SUPERiOR COURT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA FOR THE COUNTY OF ORANGE !n fa STEVEN ALLEN CHAMPlON, } California Supreme Court PetitiDner, ) Case Number: 8005575 } ) Los Ange!:as County Supedof Court ) Case Number: 1~<365075 ') .' ON HABEAS CORPUS. J ~~--~---~---~-): REFEREE~SREPORT OF PROCEEDINGS CONDUCTED PtJRSUANT TO SUPREME COURT APPOiNTMENT Honorabte FranClSco P, Briseno Judge of the Orange County Superior Court Sitting as Refeme by Appointment By the CaHfDmia Supreme Court rG"l R r;l~ (j"?nn lEJ Li.:.:;U:jLj LnJ SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF FOR THE COUNTY OF ORANGE In re STEVEN ALLEN CHAMPION, California Supreme Court ~ Case Number: S065575 Petitioner, Los Angeles County Superior Court f Case Number: A365075 ) ON HABEAS CORPUS. ) ------------) REFEREE'S REPORT OF PROCEEDINGS CONDUCTED PURSUANT TO SUPREME COURT APPOINTMENT Honorable Francisco P. Briseno Judge of the Orange County Superior Court Sitting as Referee by Appointment by the California Supreme Court Counsel for Petitioner: Karen A. Kelly, Esq. Attorney at Law Counsel for Respondent: Brian R. Kelberg, Esq. Office of the Los Angeles County District Attorney Dates of Reference Hearing: February 6, 2006 to January 17, 2008 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS 2 3 I. INTRODUCTION . 1 4 A. Background . 1 5 Homicides . 1 6 Police Investigation. ................................ 3 7 B. Diagram of Crime Scenes . 5 8 C. Champion Trial Chronology . 9 5 10 D. Petitioner's Reference Hearing Claims . 9 11 E. Summary of Referee's Findings . 10 12 1. Investigation by Trial Counsel . 10 13 2. Non-Disclosure of Family History .................... 11 14 3. Claim of Brain Damage . 12 15 16 4. Petitioner's Family Background . 13 17 5. PoorSchooIPertormance . 14 18 6. Mitigation for Hassan Murders (Factor A) . 14 19 7. Love, Affection and Support for Petitioner 20 from Family and Friends . 15 21 8. Amenability . 15 22 9. Alibi for Taylor Murder . 16 23 F. Carry Over. ........................................... 16 24 G. De Novo Review ................................. 17 25 26 H. Petitioner and Respondent's Proposed Findings . 17 27 I. Reference Questions . 18 28 i 1 II. REFERENCE QUESTION NO.1. .............................. 18 2 A. What actions did petitioner's trial counsel take 3 to investigate potential evidence that could have been presented in mitigation at the penalty 4 phase of petitioner's capital trial? What were the results of that investigation? ............................. 18 5 6 B. Summary of Referee's Findings .......................... 18 7 C. Evidence Adduced During Reference Hearing. .............. 19 8 1. The December 12, 1980 Hassan Murders and the Special Circumstances Alleged (Factor A). ...... 19 9 10 2. Jefferson Murder (Factor B) 20 11 3. Taylor Murder (Factor B) .. ........................ 20 12 4. Juvenile Aggravators (Factor B) 21 13 5. Skyers' Review of eYA Reports. .................... 21 14 6. Drs. Pollack and Imperi's Mental 15 Status Report (Factors 0 and H) 22 16 7. Interview of Petitioner (Factor K) 23 17 8. Interview of Family Members 18 (Factors 0, Hand K) ............................. 23 19 9. Family Home and Neighborhood Conditions 23 20 10. Jefferson, Hassan, Taylor Crime 21 Scenes (Factors A and B) 24 22 11. Petitioner's Age (Factor I) 24 23 D. Detailed Discussion of Evidence and Findings. .............. 24 24 1. The Jefferson Murder (Factor B) ..................... 24 25 2. The Taylor Murder and Related Crimes (Factor B) ....... 25 26 27 3. Petitioner's Social History, Mental and Physical Impairments ............................. 26 28 11 1 a. Skyers' Conversations with Petitioner and Family Members .......... 26 2 3 b. Skyers' Review of Petitioner's CYA File, Including Psychiatric and Psychological 4 Reports and Initial Home Investigation Report. ................................. 31 5 6 c. The December 2, 1981 Report by Drs. Seymour Pollack and Lillian Imperi ........ 43 7 d. Petitioner's School Records ................. 71 8 III. REFERENCE QUESTION NO.2. ............................ 76 9 10 A. What additional mitigation evidence, if any, could petitioner have presented at the penalty 11 phase? How credible was the evidence? ................. 76 12 B. Petitioner's Claim. ................................... 76 13 C. Summary of Referee's Findings. ........................ 78 14 D. Evidence Adduced During Reference Hearing ............. 89 15 1. Petitioner's Claim of Mitigating Evidence 16 (Le., alibi) for the Taylor Murder. ................... 89 17 2. Petitioner's Social History, Mental Status, 18 Development and Functioning. .................... 108 19 a. Petitioner's Gang Affiliation and 20 Changing Neighborhood. ................... 108 21 b. Petitioner's Drug and Alcohol Use .. .......... 