Case Title: Walls v. State

Citation: 

Docket Number: SC17-959

State: florida

Court: Florida Supreme Court

Date: 2018-01-22T00:00:00Z

Document:
Supreme Court of Florida 
 
 
____________ 
 
No. SC17-959 
____________ 
 
FRANK A. WALLS,  
Appellant, 
 
vs. 
 
STATE OF FLORIDA,  
Appellee. 
 
[January 22, 2018] 
 
 
 
PER CURIAM. 
We have for review Frank A. Walls’ appeal of the circuit court’s order 
denying Walls’ motion filed pursuant to Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.851.  
This Court has jurisdiction.  See art. V, § 3(b)(1), Fla. Const.   
Walls’ 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).  This Court stayed Walls’ appeal pending the disposition of Hitchcock v. 
State, 226 So. 3d 216 (Fla. 2017), cert. denied, 138 S. Ct. 513 (2017).  After this 
 
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Court decided Hitchcock, Walls responded to this Court’s order to show cause 
arguing why Hitchcock should not be dispositive in this case. 
After reviewing Walls’ response to the order to show cause, as well as the 
State’s arguments in reply, we conclude that Walls is not entitled to relief.  Walls 
was sentenced to death following a jury’s unanimous recommendation for death.  
Walls v. State, 641 So. 2d 381, 386 (Fla. 1994).  Walls’ sentence of death became 
final in 1995.  Walls v. Florida, 513 U.S. 1130 (1995).  Thus, Hurst does not apply 
retroactively to Walls’ sentence of death.  See Hitchcock, 226 So. 3d at 217.  
Accordingly, we affirm the denial of Walls’ motion. 
The Court having carefully considered all arguments raised by Walls, 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 Okaloosa County,  
William Francis Stone, Judge - Case No. 461987CF000856XXXAXX 
 
 
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James Viggiano, Jr., Capital Collateral Regional Counsel, Maria E. DeLiberato, 
Julissa Fontán, and Chelsea Ray Shirley, Assistant Capital Collateral Regional 
Counsel, Middle Region, Temple Terrace, Florida, 
 
for Appellant 
 
Pamela Jo Bondi, Attorney General, and Charmaine M. Millsaps, Assistant 
Attorney General, Tallahassee, Florida, 
 
for Appellee