Opinion ID: 1650856
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Remand for a New Sentencing Phase

Text: This Court has affirmed the imposition of the death penalty where the aggravating and mitigating circumstances are similar to those in this case. See, e.g., Shellito v. State, 701 So.2d 837 (Fla.1997) (upholding death sentence with prior violent felony and pecuniary gain/commission during a robbery aggravators and nonstatutory mitigation of age, background, and character); Mendoza v. State, 700 So.2d 670 (Fla. 1997) (upholding death sentence for murder by a single gunshot wound with aggravating factors of prior violent felony conviction and pecuniary gain merged with commission during the course of a felony and mitigating factors including defendant's alleged history of drug use and mental health problems); Sliney v. State, 699 So.2d 662 (Fla.1997) (death sentence proportionate with aggravating circumstances of avoid arrest and commission during a robbery, two statutory mitigators, and several nonstatutory mitigators); Burns v. State, 699 So.2d 646 (Fla.1997) (affirming death sentence where three aggravating factors were merged into one aggravator because they were all based on the fact that the victim was a law enforcement officer (victim engaged in the performance of his official duties, murder committed to avoid arrest, and murder committed to disrupt the lawful exercise of enforcement of the laws), two statutory mitigators, and several nonstatutory mitigating factors); Consalvo v. State, 697 So.2d 805 (Fla.1996) (holding death penalty proportionate with aggravating factors of avoid arrest and commission during course of a burglary and some nonstatutory mitigation); Ferrell v. State, 680 So.2d 390 (Fla.1996) (affirming death sentence where defendant had but one aggravator of prior violent felony and several nonstatutory mitigating circumstances); Pope v. State, 679 So.2d 710 (Fla.1996) (affirming a death sentence where the trial court found two aggravating factors (prior violent felony and pecuniary gain), two statutory mitigating factors (extreme emotional disturbance and impaired capacity to appreciate criminality or conform conduct), and three nonstatutory mitigating factors (including drug use at the time of the offense)); Heath v. State, 648 So.2d 660 (Fla.1994) (affirming defendant's death sentence where the trial court found two aggravating factorsprior violent felony and murder committed during course of robbery and the statutory mitigating circumstance of extreme mental or emotional disturbance based upon substance abuse, good character in prison, and that codefendant received a life sentence); Melton v. State, 638 So.2d 927 (Fla.1994) (finding death sentence proportionate for fatal shooting of victim during armed robbery of pawn shop; aggravating factors included prior violent felony and pecuniary gain, and mitigating factors included the defendant's good conduct in jail and difficult family background). Here, however, the trial court did not include in its order how much weight it assigned to each aggravating circumstance. Because this Court cannot determine how much weight the trial court assigned to the aggravators, and given this Court's precedent of affirming the death penalty in similar circumstances and the significant eleven to one jury recommendation of death in this case, [15] I cannot conclude, as the majority has done, that the death penalty would not be imposed here. Therefore, I would remand for a new penalty phase. See Kearse v. State, 662 So.2d 677 (Fla.1995) (remanding for new sentencing phase before a jury when avoid arrest and murder of a law enforcement officer aggravators were improperly doubled, CCP instruction was unconstitutionally vague, HAC was improperly applied, and the jury recommendation of death was eleven to one); Trotter v. State, 576 So.2d 691 (Fla.1990) (remanding to trial court for resentencing with a jury following trial court's erroneous finding of an aggravating circumstance). Accordingly, I respectfully concur in part and dissent in part. CANADY, J., concurs.