i s a p p e a r e d (R. 1203). E a s t C l e v e l a n d P a t r o l m a n C r u t c h f i e l d r e s p o n d e d t o a c a l l t o t h e s c e n e a t 7; 54 a.m. He d i s c o v e r e d t h e v i c t i m i n a r e a r s t o c k r o o m, l y i n g f a c e down, i n a p u d d l e o f b l o o d (R. 1235). The d o o r t o t h a t room h a d b e e n k n o c k e d o f f t h e h i n g e s a n d l a y p a r t i a l l y on t h e body. T h e r e was a b u l l e t h o l e i n t h e d o o r. D e p u t y C o u n t y C o r o n e r S e l i g m a n t e s t i f i e d t h a t N a b i l Z a y e d was e i g h t e e n y e a r s o f a g e a n d was 5'6" a n d w e i g h e d 210 p o u n d s. He.3

4 t h e l e f t s i d e. The wound t o t h e f a c e was s u p e r f i c i a l i n n a t u r e, c o n s i s t e n t w i t h h a v i n g f i r s t t r a v e l e d t h r o u g h t h e d o o r p r i o r t o e n t e r i n g t h e f a c e (R. 1253). The r e m a i n i n g two h e a d wounds w e r e f a t a l i n c h a r a c t e r. T h r e e medium c a l i b e r j a c k e t e d p e l l e t s were r e c o v e r e d f r o m t h e v i c t i m. T w e n t y y e a r - o l d Z i a d Z a y e d t e s t i f i e d t h a t he a n d h i s b r o t h e r, N a b i l, w e r e b o r n i n J o r d a n, b u t h a d l i v e d i n a n d w e r e U n i t e d S t a t e s c i t i z e n s f o r t h e p a s t t e n y e a r s. N a b i l was t o be m a r r i e d i n Amman, J o r d a n, on A u g u s t 15. The n i g h t b e f o r e t h e k i l l i n g, N a b i l a n d Z i a d w e r e d r i v e n home f r o m work by a f r i e n d. N a b i l d e c i d e d t o r e t u r n t o t h e e a s t s i d e t o s p e n d t h e n i g h t a t t h e Mosque, a s he h a d done on p r i o r o c c a s i o n s. Z i a d was c a l l e d t o t h e s c e n e t h e n e x t m o r n i n g a n d i d e n t i f i e d t h e b o d y i n t h e s t o c k r o o m a s N a b i l. He l e f t t h e s t o r e a n d i m m e d i a t e l y r a n t o w a r d t h e M u s l i m s t o r e a c r o s s t h e s t r e e t - ^ h e r e he h a d a n a n g r y c o n f r o n t a t i o n w i t h M u k t a d i r a n d R a s h a a d, two o f t h e n e i g h b o r h o o d M u s l i m s. T h e r e were a t l e a s t f o u r g u n s k e p t i n t h e s t o r e. N a b i l a l w a y s c a r r i e d a.380 p i s t o l on h i s p e r s o n (R. 1288). H i s s t o r e k e y s a n d p i s t o l were n e v e r r e c o v e r e d (R. 1290). T h e r e was a b i c y c l e a n d a wooden M u s l i m s t a f f i n t h e s t o r e t h a t was n o t t h e r e t h e n i g h t b e f o r e (R. 1294). He i d e n t i f i e d t h e s t a f f (Ex. 18) a s b e l o n g i n g t o t h e a p p e l l a n t (R. 1296). Z i a d knew t h e a p p e l l a n t f o r t h r e e m o n t h s b e f o r e t h e k i l l i n g. He w o u l d come i n t o h i s s t o r e w i t h M u k t a d i r a n d R a s h a a d a n d o p e r a t e d a s t o r e f r o n t b u s i n e s s a c r o s s t h e s t r e e t. Z i a d a n d N a b i l w o u l d o c c a s i o n a l l y p r a y a t t h i s s t o r e

