Environmental Issues
- What is the influence of the environment on a mitigation case?
- Was the client exposed to toxic chemicals?
- Was lead based paint used in any of the client’s homes?
- Was the client exposed to pesticides?
- Was the client’s mother exposed to any chemicals or pesticides while pregnant with the client?
- Did the client’s mother use alcohol, drugs or smoke while pregnant with the client?
- Are there any problems with pollution in water the client drank or played in?
- Did the client live in an area later deemed to be an environmental hazard?
- Could any of these problems have led to neurological deficits?
On a recent case involving a Mexican National defendant we found his village in Mexico to have water polluted by pesticides long since banned in the U.S. We found 55 gallon steel drums that had contained toxic chemicals now being used as water barrels. We found that all the local fruits and vegetables were sprayed with very toxic chemicals now banned in the U.S. We found raw sewage seeping into the water supply and all meat sources (cattle, chickens, etc.) being fed from toxic polluted sources. This capital case very quickly resulted in a plea deal with only prison time.