Opinion ID: 1603876
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Florida's Lethal Injection Procedures

Text: Marek's next claim challenges the constitutionality of Florida's lethal injection procedures. We have repeatedly rejected similar claims and have upheld the constitutionality of Florida's lethal injection procedures. See Tompkins v. State, 994 So.2d 1072, 1081 (Fla.2008), cert. denied, ___ U.S. ___, 129 S.Ct. 1305, 173 L.Ed.2d 483 (2009); Power v. State, 992 So.2d 218, 220-21 (Fla.2008); Sexton v. State, 997 So.2d 1073, 1089 (Fla.2008); Schwab v. State, 969 So.2d 318, 321-25 (Fla.2007), cert. denied, ___ U.S. ___, 128 S.Ct. 2486, 171 L.Ed.2d 777 (2008); Lightbourne v. McCollum, 969 So.2d 326, 349-53 (Fla.2007), cert. denied, ___ U.S. ___, 128 S.Ct. 2485, 171 L.Ed.2d 777 (2008). We also have held the procedures constitutional under the requirements of Baze v. Rees, ___ U.S. ___, 128 S.Ct. 1520, 170 L.Ed.2d 420 (2008). See Ventura v. State, 2 So.3d 194, 200 (Fla.2009) (Florida's current lethal-injection protocol passes muster under any of the risk-based standards considered by the Baze Court (and would easily satisfy the intent-based standard advocated by Justices Thomas and Scalia).), petition for cert. filed, No. 08-10098 (U.S. Apr. 16, 2009); Henyard v. State, 992 So.2d 120, 130 (Fla.2008), cert. denied, ___ U.S. ___, 129 S.Ct. 28, 171 L.Ed.2d 930 (2008). Marek has not presented any reason why we should not follow the same course in his case. Marek argues that he cannot be denied an evidentiary hearing based on Lightbourne because he was not a party in that case. In support of this argument, he cites Teffeteller v. Dugger, 676 So.2d 369 (Fla.1996), for the proposition that a defendant's collateral claim cannot be denied on the basis of evidence presented when neither he nor his counsel was present. Marek lists four witnesses he would have called if granted an evidentiary hearing. However, we rejected this exact argument in Tompkins, and we reject it again here. Accordingly, we hold that the postconviction court did not err in summarily denying this claim.