Case Name: John A. SPENKELINK, Petitioner, v. Louie L. WAINWRIGHT, Director, Florida Department of Corrections, Respondent
Court: Florida Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 1979-05-25
Citations: 372 So. 2d 927
Docket Number: No. 56941
Parties: John A. SPENKELINK, Petitioner, v. Louie L. WAINWRIGHT, Director, Florida Department of Corrections, Respondent.
Judges: ENGLAND, C. J., and ADKINS, BOYD, SUNDBERG and HATCHETT, JJ., concur.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 372
Pages: 927–930

Head Matter:
John A. SPENKELINK, Petitioner, v. Louie L. WAINWRIGHT, Director, Florida Department of Corrections, Respondent.
No. 56941.
Supreme Court of Florida.
May 25, 1979.
Howell L. Ferguson and Steven Gold-stein, Tallahassee, for petitioner.
Jim Smith, Atty. Gen., and Raymond Marky, Asst. Atty. Gen., Tallahassee, for respondent.

Opinion:
PER CURIAM.
Petitioner in this cause filed at 7:35 a. m. today a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus and an Application for Stay of Execution. These having been duly considered by the Court in emergency session after counsel for both sides were accorded oral argument, it was ordered at 9:28 a. m. that the Petition and the Stay be denied.
While still convened in emergency session, a Motion to Intervene as Amicus Curiae and to present a petition for review of sentence and an application for stay was filed by telephone with Chief Justice England and Justices Adkins and Boyd by Cheney Mason, Esquire, 127 N. Magnolia, Orlando, Florida.
The gravamen of the petition appeared to be a suggestion that the process by which executions are carried out in Florida is unconstitutional (i) as violative of due process of law, inasmuch as no rules have been promulgated by the Department of Corrections under the administrative procedures act, and (ii) in that the legislature has unduly delegated legislative authority to the Department. Counsel for both sides were given an opportunity to comment on these matters. The Court then duly considered the petition, application, and motion, and at 9:35 a. m. the Motion to Intervene as Ami-cus Curiae was denied.
Counsel for petitioner promptly made an oral motion for a stay and a request for review of petitioner's sentence on the same grounds urged by Mr. Cheney. The Court having considered these matters, both were at 9:48 a. m. denied.
ENGLAND, C. J., and ADKINS, BOYD, SUNDBERG and HATCHETT, JJ., concur.
ALDERMAN, J., concurs specially with an opinion, with which ADKINS, J., concurs.
OVERTON, J., although not participating in this decision, was in telephone communication with the other justices throughout the proceedings on this date.