Case Name: Thomas H. PROVENZANO, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee
Court: Florida Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 1999-08-26
Citations: 751 So. 2d 37
Docket Number: No. 95,959
Parties: Thomas H. PROVENZANO, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee.
Judges: HARDING, C.J., and SHAW, ANSTEAD, PARIENTE, LEWIS and QUINCE, JJ., concur.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 751
Pages: 37–46

Head Matter:
Thomas H. PROVENZANO, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee.
No. 95,959.
Supreme Court of Florida.
Aug. 26, 1999.
Michael P. Reiter, Chief Assistant CCRC, and Mark Gruber, Staff Attorney, Capital Collateral Regional Counsel — Middle, Tampa, Florida, for Appellant.
Robert A. Butterworth, Attorney General, and Carolyn M. Snurkowski, Assistant Attorney General, Tallahassee, Florida, and Carol M. Dittmar and Katherine V. Blanco, Assistant Attorneys General, Tampa, Florida, for Appellee.

Opinion:
PER CURIAM.
Thomas H. Provenzano, at a time when he was under warrant of death, appealed the circuit court's denial of his motion pursuant to Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.811, wherein Provenzano claimed that he was not competent to be executed. In order to give this matter full consideration, this Court entered a stay of execution on July 8, 1999. We further ordered the parties to submit briefs discussing what constitutes "reasonable grounds" under rule 3.811(e) so as to require a hearing pursuant to Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.812. We have jurisdiction pursuant to article V, sections 3(b)(1) and (9) of the Florida Constitution. For the reasons explained below, we remand this cause for a hearing pursuant to rule 3.812.
A brief background of the facts in this case is necessary to analyze this issue. Provenzano's execution was originally set for Wednesday, July 7, 1999. On Monday, July 5, 1999, Provenzano submitted filings with the Governor claiming that Provenza-no was insane to be executed, pursuant to section 922.07, Florida Statutes (1997). Section 922.07 states:
Proceedings when person under sentence of death appears to be insane.—
(1) When the Governor is informed that a person under sentence of death may be insane, the Governor shall stay execution of the sentence and appoint a-commission of three psychiatrists to examine the convicted person. The Governor shall notify the psychiatrists in writing that they are to examine the convicted person to determine whether he or she understands the nature and effect of the death penalty and why it is to be imposed upon him or her. The examination of the convicted person shall take place with all three psychiatrists present at the same time. Counsel for the convicted person and the state attorney may be present at the examination. If the convicted person does not have counsel, the court that imposed the sentence shall appoint counsel to represent him or her.
(2) After receiving the report of the commission, if the Governor decides that the convicted person has the mental capacity to understand the nature of the death penalty and the reasons why it was imposed upon him or her, the Governor shall immediately lift the stay and notify the Attorney General of such action. Within 10 days after such notification, the Governor must set the new date for execution of the death sentence. When the new date for execution of the death sentence is set by the Governor under this subsection, the Attorney General shall notify the inmate's counsel of record of the date and time of execution.
(3) If the Governor decides that the convicted person does not have the mental capacity to understand the nature of the death penalty and why it was imposed on him or her, the Governor shall have the convicted person committed to a Department of Corrections mental health treatment facility.
(4) When a person under sentence of death has been committed to a Department of Corrections mental health treatment facility, he or she shall be kept there until the facility administrator determines that he or she has been restored to sanity. The facility administrator shall notify the Governor of his or her determination, and the Governor shall appoint another commission to proceed as provided in subsection (1).
(5) The Governor shall allow reasonable fees to psychiatrists appointed under the provisions of this section which shall be paid by the state.
As required by the statute, the Governor stayed the execution on Tuesday, July 6, 1999 (the day before the execution was to take place) and appointed a commission of three psychiatrists to examine Provenzano. After receiving the report of the commission, the Governor determined that Pro-venzano had the mental capacity to understand the nature of the death penalty and the reasons why it was imposed upon him. The Governor lifted the stay and reset the execution for Wednesday, July 7, 1999. Subsequently, Provenzano filed a motion in the circuit court pursuant to rule 3.811.
