Opinion ID: 1133749
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Constitutionality of Florida Capital Sentencing Statute

Text: Hannon asserts that Florida's capital sentencing scheme is unconstitutional under the holding of Ring v. Arizona, 536 U.S. 584, 122 S.Ct. 2428, 153 L.Ed.2d 556 (2002). This Court addressed the contention that Florida's capital sentencing scheme violates the United States Constitution under Apprendi v. New Jersey, 530 U.S. 466, 120 S.Ct. 2348, 147 L.Ed.2d 435 (2000), and Ring in Bottoson v. Moore, 833 So.2d 693 (Fla.2002), and King v. Moore, 831 So.2d 143 (Fla.2002), and denied relief. See also Jones v. State, 845 So.2d 55, 74 (Fla.2003). Hannon is likewise not entitled to relief on this claim. Furthermore, one of the aggravating circumstances found by the trial court in this case was Hannon's prior conviction of a violent felony, a factor which under Apprendi and Ring need not be found by the jury. Jones v. State, 855 So.2d 611, 619 (Fla. 2003); see also Doorbal v. State, 837 So.2d 940, 963 (Fla.2003) (rejecting Ring claim where one of the aggravating circumstances found by the trial judge was defendant's prior conviction for a violent felony), cert. denied, 539 U.S. 962, 123 S.Ct. 2647, 156 L.Ed.2d 663 (2003); Johnson v. State, 904 So.2d 400 (Fla.2005) (holding that Ring does not apply retroactively). Accordingly, this claim is also rejected.