PAUL GLEN EVERETT, APPELLANT,
v.
STATE OF FLORIDA, APPELLEE.

Fla. | 2018-05-24
No. SC17–1863
258 So. 3d 1199 Florida Supreme Court (2018) Positive Treatment
Cited by 1 case

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Synopsis

Paul Glen Everett, a death row inmate, appealed the circuit court's summary denial of his successive postconviction motion seeking to vacate his death sentence based on Hurst v. Florida. The Florida Supreme Court affirmed the denial, holding that Everett's unanimous jury recommendation of death satisfied Hurst's constitutional requirements and any error was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt.


Holding

The court affirmed the circuit court's summary denial of Everett's successive postconviction motion, concluding that a jury's unanimous recommendation of death satisfies the constitutional requirements established in Hurst and that any Hurst error in Everett's case was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt.


Headnotes

[1] A defendant who received a unanimous jury recommendation for death is not entitled to relief under Hurst v. …

[2] A jury's unanimous recommendation of death is constitutionally sufficient to impose a sentence of death when the jury unanimously finds all necessary facts.

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Key Quotes

“a jury's unanimous recommendation of death is "precisely what we determined in Hurst to be constitutionally necessary to impose a sentence of death" because a "jury unanimously f[inds] all of the necessary facts for the imposition of [a] death sentence[ ] by virtue of its unanimous recommendation[ ]"”

Establishes the court's holding that unanimous jury recommendations satisfy Hurst's constitutional requirements for imposing death sentences.

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Facts & Procedural History

In 2002, a jury convicted Everett of first-degree murder, burglary of a dwelling with battery, and sexual battery involving serious physical force. Th…

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Opinion of the Court
PER CURIAM.

PER CURIAM.

Paul Glen Everett, a prisoner under sentence of death, appeals the circuit court's order summarily denying his successive motion for postconviction relief, which was filed under Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.851. We have jurisdiction. See art. V, § 3(b)(1), Fla. Const.

In 2002, a jury convicted Everett of first-degree murder, burglary of a dwelling with a battery, and sexual battery involving serious physical force. After hearing evidence at the penalty phase, the jury unanimously recommended a sentence of death for the first-degree murder by a vote of twelve to zero. We affirmed Everett's convictions and sentence of death on direct appeal. Everett v. State , 893 So.2d 1278 (Fla. 2004), cert. denied , 544 U.S. 987, 125 S.Ct. 1865, 161 L.Ed.2d 747 (2005). We also upheld the denial of his initial motion for postconviction relief and denied his petition for a writ of habeas corpus. Everett v. State , 54 So.3d 464 (Fla. 2010).

In January 2017, Everett filed a successive postconviction motion to vacate his death sentence in light of Hurst v. Florida , --- U.S. ----, 136 S.Ct. 616, 193 L.Ed.2d 504 (2016), and Hurst v. State (Hurst ), 202 So.3d 40 (Fla. 2016), cert. denied , --- U.S. ----, 137 S.Ct. 2161, 198 L.Ed.2d 246 (2017). In September 2017, the circuit court summarily denied the motion. This appeal follows. During the pendency of this case in this Court, we directed the parties to file briefs addressing why the circuit court's order should not be affirmed based on our precedent in Hurst , *1200Davis v. State , 207 So.3d 142 (Fla. 2016), cert. denied , --- U.S. ----, 137 S.Ct. 2218, 198 L.Ed.2d 663 (2017), and Mosley v. State , 209 So.3d 1248 (Fla. 2016).