Rule 3.811 was created in response to the United States Supreme Court's decision in Ford v. Wainwright, 477 U.S. 399, 106 S.Ct. 2595, 91 L.Ed.2d 335 (1986). In Ford, the Supreme Court held that a prisoner has a constitutional right not to be executed while insane. A plurality of the Supreme Court also concluded that a prisoner under sentence of death is entitled to a judicial review of a governor's decision that the prisoner is competent to be executed. Rule 3.811 states:
Insanity at Time of Execution: Capital Cases
(a) Insanity to Be Executed. A person under sentence of death shall not be executed while insane to be executed.
(b) Insanity Defined. A person under sentence of death is insane for purposes of execution if the person lacks the mental capacity to understand the fact of the impending execution and the reason for it.
(c) Stay of Execution. No motion for a stay of execution pending hearing, based on grounds of the prisoner's insanity to be executed, shall be entertained by any court until such time as the Governor of Florida shall have held appropriate proceedings for determining the issue pursuant to the appropriate Florida Statutes.
(d) Motion for Stay after Governor's Determination of Sanity to Be Executed. On determination of the Governor of Florida, subsequent to the signing of a death warrant for a prisoner under sentence of death and pursuant to the applicable Florida Statutes relating to insanity at time of execution, that the prisoner is sane to be executed, counsel for the prisoner may move for a stay of execution and a hearing based on the prisoner's insanity to be executed.
(1) The motion shall be filed in the circuit court of the circuit in which the execution is to take place and shall be heard by one of the judges of that circuit or such other judge as shall be assigned by the chief justice of the supreme court to hear the motion. The state attorney of the circuit shall represent the State of Florida in any proceedings held on the motion.
(2) The motion shall be in writing and shall contain a certificate of counsel that the motion is made in good faith and on reasonable grounds to believe that the prisoner is insane to be executed.
(3) Counsel for the prisoner shall file, along with the motion, all reports of experts that were submitted to the governor pursuant to the statutory procedure for executive determination of sanity to be executed. If any of the evidence is not available to counsel for the prisoner, counsel shall attach to the motion an affidavit so stating, with an explanation of why the evidence is unavailable.
(4) Counsel for the prisoner and the state may submit such other evidentiary material and written submissions including reports of experts on behalf of the prisoner as shall be relevant to determination of the issue.
(5)A copy of the motion and all supporting documents shall be served on the Florida Department of Legal Affairs and the state attorney of the circuit in which the motion has been filed.
(e) Order Granting. If the circuit judge, upon review of the motion and submissions, has reasonable grounds to believe that the prisoner is insane to be executed, the judge shall grant a stay of execution and may order further proceedings which may include a hearing pursuant to rule 3.812.
Provenzano's 3.811 motion included two reports from Dr. Patricia Fleming, a clinical psychologist, wherein she concluded, "It is my professional judgment that Mr. Provenzano is not competent to be executed." The submissions also included sworn affidavits from a practicing Florida attorney and other Death Row inmates detailing Provenzano's bizarre behavior. In order to give the circuit court time to consider the motion, this Court stayed Provenzano's execution until Friday, July 9, 1999. On Wednesday, July 7, 1999, the circuit court denied Provenzano's motion without a rule 3.812 hearing. Provenzano appealed the denial to this Court, claiming that the motion and submissions were sufficient to constitute "reasonable grounds" to believe that he was insane to be executed, thereby requiring a hearing pursuant to Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.812. See Fla. R.Crim. P. 3.811(e). As stated above, this Court granted a stay of execution on Thursday, July 8, 1999, and directed the parties to submit briefs concerning the threshold requirement of "reasonable grounds" as used in rule 3.811(e).
