FLOYD MORGAN, APPELLANT,
v.
STATE OF FLORIDA, APPELLEE
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The court held that the trial court's failure to consider nonstatutory mitigating circumstances during sentencing, as required by Hitchcock v. Dugger, necessitates a new sentencing proceeding.
[1] A capital sentencing proceeding is unconstitutional if the jury is instructed not to consider, and the sentencing judge refuses to consider, evidence of nonstatutory miti…
[2] A trial court's failure to consider nonstatutory mitigating factors in a capital sentencing proceeding is not harmless error when the jury's recommendation vote was close…
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Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceThe appellant was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death. The trial court instructed the jury that only statutory mitigating circumst…
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PER CURIAM.
This case is an appeal from the denial of a motion for post-conviction relief filed under Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.850. Because this case involves the imposition of the sentence of death, following a conviction of first degree murder, this Court has jurisdiction to review the trial court order. Art. V, section 3(b)(1), Fla. Const. We reverse and remand the case for resentencing in a proceeding consistent with this opinion.
The appellant was convicted of the first degree murder of a fellow inmate at Union Correctional Institute. Following a jury recommendation, by a seven to five vote, the trial judge sentenced the appellant to death. On direct appeal, this Court affirmed the judgment of conviction, as well as the sentence. Morgan v. State, 415 So. 2d 6 (Fla.1982), cert, denied, 459 U.S. 1055, 103 S.Ct. 473, 74 L.Ed.2d 621 (1982). The appellant filed a motion for post-conviction relief, which was denied without hearing. This Court reversed that order and remanded the case to the trial court to take evidence on the motion. Morgan v. State, 475 So. 2d 681 (Fla.1985). On remand, the trial court held an evidentiary hearing and then denied the motion. The appellant now appeals the order denying his Rule 3.850 motion.
On appeal, the appellant asserts two arguments for reversal. The first argument is that the United States Supreme Court decision in Hitchcock v. Dugger, — U.S. —, 107 S.Ct. 1821, 95 L.Ed.2d 347 (1987) requires this Court to reverse the capital sentence. Because of our disposition on that issue, we need not reach appellant’s second argument, namely that he was deprived effective assistance of counsel during his capital sentencing proceeding.
In the Hitchcock sentencing hearing, the trial judge instructed the jury that “[t]he mitigating circumstances which you may consider shall be the following....” 107 S.Ct. at 1824. The judge then listed the enumerated, statutory mitigating circumstances which the jury was permitted to consider in rendering its advisory sentence. As the Court in Hitchcock noted, there is no doubt that the trial judge felt restricted to those statutory mitigating factors.
The trial judge in this case in the proceedings below, instructed the jury in precisely the identical manner. Using the same language, the court expressly precluded the jury from considering any factors except those enumerated in section 921.141(6). Moreover, the court, in its order sentencing the appellant to death, examined the list of statutory mitigating circumstances and determined that none were applicable. Nowhere in his order is there any reference to any nonstatutory mitigating evidence proffered by the appellant. The state argues that there is no evidence that the trial court refused to consider such nonstatutory mitigating circumstances. We disagree with this view of the record. Our reading of the record leads to one conclusion. That is, that nonstatutory mitigating factors were not taken into account by the trial court, as required by Lockett v. Ohio, 438 U.S. 586, 98 S.Ct. 2954, 57 L.Ed. 2d 973 (1978), and now Hitchcock.
The Supreme Court in Hitchcock found this failure to consider nonstatutory mitigation to be dispositive:
We think it could not be clearer that the advisory jury was instructed not to consider, and the sentencing judge refused to consider, evidence of nonstatutory mitigating circumstances, and that the proceedings therefore did not comport with the requirements of Skipper v. South Carolina, 476 U.S. 1, 106 S.Ct. 1669, 90 L.Ed.2d 1 (1986), Eddings v. Oklahoma, 455 U.S. 104, 102 S.Ct. 869, 71 L.Ed.2d 1 (1982), and Lockett v. Ohio, 438 U.S. 586, 98 S.Ct. 2954, 57 L.Ed.2d 973 (1978).
107 S.Ct. at 1824. Here, as in Hitchcock, it is clear that the trial judge did not allow for consideration of nonstatutory mitigating circumstances.
