Title: Morris v. State

State: florida

Issuer: Florida Supreme Court

Document:

Supreme Court of Florida 
 
 
____________ 
 
No. SC17-873 
____________ 
 
ROBERT D. MORRIS,  
Appellant, 
 
vs. 
 
STATE OF FLORIDA,  
Appellee. 
 
[January 26, 2018] 
 
 
 
PER CURIAM. 
We have for review Robert D. Morris’s appeal of the circuit court’s order 
denying Morris’s motion filed pursuant to Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 
3.851.  This Court has jurisdiction.  See art. V, § 3(b)(1), Fla. Const.   
Morris’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).  This Court stayed Morris’s 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, Morris responded to this Court’s order to show cause 
arguing why Hitchcock should not be dispositive in this case. 
After reviewing Morris’s response to the order to show cause, as well as the 
State’s arguments in reply, we conclude that Morris is not entitled to relief.  Morris 
was sentenced to death following a jury’s recommendation for death by a vote of 
eight to four, and his sentence of death became final in May 2002.   Morris v. 
State, 811 So. 2d 661, 664 (Fla. 2002).  Thus, Hurst does not apply retroactively to 
Morris’s sentence of death.  See Hitchcock, 226 So. 3d at 217.  Accordingly, we 
affirm the denial of Morris’s motion. 
The Court having carefully considered all arguments raised by Morris, 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 Polk County,  
Donald G. Jacobsen, Judge - Case No. 531994CF003961A1XXXX 
 
 
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James Viggiano, Jr., Capital Collateral Regional Counsel, Ann Marie Mirialakis, 
and Ali Andrew Shakoor, Assistant Capital Collateral Regional Counsel, Middle 
Region, Temple Terrace, Florida, 
 
for Appellant 
 
Pamela Jo Bondi, Attorney General, and Scott A. Browne, Assistant Attorney 
General, Tampa, Florida, 
 
for Appellee