Opinion ID: 3164887
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: conviction and death sentence

Text: On December 6, 1984, Stewart robbed and murdered Ruben Diaz. Stewart v. State, 558 So. 2d 416, 418 (Fla. 1990). Diaz gave Stewart a ride in his car, and once inside, Stewart pulled out a gun and ordered Diaz to drive to a wooded location. Id. Stewart made Diaz lie on the ground, robbed him, and shot him twice. Id. Stewart burned Diaz’s car to destroy evidence connecting him to the crime. Id. After a jury trial, Stewart was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death three times. The first time, the Florida Supreme Court affirmed Stewart’s murder conviction but remanded for a new sentencing proceeding. Id. at 421. 2 Case: 14-11238 Date Filed: 12/22/2015 Page: 3 of 15 On remand, Stewart was resentenced to death, and the Florida Supreme Court affirmed the sentence. Stewart v. State, 620 So. 2d 177 (Fla. 1993). During subsequent state post-conviction or collateral proceedings, Stewart and the state agreed that Stewart would waive any guilt-phase claims in exchange for yet another new sentencing. Stewart v. State, 872 So. 2d 226, 227 (Fla. 2003). Following Stewart’s third penalty-phase trial in 2001, the jury recommended a sentence of death by a seven-to-five vote. Id. The state trial court sentenced Stewart to death. Id. On direct appeal, the Florida Supreme Court affirmed Stewart’s third death sentence. Id. at 229. On April 20, 2004, the Florida Supreme Court denied Stewart’s motion for rehearing. Stewart had 90 days after the Florida Supreme Court denied rehearing—until July 19, 2004—to file a petition for certiorari in the U.S. Supreme Court; but Stewart did not do so.1 See Sup. Ct. R. 13. Thus, Stewart’s third death sentence became final on July 19, 2004, and Stewart had one year—until July 19, 2005—to timely file a federal habeas petition or a motion to vacate the judgment under Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 1 Stewart is under a concurrent death sentence for his murder of Mark Harris in 1985. See Stewart v. State, 549 So. 2d 171 (Fla. 1989). Harris picked up Stewart while Stewart was hitchhiking. Id. at 172. Stewart fired shots in the car (wounding Harris), forced Harris and his companion out, stole the car, and burned it after removing items from the trunk. Id. Harris died from his wounds. Id. After his conviction and death sentence, Stewart pursued state appellate and post-conviction relief. In 2007, this Court affirmed the district court’s denial of Stewart’s § 2254 petition as to his murder of Harris. See Stewart v. Sec’y, Dep’t of Corr., 476 F.3d 1193, 1219 (11th Cir. 2007). 3 Case: 14-11238 Date Filed: 12/22/2015 Page: 4 of 15 3.851, which would statutorily toll AEDPA’s one-year limitations period until its resolution. See 28 U.S.C. § 2244(d)(1)(A), (2).