Opinion ID: 1944931
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Unconstitutionality under Ring

Text: In the trial court, Rodgers argued on various grounds that Florida's death penalty statute is unconstitutional under Ring v. Arizona, 536 U.S. 584, 122 S.Ct. 2428, 153 L.Ed.2d 556 (2002), and Apprendi v. New Jersey, 530 U.S. 466, 120 S.Ct. 2348, 147 L.Ed.2d 435 (2000). On appeal, however, Rodgers acknowledges that we have repeatedly rejected these claims in cases such as this one in which one of the aggravating factors is a prior violent felony conviction. See Duest v. State, 855 So.2d 33, 49 (Fla.2003) (We have previously rejected claims under Apprendi and Ring in cases involving the aggravating factor of a previous conviction of a felony involving violence.), cert. denied, 541 U.S. 993, 124 S.Ct. 2023, 158 L.Ed.2d 500 (2004). We also have rejected Rodgers's related claims that Ring requires aggravators be alleged in the indictment and that the jury recommend death unanimously. Parker v. State, 904 So.2d 370, 383 (Fla.2005) (This Court has repeatedly held that it is not unconstitutional for a jury to recommend death on a simple majority vote.) (citing Whitfield v. State, 706 So.2d 1 (Fla.1997)); Kormondy v. State, 845 So.2d 41, 54 (Fla.2003) ( Ring does not require either notice of the aggravating factors that the State will present at sentencing or a special verdict form indicating the aggravating factors found by the jury.). Finally, Rodgers alleges error in the trial court's use of an interrogatory verdict form in which the jurors returned findings as to the aggravator and the mitigators. We have previously stated that we are unwilling to approve ad hoc innovations to a capital sentencing scheme that both the United States Supreme Court and this Court repeatedly have held constitutional. State v. Steele, 921 So.2d 538, 547 (Fla. 2005). However, we have found use of special verdict forms to constitute harmless error where, as here, no prejudice is alleged. See Huggins v. State, 889 So.2d 743, 772 (Fla.2004) (finding that use of a special verdict form in the penalty phase was harmless error), cert. denied, 545 U.S. 1107, 125 S.Ct. 2546, 162 L.Ed.2d 280 (2005). Accordingly, we deny relief on this issue.