Case Title: Heath v. State

Citation: 

Docket Number: SC17-1808

State: florida

Court: Florida Supreme Court

Date: 2018-02-28T00:00:00Z

Document:
Supreme Court of Florida 
 
 
____________ 
 
No. SC17-1808 
____________ 
 
RONALD PALMER HEATH, 
Appellant, 
 
vs. 
 
STATE OF FLORIDA, 
Appellee. 
 
[February 28, 2018] 
 
PER CURIAM. 
We have for review Ronald Palmer Heath’s appeal of the circuit court’s 
order denying Heath’s motion filed pursuant to Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 
3.851.  This Court has jurisdiction.  See art. V, § 3(b)(1), Fla. Const.   
Heath’s motion sought relief pursuant to the United States Supreme Court’s 
decision in Hurst v. Florida, 136 S. Ct. 616 (2016), and our decision on remand in 
Hurst v. State (Hurst), 202 So. 3d 40 (Fla. 2016), cert. denied, 137 S. Ct. 2161 
(2017).  After this Court decided Hitchcock v. State, 226 So. 3d 216 (Fla.), cert. 
denied, 138 S. Ct. 513 (2017), Heath responded to this Court’s order to show cause 
arguing why Hitchcock should not be dispositive in this case. 
 
 
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After reviewing Heath’s response to the order to show cause, as well as the 
State’s arguments in reply, we conclude that Heath is not entitled to relief.  Heath 
was sentenced to death following a jury’s recommendation for death by a vote of 
ten to two.  Heath v. State, 648 So. 2d 660, 663 (Fla. 1994).  Heath’s sentence of 
death became final in 1995.  Heath v. Florida, 515 U.S. 1162 (1995).  Thus, Hurst 
does not apply retroactively to Heath’s sentence of death.  See Hitchcock, 226 So. 
3d at 217.  Accordingly, we affirm the denial of Heath’s motion. 
The Court having carefully considered all arguments raised by Heath, we 
caution that any rehearing motion containing reargument will be stricken.  It is so 
ordered. 
LABARGA, C.J., and QUINCE, POLSTON, and LAWSON, JJ., concur. 
PARIENTE, J., concurs in result with an opinion. 
LEWIS and CANADY, JJ., concur in result. 
PARIENTE, J., concurring in result. 
I concur in result because I recognize that this Court’s opinion in Hitchcock 
v. State, 226 So. 3d 216 (Fla. 2017), cert. denied, 138 S. Ct. 513 (2017), is now 
final.  However, I continue to adhere to the views expressed in my dissenting 
opinion in Hitchcock. 
An Appeal from the Circuit Court in and for Alachua County,  
James M. Colaw, Judge - Case No. 011989CF003026AXXXXX 
 
Billy H. Nolas, Chief, Capital Habeas Unit, Office of the Federal Public Defender, 
Northern District of Florida, Tallahassee, Florida; and Sonya Rudenstine, 
Gainesville, Florida, 
 
 
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for Appellant 
 
Pamela Jo Bondi, Attorney General, and Jennifer A. Donahue, Assistant Attorney 
General, Tallahassee, Florida, 
 
for Appellee