We recognize that the application of the "reasonable grounds" standard articulated in rule 3.811(e) has caused some confusion. Since rule 3.811 went into effect in 1986, see In re Emergency Amendment to Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure (Rule 3.811, Competency to be Executed), 497 So.2d 643 (Fla.1986), only two defendants other than Provenzano have invoked the rule. See Medina v. State, 690 So.2d 1241 (Fla.1997); Martin v. State, 515 So.2d 189 (Fla.1987). Although both of these defendants eventually received hearings, see Medina, 690 So.2d at 1249; Martin v. Dugger, 686 F.Supp. 1523, 1542 (S.D.Fla.1988), we understand that this Court has offered little guidance to the circuit courts in regards to applying the rule.
However, we find that the evidence presented by Provenzano, which consisted of an expert report and other corroborating evidence of Provenzano's bizarre behavior, when taken alone, establishes reasonable grounds to believe that Provenzano is incompetent to be executed. The evidence presented by the State, which also included expert reports, created questions of fact on this issue. And these factual disputes should be examined and resolved in the crucible of an adversarial proceeding. Therefore, under the circumstances of this case, we remand for a hearing pursuant to rule 3.812. We decline to address Proven-zano's claim that rule 3.811 and rule 3.812 are unconstitutional, as this claim is rendered moot by this Court's remand for a rule 3.812 hearing.
Finally, we are concerned that rule 3.811 does not contain a timetable for filings. As pointed out in the factual background above, Provenzano did not allege that he was insane to be executed until the week of his scheduled execution. Of course, rule 3.811 only comes into play after a defendant has made sufficient allegations of insanity to the Governor, pursuant to section 922.07, Florida Statutes (1997). In order to prevent the type of last-minute filing that we encountered in this case, we urge the Legislature to consider establishing a timetable as to when a claim must be filed under section 922.07 in those cases where there is knowledge that such a claim exists.
Accordingly, for the reasons expressed in this opinion, we remand this case for a hearing pursuant to rule 3.812. No motion for rehearing will be permitted.
It is so ordered.
HARDING, C.J., and SHAW, ANSTEAD, PARIENTE, LEWIS and QUINCE, JJ., concur.
HARDING, C.J., concurs with an opinion, in which PARIENTE and LEWIS, JJ., concur.
WELLS, J., dissents with an opinion.
. This Court's stay of execution is set to expire on September 14, 1999, at 7 a.m. The Governor has reset Provenzano's execution for September 14, 1999, at 7:01 a.m.
. Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.812 governs the hearing on a "prisoner's insanity to be executed" claim and explains the procedure for such a hearing.
. Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.812 provides:
Hearing on Insanity at Time of Execution: Capital Cases
(a) Hearing on Insanity to Be Executed. The hearing on the prisoner's insanity to be executed shall not be a review of the governor's determination, but shall be a hearing de novo.
(b) Issue at Hearing. At the hearing the issue shall be whether the prisoner presently meets the criteria for insanity at time of execution, that is, whether the prisoner lacks the mental capacity to understand the fact of the pending execution and the reason for it.
(c)Procedure. The court may do any of the following as may be appropriate and adequate for a just resolution of the issues raised:
(1) require the presence of the prisoner at the hearing;
(2) appoint no more than 3 disinterested mental health experts to examine the pris oner with respect to the criteria for insanity to be executed and to report their findings and conclusions to the court; or
(3) enter such other orders as may be appropriate to effectuate a speedy and just resolution of the issues raised.
(d) Evidence. At hearings held pursuant to this rule, the court may admit such evidence as the court deems relevant to the issues, including but not limited to the reports of expert witnesses, and the court shall not be strictly bound by the rules of evidence.
(e) Order. If, at the conclusion of the hearing, the court shall find, by clear and convincing evidence, that the prisoner is insane to be executed, the court shall enter its order continuing the stay of the death warrant; otherwise, the court shall deny the motion and enter its order dissolving the stay of execution.
. We note that this is the first time that Pro-venzano has raised a competency to be executed claim.
. In the present case, the record contains a letter from Dr. Fleming, dated June 18, 1999, wherein she concludes that Provenzano is incompetent to be executed. Yet Provenzano did not file his section 922.07 claim until July 5, 1999, more than two weeks after receiving Dr. Fleming's June 18 letter.