In Davis , we held that a jury's unanimous recommendation of death is "precisely what we determined in Hurst to be constitutionally necessary to impose a sentence of death" because a "jury unanimously f[inds] all of the necessary facts for the imposition of [a] death sentence[ ] by virtue of its unanimous recommendation[ ]." 207 So.3d at 175. We have consistently relied on Davis to deny Hurst relief to defendants who have received a unanimous jury recommendation of death. See, e.g. , Guardado v. Jones , 226 So.3d 213, 215 (Fla. 2017), cert. denied , --- U.S. ----, 138 S.Ct. 1131, 200 L.Ed.2d 729 (2018) ; Bevel v. State , 221 So.3d 1168, 1178 (Fla. 2017) ; Cozzie v. State , 225 So.3d 717, 733 (Fla. 2017), cert. denied , --- U.S. ----, 138 S.Ct. 1131, 200 L.Ed.2d 729 (2018) ; Morris v. State , 219 So.3d 33, 46 (Fla.), cert. denied , --- U.S. ----, 138 S.Ct. 452, 199 L.Ed.2d 334 (2017) ; Oliver v. State , 214 So.3d 606, 617-18 (Fla.), cert. denied , --- U.S. ----, 138 S.Ct. 3, 199 L.Ed.2d 272 (2017) ; Truehill v. State , 211 So.3d 930, 956-57 (Fla.), cert. denied , --- U.S. ----, 138 S.Ct. 3, 199 L.Ed.2d 272 (2017) ; Tundidor v. State , 221 So.3d 587, 607-08 (Fla. 2017), cert. denied , --- U.S. ----, 138 S.Ct. 829, 200 L.Ed.2d 326 (2018). Everett is among those defendants who received a unanimous jury recommendation of death, and his arguments do not compel departing from our precedent.

Accordingly, because we conclude that any Hurst error in this case was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt, we affirm the circuit court's order summarily denying Everett's successive motion for postconviction relief.

It is so ordered.

LABARGA, C.J., and LEWIS and LAWSON, JJ., concur.

CANADY and POLSTON, JJ., concur in result.

PARIENTE, J., concurs in result with an opinion.

QUINCE, J., dissents with an opinion.

PARIENTE, J., concurring in result.

I agree that Everett is not entitled to Hurst1 relief. I write separately to explain that it is the combination of the jury's unanimous recommendation for death and the absence of any stricken aggravating factor or other issue that would undermine the reliability of the unanimous recommendation2 that allows this Court to conclude that the Hurst error was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt in Everett's case.

QUINCE, J., dissenting.

I cannot agree with the majority's finding that the Hurst error in this case was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt. As I *1201have stated previously, "[b]ecause Hurst 'requires a jury, not a judge, to find each fact necessary to impose a sentence of death,' the error cannot be harmless where such a factual determination was not made." Hall v. State , 212 So.3d 1001, 1036-37 (Fla. 2017) (Quince, J., concurring in part and dissenting in part) (quoting Hurst v. Florida , --- U.S. ----, 136 S.Ct. 616, 619, 193 L.Ed.2d 504 (2016) ); see also Truehill v. State , 211 So.3d 930, 961-62 (Fla. 2017) (Quince, J., concurring in part and dissenting in part). While the trial court here found the heinous, atrocious, or cruel (HAC) aggravator proven, this aggravator requires a factual determination that can only be made by the jury. Therefore, I dissent.

Dissent
QUINCE, J., dissenting.

QUINCE, J., dissenting.

I cannot agree with the majority's finding that the Hurst error in this case was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt. As I have stated previously, "[b]ecause Hurst 'requires a jury, not a judge, to find each fact necessary to impose a sentence of death,' the error cannot be harmless where such a factual determination was not made." Hall v. State , 212 So. 3d 1001, 1036-37 (Fla. 2017) (Quince, J., concurring in part and dissenting in part) (quoting Hurst v. Florida , --- U.S. ----, 136 S.Ct. 616, 619, 193 L.Ed.2d 504 (2016) ); see also Truehill v. State , 211 So. 3d 930, 961-62 (Fla. 2017) (Quince, J., concurring in part and dissenting in part).

While the trial court here found the heinous, atrocious, or cruel (HAC) aggravator proven, this aggravator requires a factual determination that can only be made by the jury.

Therefore, I dissent.


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Citator

Cited By

  • Everett v. State, 377 So. 3d 1123 (Fla. 2024)
    …on direct appeal. Everett v. State, 893 So. 2d 1278 (Fla. 2004). In the years that followed, we also affirmed the denials of his initial and successive motions for postconviction relief. Everett v. State, 54 So. 3d 464 (Fla. 2010); Everett v. State, 258 So. 3d 1199 (Fla. 2018). Everett also sought and was denied federal habeas relief. Everett v. Crews, 5:11cv81/RS, 2014 WL 11350293 (N.D. Fla. Mar. 28, 2014), aff'd, 779 F.3d 1212 (11th Cir. 2015). In 2022, Everett filed a motion for postconviction DNA testing…

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