Opinion ID: 1133717
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Florida's Capital Sentencing Procedure is Unconstitutional

Text: Ponticelli claims Florida's capital sentencing procedure is unconstitutional in light of Ring, 536 U.S. 584, 122 S.Ct. 2428. This claim is without merit. Ponticelli's convictions and sentences became final in 1993, nearly nine years before the United States Supreme Court decided Ring. Both the United States Supreme Court and the Florida Supreme Court have held that Ring does not apply retroactively. Schriro v. Summerlin, 542 U.S. 348, 358, 124 S.Ct. 2519, 159 L.Ed.2d 442 (2004); Johnson v. State, 904 So.2d 400, 408-09 (Fla.2005). Therefore, this claim is without merit.