While it is true that the appellant was permitted to proffer evidence to rebut, explain, or refute aggravating circumstances presented by the state, this does not comport with the requirements of Lockett or Hitchcock. Such a limit on the admission of nonstatutory mitigating evidence places the proffering of that evidence entirely within the control of the prosecution. This we will not permit. It is abundantly clear from the record that the jury was not able to consider, and the trial judge did not take into account, any evidence of nonstat-utory mitigating circumstances.
This error may not be considered harmless in light of the close nature of the jury recommendation vote. It is significant that the difference of one vote rendered the jury recommendation one of death rather than mercy. Under such, and other circumstances, the failure to consider non-statutory mitigating factors cannot be termed harmless error. Because our determination that the appellant is due a new sentencing hearing, we need not address the issue of whether appellant was deprived effective assistance of counsel at the original sentencing proceeding. Any claim of ineffectiveness is mooted by our granting of a new sentencing proceeding.
The order of the court below, denying the appellant’s Rule 3.850 motion is hereby reversed. We remand this case with directions to vacate the sentence of death and conduct, with a new jury, a sentencing proceeding consistent with this opinion.
It is so ordered.
MCDONALD, C.J., and OVERTON, EHRLICH, SHAW, BARKETT, GRIMES and KOGAN, JJ., concur.
Cases With Similar Vibessemantic neighbors from the corpus
Citator
Cited By
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Waterhouse v. State, 522 So. 2d 341 (Fla. 1988)…here the proceedings violate the teachings of Lockett v. Ohio, 438 U.S. 586, 98 S.Ct. 2954, 57 L.Ed.2d 973 (1978). See Thompson v. Dugger, 515 So. 2d 173 (Fla. 1987) (consolidated cases); Downs v. Dugger, 514 So. 2d 1069 (Fla.1987); Morgan v. State, 515 So. 2d 975 (Fla.1987); Riley v. Wainwright, 517 So. 2d 656, 12 F.L.W. 457 (Fla.1987). This case represents another situation where the trial judge did not instruct on, and the jury clearly did not consider, evidence of nonstatutory mitigating circumstances. He…
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Cooper v. Dugger, 526 So. 2d 900 (Fla. 1988)…statutory factors, the sentencing proceeding is constitutionally deficient and a new penalty phase proceeding before a jury is mandated. Hitchcock; Downs v. Dugger; Thompson v. Dugger; Riley v. Wainwright, 517 So. 2d 656 (Fla.1987); Morgan v. State, 515 So. 2d 975 (Fla.1987). During petitioner’s sentencing proceeding, held on June 24, 1974, he sought to introduce, among other things, the testimony of family and friends regarding his employment history and his attempts to rehabilitate himself since his releas…
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Bennie Demps v. Dugger, 514 So. 2d 1092 (Fla. 1987)…tly held that a harmless error analysis is applicable in such cases.. Delap v. Dugger, 513 So. 2d 659 (Fla.1987). See also, Hitchcock; Downs v. Dugger, 514 So. 2d 1069 (Fla.1987); Riley v. Wainwright, No. 69,563 (Fla. Sept. 3,1987); Morgan v. State, 515 So. 2d 975 (Fla.1987); McCrae v. State, 510 So. 2d 874 (Fla.1987). Having reviewed the record, we find that the presentence investigation report, considered by the court, countered much of the nonstatutory mitigating evidence. It indicated that Demps was dish…
Previewing 3 of 8 citing cases — full citator treatment, depth of discussion, and citing context are member features.
Join FLexlaw to unlock all legal intelligenceAuthorities Cited
- Lockett v. Ohio, 438 U.S. 586 (U.S. 1978)
- Eddings v. Oklahoma, 455 U.S. 104 (U.S. 1982)
- Hitchcock v. Dugger, 481 U.S. 393 (U.S. 1987)
- Skipper v. South Carolina, 476 U.S. 1 (U.S. 1986)
- Knapp v. Cardwell, 459 U.S. 1055 (U.S. 1982)
- Morgan v. State, 415 So. 2d 6 (Fla. 1982)
- Morgan v. State, 475 So. 2d 681 (Fla. 1985)