Opinion ID: 1853745
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: Florida's Death Penalty is Unconstitutionally Vague

Text: Pooler next asserts that the trial court erred in summarily denying his claim that Florida's capital sentencing scheme is unconstitutionally vague because it fails to provide a standard of proof for determining that the aggravating circumstances outweigh the mitigating circumstances and because the statute does not sufficiently define each aggravating circumstance. The trial court denied this claim as procedurally barred because Pooler unsuccessfully challenged the constitutionality of Florida's death penalty statute on direct appeal. We affirm the trial court's denial of this claim. Pooler, 704 So.2d at 1380-81; see also Rodriguez, 919 So.2d at 1262 n. 7 (holding that Rodriguez's claim concerning the constitutionality of the death penalty was procedurally barred because it was raised and rejected on direct appeal); Muhammad v. State, 603 So.2d 488, 489 (Fla.1992) (Issues which either were or could have been litigated at trial and upon direct appeal are not cognizable through collateral attack.).