Opinion ID: 1615154
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Disparate Sentences and Proportionality

Text: Victorino contends that four death sentences are disproportionate to the sentences of his codefendants. In this case, codefendant Hunter also received four death sentences, but Salas and Cannon were sentenced to life for all six murders. We have previously found disparate treatment permissible in situations where the defendant is more culpable than the codefendant who has received a life sentence. Gonzalez v. State, 990 So.2d 1017, 1032 (Fla.2008). Contrary to Victorino's conclusory claim, there is ample evidence that he was more culpable than Salas and Cannon. As we have already explained in detail, Victorino was the ringleader who recruited the others, planned the brutal means and systematic method for the murders, and led the execution of his scheme. Furthermore, Cannon was sentenced to life sentences pursuant to a plea agreement, and this Court generally rejects claims of disparate sentencing when the codefendant's sentence resulted from his entry of a plea or prosecutorial discretion. See England v. State, 940 So.2d 389, 406 (Fla.2006) (citing cases). [10] Victorino does not specifically argue that his sentence is disproportionate compared to other death sentences in Florida, but it is this Court's duty to conduct a proportionality review to prevent the imposition of `unusual' punishments contrary to article I, section 17 of the Florida Constitution. Simmons v. State, 934 So.2d 1100, 1122 (Fla.2006); see also Fla. R.App. P. 9.142(a)(6). We conduct a qualitative review of the totality of the circumstances of the case and compare the case with other capital cases. In this case, the trial court imposed death sentences for four of the six murders. The trial court found five aggravators applicable to all four murders, ascribing them moderate to great weight: (1) that Victorino had a prior violent felony conviction and was under sentence of imprisonment (moderate weight); (2) that he had prior capital felony convictions based on the contemporary murder convictions (very substantial weight); (3) that the murders were committed in the course of a burglary (moderate weight); (4) that the murders were HAC (very substantial weight); and (5) that the murders were CCP (great weight). The trial court found and accorded substantial weight to a sixth aggravator applicable to the murders of Gonzalez and Gleasonthat the murders were committed to avoid arrest. The trial court, however, found no statutory mitigators, and ascribed moderate to very little weight to nine nonstatutory mitigators. We conclude that under the totality of the circumstances and in comparison with analogous cases in which this Court ruled that death was a proportionate penalty, the sentences here are proportionate. See, e.g., Reynolds v. State, 934 So.2d 1128, 1138 (Fla.2006) (finding two death sentences proportionate where trial court found minimal mitigation and four statutory aggravators for one death sentence and five for the other, including HAC, prior capital felony conviction, committed in the course of a burglary, and to avoid arrest; with no statutory mitigators and four nonstatutory mitigators); Lugo v. State, 845 So.2d 74, 91-92 (Fla.2003) (affirming two death sentences where trial court found minimal mitigation and five aggravating factors, including prior violent felonies, CCP, in course of a burglary, to avoid arrest, for pecuniary gain, and HAC); Rolling v. State, 695 So.2d 278, 283, 297 (Fla.1997) (holding five death sentences proportionate where trial court found two statutory mitigators and some nonstatutory mitigators, but found four statutory aggravators applied to each of the five convictions, including previous violent felony convictions, CCP, HAC, and committed in course of burglary).