5 w i t h t h e a p p e l l a n t a n d h i s f r i e n d s. A t f i r s t, t h e y a l l g o t a l o n g, a s t h e y r e s p e c t e d e a c h o t h e r a s M u s l i m s. T h e b r o t h e r s g a v e a p p e l l a n t c r e d i t a t t h e s t o r e b u t t h a t was s t o p p e d a f t e r Adeeb n e v e r p a i d h i s b i l l s (R. 1305). D u r i n g t h e a f t e r n o o n b e f o r e t h e k i l l i n g, A d e e b was i n t h e s t o r e a n d demanded c r e d i t f o r some g o o d s. Z i a d r e f u s e d a n d t h e y a r g u e d. As he l e f t t h e s t o r e, Adeeb warned, " t h e w r a t h o f A l l a h i s g o i n g t o come down on y o u " (R. 1312). T h i s was p e r c e i v e d b y Z i a d a s a p e r s o n a l t h r e a t (R. 1314). He d e s c r i b e d h i s b r o t h e r N a b i l was one who l i k e d t o f l a s h l a r g e sums o f money a n d h i s g u n (R. 1317). R o n a l d S i p p was a f r i e n d o f N a b i l f o r two y e a r s. S i p p was v i s i t i n g A n d r e a Brown on t h e n i g h t b e f o r e t h e m u r d e r. N a b i l j o i n e d t h e m a t Brown's home a t a b o u t 1:00 a.m. T h e y s a t a r o u n d a n d g o t h i g h on m a r i j u a n a (R. 1326). Upon a r r i v i n g a t Brown's home, S i p p o b s e r v e d N a b i l empty h i s p o c k e t s, p l a c i n g a.380 s e m i - a u t o m a t i c h a n d g u n a n d s e v e r a l h u n d r e d d o l l a r s on a t a b l e (R. 1328). S i p p a n d N a b i l l e f t A n d r e a Brown a t 3:00 o r 3:30 a.m. a n d w a l k e d t o Shaw F o o d s. N a b i l o p e n e d t h e s e c u r i t y g a t e w i t h a k e y, d e c o d e d t h e a l a r m a n d t h e y e n t e r e d t h e s t o r e, w h e r e t h e y a t e a n d d r a n k u n t i l 4:15 a.m. T h e y w e r e o u t s i d e t h e s t o r e a t t h i s t i m e when a p p e l l a n t w a l k e d up. He a s k e d t h e m b o t h f o r m a r i j u a n a t o g e t h i g h a n d t h e y r e f u s e d. A p p e l l a n t s a i d s o m e t h i n g i n A r a b i c t o N a b i l a n d he l e f t. AT t h i s t i m e, some y o u n g n e i g h b o r h o o d men came t o t h e s t o r e and b o u g h t some c i g a r s a n d s n a c k s. S i p p l e f t N a b i l a t a b o u t 5:30 a.m. He r e t u r n e d t o t h e a r e a a n h o u r l a t e r a n d o b s e r v e d t h e s e c u r i t y g a t e down a n d t h e s t o r e d a r k. He p r o c e e d e d p a s t t h e M u s l i m s t o r e

6 t h e s t r e e t a n d saw a p p e l l a n t t h e r e. T h e y t a l k e d f o r a w h i l e a c r o s s a b o u t b e i n g a M u s l i m a n d S i p p l e f t t h e a r e a. He l a s t saw t h e.380 g u n on t h e c o u n t e r a t Shaw F o o d s a t a b o u t 4:15 a.m. V i c Young, a d r u g d e a l e r, a n d member o f t h e v a l l e y low g a n g t e s t i f i e d. He h a s two d r u g law v i o l a t i o n c o n v i c t i o n s a n d s e r v e d one y e a r i n p r i s o n (R. 1437). He j u s t g o t o u t o f p r i s o n on J u n e 10, 1995 (R. 1437). He was o u t s e l l i n g m a r i j u a n a on t h e e v e n i n g o f A u g u s t 2, 1995 (R ). The a p p e l l a n t a s k e d h i m i f he w a n t e d t o make money s o t h a t he w o u l d n o t h a v e t o be o u t on t h e s t r e e t s (R. 1418). He saw t h e a p p e l l a n t w i t h N a b i l (R. 1428). T h e l a s t he saw them, t h e y w e r e h e a d e d b a c k t o Shaw F o o d s a r o u n d 6:30 a.m. (R. 1429). When t h e a p p e l l a n t a s k e d h i m t o h e l p him, t h e a p p e l l a n t d i d n o t "seem l i k e h i m s e l f " (R. 1421). The a p p e l l a n t a c t e d l i k e he was r e a d y t o do s o m e t h i n g o u t o f t h e o r d i n a r y (R. 1422). I s a Y a s u f t e s t i f i e d. He h a s b e e n t o p r i s o n f o r t h e f t a n d weapon c o n v i c t i o n s (R. 1495). On A u g u s t 1, 1995, t h e a p p e l l a n t i n q u i r e d a b o u t p u r c h a s i n g a g u n f r o m h i m (R. 1509). T h i s i s n o t t h e f i r s t t i m e t h a t t h e a p p e l l a n t a s k e d h i m t o g e t h i m a weapon (R. 1510). He a s k e d me f o r a p r i c e on a.9 m i l l i m e t e r, on a.380 a n d on a T e c h 9 (R. 1510). He g a v e him t h e p r i c e s. He a l s o a s k e d a b o u t a s i l e n c e r a n d he t o l d him t h a t he c o u l d n o t a f f o r d i t (R. 1512). The a p p e l l a n t s t a t e d t h a t he h a d some b u s i n e s s t o t a k e c a r e o f a n d t h a t he a n d t h e o t h e r s w o u l d t a k e c a r e o f N a b i l a n d Z i a d (R. 1512). T h e a p p e l l a n t n e v e r came up w i t h t h e money a n d he n e v e r s o l d h i m a g u n (R. 1515)., Vedo M c C l a i n, a d r u g d e a l e r and g a n g member t e s t i f i e d. H i s 6

