Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Milton Hirsch ruled today that Florida’s death penalty system is unconstitutional due to a controversial element of state law that allows juries to sentence defendants to death without a unanimous decision.
According to the Miami Herald, Hirsch’s ruling will be the latest to stir the pot in terms of Florida’s death penalty.
Capital punishment in the state is already under review after the US Supreme Court ruled the sentencing system unconstitutional.
As the Herald points out, only Florida and Alabama allow non-unanimous juries to impose death sentences.
“A decedent cannot be more or less dead. An expectant mother cannot be more or less pregnant,” Judge Hirsch wrote in a court document obtained by the Herald. “And a jury cannot be more or less unanimous. Every verdict in every criminal case in Florida requires the concurrence, not of some, not of most, but of all jurors – every single one of them.”
Hirsch issued the ruling in the case of Karon Gaiter, who is accused of first degree murder.
The Florida Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a case last week that could see all 390 people who are currently on death row in the state to be given life sentences due to the flawed sentencing system.
“Arithmetically the difference between 12 and 10 is slight,” Hirsch wrote in his opinion. “But the question before me is not a question of arithmetic. It is a question of constitutional law. It is a question of justice.”
RISE NEWS is a grassroots journalism news organization that is working to change the way young people become informed and engaged in public affairs. You can write for us.
Cover Photo Credit: Andrew Petro/ Flickr (CC By 2.0)
What Do You Think?
-
Marlins Pitcher Jose Fernandez Dies At Age 24 In Tragic Boating Accident
Jose Fernandez, a talented pitcher and a young icon of what is possible for Cuban-Americans died early Sunday morning in a boating accident.
The Miami Marlins confirmed the news in a statement.
Statement from the Miami Marlins organization: pic.twitter.com/6A4Rv6m2g9
— Miami Marlins (@Marlins) September 25, 2016
This is breaking news. Stay with RISE NEWS.
What Do You Think?
-
16 Year Old Boy Leads Police On Multi County Chase In South Florida
Update: 1:53 PM EST
A 16 year old boy had been leading police on a wild two county chase for the past hour in South Florida.
The chase finally came to an end at around 1:50 PM EST after the suspect was arrested in Miami Gardens.
The chase began in Southern Miami-Dade County after the boy allegedly stole a Chevy Suburban.
More to come.
Video from WSVN Channel 7 in Miami.
WSVN-TV – 7NEWS Miami Ft. Lauderdale News, Weather, Deco
Cover Photo Credit: Traffic Camera/ WSVN (Screenshot)
What Do You Think?
-
We Really Need To Talk About Jalen Hurts’ Mustache
There is something that is incredibly important that the entire sports media has failed to report on.
They should all be ashamed of themselves frankly for how derelict in duty they have been on this front.
You should cut the cord, end subscriptions, and stop clicking on their stories because of this oversight.
Jalen Hurts, the freshman quarterback of the University of Alabama has a French police inspector mustache.
There.
We’ve said it.
Literally pick any French police inspector from a film- recent or otherwise. They will have similar facial hair to Jalen Hurts.
It hasn’t always been so French for Jalen.
24/7 Sports
In fact there was a time when the mustache didn’t exist at all. Those were smoother days indeed.
Sure. We can sort of understand why no one in the sports media landscape has taken on this very important topic.
And we guess that Hurts’ dominant performance on the field- which he’s doing as an 18 year old is pretty cool in its own right.
But his mustache deserves more attention.
I mean come on!
His facial hair is such a throwback that we bet his grandparents can’t even relate to it.
Oh wait.
Nevermind.
RISE NEWS is a grassroots journalism news organization that is working to change the way young people become informed and engaged in the world. You can write for us.
What Do You Think?