Frank Hart

**Frank Hart** (July 13, 1956 – December 10, 2008) was murdered by his cellmate while serving time at Charlotte Correctional Institution in Punta Gorda, Florida.

## Events

### Life and criminal history

Frank Richard Hart was born on July 13, 1956.

On December 31, 1993 at 37 years old, Frank committed sexual battery in Volusia County, Florida. He was sentenced to prison ten months later on October 14, 1994. He was released after serving four years on March 9, 1999.

On November 6, 2003 at 47 years old, Frank was sentenced to nine or eleven years in prison for committing sexual battery and failing to register as a sexual predator in Volusia County, Florida.

### Charlotte Correctional Institution

Frank was sent to serve his sentence at Charlotte Correctional Institution.

Five years later in 2008, his cellmate was James Robertson, 45. On December 10, Robertson made a garrote by tying several socks together. He waited for Frank to fall asleep and for the guards to make their rounds, knowing he would have thirty minutes before they came back. He then strangled Frank. According to Robertson there had been no provocation or fight and he'd killed Frank so he would be charged with first-degree murder and sentenced to death.

### Robertson v. State

Robertson was initially charged with second-degree murder. The State of Florida offered him a plea agreement of a life sentence in exchange for a guilty plea. Robert rejected the offer, insisting that because the killing was premeditation the charge should be first-degree murder.

In 2011, Robertson's appointed attorney requested that Robertson be given a mental evaluation to determine his sanity at the time of Frank's murder. A psychiatrist and a psychologist examined Robertson and concluded he did not meet the standard for insanity.

In October 2011, while at Charlotte County Jail where he was housed during times that his presence was needed in court hearings, Robertson attacked a county jail officer with a makeshift weapon and was charged with attempted murder.

A year later in October 2012, the State indicted Robertson for first-degree murder. The same two mental health professionals evaluated him again, this time for competence to stand trial. Through counsel, Robertson advised the court that he intended to plead guilty.

At the hearing, various documents were admitted into evidence: the homicide investigation report, the medical examiner's autopsy report, Robertson's affidavit and recorded statement, the reports on the mental health evaluations of Robertson's sanity and competency, his prior criminal convictions, and his prison records.

The court talked to Robertson to ask if he knew and understood his charge, his legal rights, and the consequences of his guilty plea. Afterwards, the court accepted Robertson's plea of guilty and announced him guilty of first-degree murder.

## News

*For news articles on Frank Hart, see here.*

## External links

* Frank R Hart Inmate 601648 • RapSheetz
* James Robertson Inmate 322534 • RapSheetz

### Court cases

* 2016: Robertson v. State • Florida Supreme Court

## In popular media

### Television

* I Am a Killer S1E9: James Robertson (3 Aug 2018)

## Sources

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Frank R Hart Inmate 601648 • RapSheetz
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2016: Robertson v. State • Florida Supreme Court