Category Archives: Death penalty
What Are Aggravating Factors In A Florida Death Penalty Case?
The Florida death penalty has been in the news frequently over the last few years, first being partially struck down on Sixth Amendment grounds by the US Supreme Court in the 2016 case of Hurst v. Florida, then reinstated by statute a few months later, and subsequently followed by legislation in 2017. As it… Read More »
Florida Man Convicted Of Murder, Rape Will Proceed To Penalty Phase Of Death Penalty Case
It did not take long for the jury to come back with a verdict in the case of a 61-year-old Jacksonville, FL man accused of abducting and killing a young girl in 2013. NBC affiliate WTHR News Channel 13 reported on the courtroom proceedings in a February 15, 2018 article, mentioning that the jury… Read More »
First Degree Murder Case In Naples Shows Current State Of Death Penalty in Florida
After more than eight years of bizarre developments and frustrating delays, the man convicted in a horrifying Naples, Florida murder case has received a death sentence for his crimes. The Naples Daily News reported on the matter, where the defendant murdered his wife and five young children by slitting their throats. After the killings… Read More »
Fentanyl Dealers To Face Death Penalty Under New Florida Law
On October 1, 2017, a Florida law went into effect that imposes criminal liability in a somewhat unusual way: Fentanyl, a potent and deadly opioid, will now be included in the state’s murder statutes, which means that a dealer can actually be convicted of homicide simply by selling the drug. The Orlando Sentinel reported… Read More »
Death Penalty Cases Will Proceed in Florida
In a reversal from its previous position on the death penalty, the Florida Supreme Court issued an order on February 20, 2017 allowing these cases to proceed. Fox 35 Orlando reported on the ruling, which came despite an unconstitutional law that’s still in effect. The state legislature is working to re-write certain provisions and… Read More »
The Future of the Death Penalty in Florida: Will Jury Unanimity Be Required by the Florida Supreme Court?
The future of the death penalty system in Florida is currently on trial in the Florida Supreme Court. After considering arguments made in October of this year, the Florida Supreme Court will provide a ruling on the fate of the death penalty system by the beginning of 2016. The issue: the constitutionality of the… Read More »
Studies Show That There is Little To No Deterrent Value of the Death Penalty on the Commission of Homicides
What is the purpose behind punishment? What is the effect that punishment has on the way that our criminal justice system works? These are some of the questions that are currently reevaluating the way in which our society sentences many charged criminal defendants. According to a new study, however, the deterrence factor on some… Read More »
The Aggravating and Mitigating Circumstances Surrounding Application of the Death Penalty
Florida is still one of several states in the United States which currently permits the use of the death penalty. With such high-profile homicide cases such as the Jodi Arias case and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev (also known as the Boston Marathon Bomber), the death penalty is discussed and evaluated by juries to determine whether or… Read More »
Proposed Changes to Florida’s Death Penalty Jury Requirements
Recently the Supreme Court has agreed to evaluate the role that juries play in criminal cases when sentencing the death penalty. The Supreme Court’s decision to hear the issue of the jury role in death penalty sentencing is based largely on a recent criminal proceeding where the jury was split as to whether the… Read More »
The “Timely Justice Act” Upheld: Opponents Call the Act the Death Penalty Fast Track
Florida’s death penalty laws have been the subject of controversy and debate. Florida is touted as having one of the highest death penalty rates in the country, largely due to the current death penalty system in place. The death sentence in Florida is invoked more easily than in any other state. Death Penalty Jury… Read More »