7 n i c k n a m e i s " S h o r t y " a n d he was w i t h V i c Young on t h e m o r n i n g o f A u g u s t 2, 1995 (R. 1553). The a p p e l l a n t was t a l k i n g " c r a z y " a n d s a i d t h a t he was g o i n g t o r o b t h e s t o r e (R. 1558). The a p p e l l a n t a s k e d i f he w o u l d h e l p h i m r o b t h e s t o r e (R. 1560). He h a d b e e n s e l l i n g m a r i j u a n a a l l d a y s o he t o l d t h e a p p e l l a n t no (R. 1564). He u s e d t o s e l l c r a c k, b u t now o n l y s e l l s m a r i j u a n a (R. 1572). He c o u l d n o t remember what he d i d on A u g u s t 1, 1995 b e c a u s e he was p a s s e d o u t d r u n k a n d s t o n e d (R. 1587). D u r i n g h i s t e s t i m o n y, t h e d e c e d e n t ' s b r o t h e r e n t e r e d t h e c o u r t r o o m and he y e l l e d o u t, "Yo Z i a d..." (R. 1588). Mr. M c C l a i n s t a t e d t h a t N a b i l ' s b r o t h e r i s "my f r i e n d, t h a t ' s my d u d e " (R. 1588). E l i z a b e t h R o b i n s o n, a f o r e n s i c o d o n t o l o g i s t t e s t i f i e d. She e x a m i n e d a h a l f - e a t e n c a n d y b a r f o u n d a t t h e s c e n e (R. 1655). She t o o k a m o l d o f t h e a p p e l l a n t ' s t e e t h a n d compared i t t o t h e b i t e mark on t h e c a n d y b a r (R. 1657). Her f i n d i n g s w e r e i n c o n c l u s i v e (R. 1658). ^ D e t e c t i v e T e r r e n c e Dunn t e s t i f i e d. He t o o k t h e a p p e l l a n t ' s b o o t s t o be c o m p a r e d w i t h t h e mark on t h e d o o r t o t h e s t o r e r o o m (R. 1711). I f d i d n o t m a t c h (R T h e r e w e r e f i v e l a t e n t f i n g e r p r i n t s t a k e n f r o m t h e s t o r e a n d none o f t h e m m a t c h e d t h e a p p e l l a n t (R. 1713). The a p p e l l a n t, when q u e s t i o n e d, d e n i e d s h o o t i n g a n d k i l l i n g t h e d e c e d e n t (R. 1715). D e f e n s e C a s e - T h e a p p e l l a n t t e s t i f i e d on h i s own b e h a l f. He knew N a b i l f o r a b o u t s i x m o n t h s. T h e y p r a y e d t o g e t h e r a n d s p e n t t i m e t a l k i n g a b o u t t h e r e l i g i o n (R. 1748). He d i d n o t s h o o t a n d k i l l N a b i l n o r 7

8 d i d he b r e a k i n t o h i s s t o r e a n d r o b him (R. 1753). I t was n o t u n u s u a l f o r N a b i l t o come t o h i s s t o r e a n d s l e e p (R. 1754). T h e y g o t up e a r l y t h a t m o r n i n g, p r a y e d and t h e n t h e y l e f t t h e s t o r e and t h a t i s t h e l a s t t i m e h e saw him (R. 1755). He d i d s p e a k t o " S h o r t y " b u t he d i d n o t a s k h i m t o h e l p him r o b N a b i l (R. 1763). S h o r t y s m e l l e d a s i f he h a d b e e n s m o k i n g "wet,", w h i c h i s m a r i j u a n a d i p p e d i n f o r m a l d e h y d e (R. 1760). He a s k e d S h o r t y w h a t he h a d b e e n d o i n g a n d S h o r t y t o l d h i m t h a t t h e y h a d j u s t r o b b e d some p e o p l e (R. 1763). S h o r t y saw N a b i l a n d t o l d h i m n o t t o r o b N a b i l (R. 1764). He was j u s t " p l a y i n g o f f " on what S h o r t y s a i d (R. 1765). He n e v e r i n t e n d e d t o r o b t h e s t o r e (R. 1765). He n e v e r a s k e d V i c Young t o h e l p h i m r o b t h e s t o r e (R. 1767). V i c was t r y i n g t o s e l l t h i n g s t o g e t money f o r c r a c k (R. 1770). He d e n i e d a s k i n g G e o r g e B a y n e s t o g e t h i m a g u n (R. 1771). G e o r g e a s k e d h i m i f he w a n t e d t o buy a gun a n d he a s k e d w h a t k i n d h e h a d (R. 1771). On A u g u s t 1, 1995 h e was i n t h e s t o r e and t r i e d t o p u r c h a s e t h i n g s on c r e d i t (R. 1773). He t o l d t h e m t h a t M u s l i m s s h o u l d g i v e c r e d i t a n d t h a t i f t h e y d i d n o t, t h e n t h e w r a t h o f A l l a h w o u l d be on them. He d i d n o t t h r e a t e n them (R. 1773). 8