On Tuesday, Jan. 12, the Supreme Court found Florida's capital punishment process in violation of the Sixth Amendment, which guarantees the right to trial by jury. The 8-1 ruling determined the process unconstitutional, as the Supreme Court stated that it gives too much power to judges that is rightfully reserved for juries.
The decision could spark new sentencing appeals from some of the 400 plus inmates on Florida's death row. It is unclear as of right now how the ruling will affect inmates awaiting execution.
According to the Death Penalty Information Center, the Supreme Court based its decision largely on Ring v. Arizona, a 2002 occurrence in which Arizona's sentencing scheme was struck down because a judge, not a jury, found the facts necessary to impose a death sentence. The case that also played a role in the Court's decision was based out of Escambia County and involved Timothy Lee Hurst, who was convicted of murdering his manager at a Popeye's restaurant in 1998. A jury favored the death sentence for Hurst by a 7-5 vote and a judge imposed this sentence.
The ruling will most likely have little impact outside of Florida, as no other state has exactly the same procedure.
Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi said that she would work with lawmakers to make sure that Florida's capital punishment process meets constitutional muster.
"The state will need to make changes to its death-sentencing statutes," said Bondi in an emailed statement. "The impact of the Court's ruling on existing death sentences will need to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis."