Title: Miller v. Jones

State: florida

Issuer: Florida Supreme Court

Document:

Supreme Court of Florida 
 
 
____________ 
 
No. SC17-1211 
____________ 
 
DAVID MILLER, JR.,  
Petitioner, 
 
vs. 
 
JULIE L. JONES, etc.,  
Respondent. 
 
[January 31, 2018] 
 
 
 
PER CURIAM. 
David Miller, Jr., petitions this Court for a writ of habeas corpus seeking 
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 has 
jurisdiction.  See art. V, § 3(b)(9), Fla. Const. 
This Court stayed Miller’s case 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, Miller responded to this Court’s order to show cause 
arguing why Hitchcock should not be dispositive in this case. 
After reviewing Miller’s response to the order to show cause, as well as the 
State’s arguments in reply, we conclude that Miller is not entitled to relief.  Miller 
was sentenced to death following a jury’s recommendation for death by a vote of 
seven to five, and Miller’s sentence of death became final in 2001.  Miller v. State, 
770 So. 2d 1144, 1146 (Fla. 2000).  Thus, Hurst does not apply retroactively to 
Miller’s sentence.  See Hitchcock, 226 So. 3d at 217.  Accordingly, we deny 
Miller’s petition. 
The Court having carefully considered all arguments raised by Miller, 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 Original Proceeding – Habeas Corpus, Duval County,  
Case No. 161997CF006680AXXXMA 
 
 
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Christopher J. Anderson of Law Office of Christopher J. Anderson, Neptune 
Beach, Florida; and Billy H. Nolas, Chief, Capital Habeas Unit, Office of the 
Federal Public Defender, Northern District of Florida, Tallahassee, Florida, 
 
for Petitioner 
 
Pamela Jo Bondi, Attorney General, and Jennifer A. Donahue, Assistant Attorney 
General, Tallahassee, Florida, 
 
for Respondent