SPRING TERM 2008 U.S. SUPREME COURT NEWS
The lethal injection process of execution has been found by the US Supreme Court as not violative of the US constitution.
The most recent ruling of the U.S. Supreme Court permits Florida to continue to execute by lethal injection.
Broward County and Fort Lauderdale continue to lead the State of Florida in convictions for capital homicide and drug trafficking charges.
Capital homicide trials continue to bifurcate: that is after a finding of guilt on homicide charges, the jury then hears argument on punishment and makes a recommendation to the judge for life in prison or execution. It is the judge who makes the decision and is not bound by the jury’s recommendation for execution or life in prison.
Fort most criminal lawyers in Fort Lauderdale the ruling was expected. Many Death Certified criminal lawyers, such as Attorney Ralph Behr, continue to preserve the issue for appelate courts by objecting at criminal trials of capital homicide cases to the death penalty.
Florida’s drug trafficking laws F.S. 921.142 provide for the death penalty in drug trafficking cases in which certain “aggravators” appear. Those “aggravators” are listed in the drug trafficking statute.
The U.S. Supreme court has not heard any Florida criminal cases in which the death penalty has been sought for drug trafficking. Fort Lauderdale and Miami send more drug trafficking case appeals to appeals courts than any other Florida districts.