Justia Florida Supreme Court Opinion Summaries

After a jury trial, Appellant was convicted of the first-degree murder, kidnapping, and sexual battery of a nine-year-old and sentenced to death. After the Governor signed the warrant in this case Appellant filed numerous public records requests, a second successive motion for postconviction relief, and a request for a stay of execution. The circuit court denied Appellant's public records requests, his postconviction petition, and his request for a stay of execution. The Supreme Court affirmed in all respects, holding that the circuit court did not err in its rulings. View "Chavez v. State" on Justia Law

Plaintiff filed a medical malpractice wrongful death action against Cedars Healthcare Group, a facility at which Plaintiff’s father was a patient when he died, and other health care providers. Plaintiff sought records of adverse medical incidents from Cedars pursuant to Fla. Const. art. X, 25, which guarantees patients the right to “have access to any records made or received in the course of business by a health care facility or provider relating to any adverse medical incident.” The trial court overruled Cedars’ objection to the discovery request. Cedars subsequently petitioned the district court for a writ of certiorari. Citing to Fla. Stat. 381.028(7)(a), the district court granted the petition on the ground that the request to produce asked for “records of adverse medical incidents involving patients other than the plaintiff” but did not limit the production of those records to the same or substantially similar condition as the patient requesting access. Prior to the district court’s decision, the Supreme Court, in Florida Hospital Waterman, Inc. v. Buster, declared section 381.028(7)(a) invalid. Accordingly, the Court quashed the decision of the district court in this case and remanded for reconsideration pursuant to Buster. View "Ampuero-Martinez v. Cedars Healthcare Group" on Justia Law

After a second jury trial, Appellant was convicted of first-degree murder and robbery and was sentenced to death. The Supreme Court affirmed the convictions but twice remanded for new penalty phases. Each time, the trial court sentenced Defendant to death. The Supreme Court affirmed the sentence of death. Appellant subsequently moved to vacate judgment of convictions and sentences, alleging ineffective assistance of counsel. The postconviction court denied all claims presented in Appellant’s motion to vacate. The Supreme Court affirmed, holding that the postconviction court did not err in denying Appellant’s claims of ineffective assistance of counsel during his second guilt phase trial and during his fourth penalty phase trial.View "Lebron v. State" on Justia Law

The Florida Attorney General petitioned the Supreme Court for an advisory opinion as to the validity of a proposed citizen initiative amendment to the Florida Constitution and the accompanying Financial Impact Statement. Upon review, the Supreme Court approved the proposed amendment and Financial Impact Statement for placement on the ballot, concluding (1) the proposed amendment satisfies the single-subject requirement of Fla. Const. art. XI, 3 because it embraces a single subject, which is the medical use of marijuana; (2) the ballot title and summary comply with the clarity requirements of Fla. Stat. 101.161(1) because they give voters fair notice as to the chief purpose and scope of the proposed amendment and will not affirmatively mislead voters regarding the purpose of the proposed amendment; and (3) the Financial Impact Statement complies with Fla. Stat. 100.371(5).View "Advisory Opinion to the Attorney General Re Use of Marijuana for Certain Medical Conditions" on Justia Law

After a jury trial, Defendant was found guilty of first-degree murder under the felony murder and premeditated theories in the deaths of Berthum Gibson and Keenethia Keenan and guilty of first-degree murder under the felony murder theory in the death of Desmond Robinson. Defendant was sentenced to death for the deaths of Gibson and Keenan. The Supreme Court affirmed the convictions and sentences, holding (1) the evidence was sufficient to support Defendant’s convictions under both the felony murder and premeditation theories; (2) the trial court did not err in giving additional weight to the felony murder aggravating circumstance; (3) Defendant’s death sentences were proportional; and (4) Defendant’s death sentences were not unconstitutional under Ring v. Arizona.View "Smith v. State" on Justia Law

