Justia Florida Supreme Court Opinion Summaries

The Supreme Court affirmed the circuit court’s order denying Daniel Burns, Jr.’s motion filed pursuant to Fla. R. Crim. P. 3.851, holding that Burns was not entitled to relief pursuant to the United States Supreme Court’s decision in Hurst v. Florida, 136 S. Ct. 616 (2016), and this court’s decision on remand in Hurst v. State (Hurst), 202 So. 3d 40 (Fla. 2016). Burns was sentenced to death following a jury’s unanimous recommendation for death. Burns’ sentence of death became final in 1998. The Supreme Court held that Hurst did not apply retroactively to Burns’ sentence of death and thus affirmed the denial of Burns’ motion. View "Burns v. State" on Justia Law

The Supreme Court affirmed the circuit court’s order denying Curtis W. Beasley’s motion filed pursuant to Fla. R. Crim. P. 3.851, holding that Beasley was not entitled to relief pursuant to the United States Supreme Court’s decision in Hurst v. Florida, 136 S. Ct. 616 (2016), and this court’s decision on remand in Hurst v. State (Hurst), 202 So. 3d 40 (Fla. 2016). Beasley was sentenced to death following a jury’s recommendation for death by a vote of ten to two. Beasley’s sentence of death became final in 2001. The Supreme Court held that Hurst did not apply retroactively to Beasley’s sentence of death and thus affirmed the denial of Beasley’s motion. View "Beasley v. State" on Justia Law

The Supreme Court affirmed the circuit court’s order denying Jeffrey Lee Atwater’s motion filed pursuant to Fla. R. Crim. P. 3.851, holding that Atwater was not entitled to relief pursuant to the United States Supreme Court’s decision in Hurst v. Florida, 136 S. Ct. 616 (2016), and this court’s decision on remand in Hurst v. State (Hurst), 202 So. 3d 40 (Fla. 2016). Atwater was sentenced to death following a jury’s recommendation for death by a vote of eleven to one. Atwater’s sentence of death became final in 1994. The Supreme Court held that Hurst did not apply retroactively to Atwater’s sentence of death and thus affirmed the denial of Atwater’s motion. View "Atwater v. State" on Justia Law

The Supreme Court affirmed the circuit court’s order denying Frank A. Walls’ motion filed pursuant to Fla. R. Crim. P. 3.851, holding that Walls was not entitled to relief pursuant to the United States Supreme Court’s decision in Hurst v. Florida, 136 S. Ct. 616 (2016), and this court’s decision on remand in Hurst v. State (Hurst), 202 So. 3d 40 (Fla. 2016). Walls was sentenced to death following a jury’s unanimous recommendation for death. Walls' sentence of death became final in 1995. The Supreme Court held that Hurst did not apply retroactively to Walls’ sentence of death and thus affirmed the denial of Walls’ motion. View "Walls v. State" on Justia Law

The Supreme Court affirmed the circuit court’s order denying Ernest D. Suggs’ motion filed pursuant to Fla. R. Crim. P. 3.851 and denied his petition for a writ of habeas corpus, holding that Suggs was not entitled to relief pursuant to the United States Supreme Court’s decision in Hurst v. Florida, 136 S. Ct. 616 (2016), and this court’s decision on remand in Hurst v. State (Hurst), 202 So. 3d 40 (Fla. 2016). Suggs was sentenced to death following a jury’s recommendation for death by a vote of nine to three. Suggs’ sentence became final in 2001. The Supreme Court held that Hurst did not apply retroactively to Suggs’ sentence of death. View "Suggs v. State" on Justia Law

The Supreme Court affirmed the circuit court’s order denying Jason Demetrius Stephens' motion filed pursuant to Fla. R. Crim. P. 3.851 and denied his petition for a writ of habeas corpus, holding that Stephens was not entitled to relief pursuant to the United States Supreme Court’s decision in Hurst v. Florida, 136 S. Ct. 616 (2016), and this court’s decision on remand in Hurst v. State (Hurst), 202 So. 3d 40 (Fla. 2016). Stephens was sentenced to death following a jury’s recommendation for death by a vote of nine to three. Stephens' sentence became final in 2001. The Supreme Court held that Hurst did not apply retroactively to Stephens' sentence of death. View "Stephens v. State" on Justia Law

The Supreme Court affirmed the circuit court’s order denying Harry Franklin Phillips’ motion filed pursuant to Fla. R. Crim. P. 3.851, holding that Phillips was not entitled to relief pursuant to the United States Supreme Court’s decision in Hurst v. Florida, 136 S. Ct. 616 (2016), and this court’s decision on remand in Hurst v. State (Hurst), 202 So. 3d 40 (Fla. 2016). Phillips was sentenced to death following a jury’s recommendation for death by a vote of seven to five. Phillips’ sentence of death became final in 1998. The Supreme Court held that Hurst did not apply retroactively to Phillips’ sentence of death and thus affirmed the denial of Phillips’ motion. View "Phillips v. State" on Justia Law

The Supreme Court affirmed the circuit court’s order denying Marvin Burnett Jones’s motion filed pursuant to Fla. R. Crim. P. 3.851, holding that Jones was not entitled to relief pursuant to the United States Supreme Court’s decision in Hurst v. Florida, 136 S. Ct. 616 (2016), and this court’s decision on remand in Hurst v. State (Hurst), 202 So. 3d 40 (Fla. 2016). Jones was sentenced to death following a jury’s recommendation for death by a vote of nine to three. Jones’s sentence of death became final in 1997. The Supreme Court held that Hurst did not apply retroactively to Jones’s sentence of death and thus affirmed the denial of Jones’s motion. View "Jones v. State" on Justia Law

The Supreme Court affirmed the circuit court’s order denying Daniel Jon Peterka’s motion filed pursuant to Fla. R. Crim. P. 3.851 and denied his petition for a writ of habeas corpus, holding that Peterka was not entitled to relief pursuant to the United States Supreme Court’s decision in Hurst v. Florida, 136 S. Ct. 616 (2016), and this court’s decision on remand in Hurst v. State (Hurst), 202 So. 3d 40 (Fla. 2016). Peterka was sentenced to death following a jury’s recommendation for death by a vote of eight to four. Peterka’s sentence became final in 2000. The Supreme Court held that Hurst did not apply retroactively to Peterka’s sentence of death. View "Peterka v. State" on Justia Law

The Supreme Court affirmed the circuit court’s order denying Donald Bradley’s petition for a writ of habeas corpus, holding that Bradley was not entitled to relief pursuant to the United States Supreme Court’s decision in Hurst v. Florida, 136 S. Ct. 616 (2016), and this court’s decision on remand in Hurst v. State (Hurst), 202 So. 3d 40 (Fla. 2016). Bradley was sentenced to death following a jury’s recommendation for death by a vote of ten to two. Bradley’s sentence of death became final in 2001. The Supreme Court held that Hurst did not apply retroactively to Bradley’s sentence of death and thus affirmed the denial of Bradley’s motion. View "Bradley v. Jones" on Justia Law