114 22 c. Petitioner's Mental Status. .................. 115 23 d. Petitioner's Academic Functioning. ........... 130 24 e. Petitioner's Family Matters. ................. 134 25 3. Petitioner's Amenability for Rehabilitation. ........... 147 26 27 a. Prior Record 147 28 b. Prior Probation ............................ 148 iii 1 c. Personal History. .......................... 148 2 d. Probation Officer's Analysis and 3 Plan for 1978 Assault Crime "............... 149 4 e. 1978 CYA Commitment. .................... 150 5 f. Post CYA Parole. .......................... 151 6 g. CYA Staff Reports 1978-1980 ................ 151 7 h. Race Riot at Youth Training School. ........... 152 8 i. January 4, 1979 CYA Report on 9 Prior Conviction. ........................... 153 10 j. January 4, 1979 Case Conference Report. ....... 153 11 4. Love of Petitioner by Family and Friends. ............. 156 12 13 5. Scope of Social History ... ........................ 159 14 E. Detailed Discussion of Evidence and Findings. .............. 167 15 1. Alibi for Taylor Murder and Related Crimes. ........... 167 16 2. Petitioner's Social History, Mental and 17 Physical Impairments. ............................ 185 18 3. Evidence of Petitioner's "Institutional Adjustment" at the CYA ... .. ................................ 247 19 20 4. Love of Petitioner's Family for Petitioner. .............. 259 21 5. Mitigation of Petitioner's Aggravating Juvenile Crimes from 1977 and 1978 260 22 23 IV. REFERENCE QUESTION NO.3. ............................. 262 24 A. What investigative steps, if any, would have led to this additional evidence? In 1982, when 25 petitioner's case was tried, would a reasonably competent attorney have tried to obtain such 26 evidence and to present it at the penalty phase? ............. 262 27 B. Summary of Referee's Findings ......................... 262 28 iv 1 C. Detailed Discussion of Evidence and Findings. ............. 272 2 1. The Jefferson Murder. ........................... 272 3 2. The Taylor Murder and Related Crimes. ............. 272 4 3. Petitioner's Social History, Mental and 5 Physical Impairments ............................ 276 6 4. Trial Counsel's Dilemma- Family Members' Testimony. 286 7 V. REFERENCE QUESTION NO.4. ............................ 287 8 A. What circumstances, if any, weighed against the 9 investigation or presentation of this additional 10 evidence? What evidence damaging to petitioner, but not presented by the prosecution at the guilt 11 and penalty trials, would likely have been presented in rebuttal if petitioner had 12 introduced this evidence? .............................. 287 13 B. Summary of Referee's Findings 287 14 C. Evidence Adduced During Reference Hearing. ............. 298 15 16 1. Petitioner's Juvenile Record. ...................... 298 17 2. Petitioner's Statements to CYA Staff and Doctors. ..... 304 18 3. CYA Chronological .............................. 309 19 4. CYA File- Examples of Positive/Negative Staff Remarks. 310 20 5. 1982 Probation Report. .......................... 312 21 D. Detailed Discussion of Evidence and Findings. ............. 312 22 23 1. Materials Not Provided to or Reviewed by Petitioner's Strickland Expert. ..................... 312 24 2. Strickland Standards and Keenan Second Counsel ..... 323 25 3. Skyers' Credibility. .............................. 326 26 27 4. Taylor Murder and Related Crimes. ................. 326 28 5. The Jefferson Murder/Robbery 369 v 1 6. Petitioner's Social History and Mental/ Physical Impairments . 375 2 3 IV. REFERENCE QUESTION NO.5 . 375 4 A. Did petitioner do or say anything to hinder or prevent the investigation or presentation of 5 mitigating evidence at the penalty phase, or did he ask that any such evidence not be 6 presented? If so, what did he do or say? . 375 7 1. The Jefferson Murder. .......................... 375 8 2. The Taylor Murder and Related Crimes . 375 9 10 3. Petitioner's Social History, Mental and Physical Impairments . 376 11 V. REFEREE'S CONCLUSIONS. .............................. 376 12 13 APPOINTMENT ORDER FROM CALIFORNIA SUPREME COURT Tab 1 14 REFERENCE HEARING WITNESS LIST .. ...................... Tab 2 15 EXHIBIT LISTS . 16 Tab 3 17 18 19 20 Key to Abbreviations Used in Report 21 RHT Reporter's Transcript of Reference Hearing 22 RT Reporter's Transcript of Petitioner's Trial CT Clerk's Transcript of Petitioner's Trial 23 MPHT Reporter's Transcript of Malett's Preliminary Hearing MRT Reporter's Transcript of Malett's Trial 24 PGE Guilt Claim Exhibit to Habeas Corpus Petition 25 26 27 28 vi 1 SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA 2 FOR THE COUNTY OF ORANGE 3 4 In re STEVEN ALLEN CHAMPION, ) California Supreme Court 5 ) Case Number: S065575 Petitioner, ) 6 ) Los Angeles County Superior Court ) Case Number: A365075 7 ) ) Referee's Report of Proceedings