After a jury trial, Defendant was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death. The Supreme Court affirmed on direct appeal. Defendant subsequently filed an amended motion to vacate his judgment and sentence, which the postconviction court denied. Defendant appealed and filed an accompanying petition for writ of habeas corpus. The Supreme Court affirmed, holding (1) the postconviction court did not err in finding Defendant competent to proceed in his postconviction proceedings; (2) the postconviction court did not err in denying Defendant’s claim of ineffective assistance of trial counsel during the penalty phase and voir dire; (3) the postconviction court did not err in summarily denying Defendant’s claim that trial counsel was ineffective for failing to file a motion for a change of venue; (4) Florida’s method of execution for lethal injection is constitutional; and (5) Defendant was not entitled to relief on his claim that his right against cruel and unusual punishment would be violated because he may be incompetent at the time of execution.View "Franklin v. State" on Justia Law

Defendant was convicted of first-degree murder, kidnapping, and sexual battery with great force. Defendant was sentenced to death. The Supreme Court affirmed Defendant’s convictions and sentence of death. Defendant subsequently filed a motion for postconviction relief, raising several allegations of error. The postconviction court denied the motion. The Supreme Court affirmed the postconviction court’s denial of relief and denied Defendant’s petition for a writ of habeas corpus, holding (1) trial counsel did not provide ineffective assistance; (2) Defendant was not entitled to relief on his claims relating to the State’s alleged use of Defendant’s co-defendant as a state agent and letters written between the co-defendant and Defendant; and (3) appellate counsel did not provide ineffective assistance. View "Johnson v. State" on Justia Law

Appellant, a prisoner under a sentence of death for whom a death warrant had been signed, filed a successive motion for postconviction relief raising an as-applied challenge to Florida’s lethal injection protocol based on his allegation that he suffers from the medical condition porphyria. The circuit court denied Appellant’s claim without an evidentiary hearing. Appellant appealed and produced an affidavit by a physician stating that, in the physician’s expert medical opinion, a substantial risk existed that the use of midazolam hydrochloride as the first drug of Florida’s lethal injection protocol would cause Appellant “extreme or excruciating pain.” In light of these allegations, the Supreme Court relinquished jurisdiction to the circuit court. After a hearing, the circuit court denied Appellant’s claim. The Supreme Court affirmed, holding that Appellant failed to demonstrate that Florida’s lethal injection protocol, as applied to him, violated the Eighth Amendment because he did not show that allegedly suffering from porphyria creates a “substantial risk of serious harm” upon the injection of midazolam. View "Davis v. State" on Justia Law

Appellant was convicted after a jury trial for the first-degree murders of an elderly couple, whom he cut and stabbed. Sentences of death were imposed for both murders, but the case returned to the circuit court. After a new penalty phase, Appellant was sentenced to death for only one murder. The Supreme Court affirmed Appellant's sentence of death. Appellant sought postconviction relief, alleging ineffective assistance of counsel. After an evidentiary hearing, the postconviction court concluded that Appellant was entitled to a new penalty phase trial. The Supreme Court reinstated Appellant's sentence of death, holding that Appellant was not entitled to any relief due to ineffective assistance of counsel under the Strickland v. Washington standard. View "State v. Woodel" on Justia Law

Defendant was charged with drug trafficking and possession after the vehicle he was driving was stopped by a deputy sheriff who had noticed an inconsistency between the actual color of the vehicle and the color indicated on the vehicle’s registration. Defendant moved to suppress the results of the stop as products of an unlawful, warrantless search. The trial court denied the motion to suppress, concluding that the vehicle was legally stopped for investigative purposes and that the odor of marijuana emanating from inside the vehicle gave the officer probable cause to conduct a search. Defendant was subsequently convicted. The district court reversed the denial of Defendant’s motion to suppress, concluding that a color discrepancy alone does not provide reasonable suspicion for an investigatory stop. The Supreme Court affirmed, holding that a color discrepancy, standing alone, does not justify initiating a stop to determine if the law has been violated. View "State v. Teamer" on Justia Law