Florida's system for sentencing people to death has been proclaimed as unconstitutional, the Supreme Court ruled Tuesday.
In Florida's capital punishment, a jury only takes part by filing recommendation to the judge at sentencing a criminal whether the case deserves the death penalty. Unquestionably, there must be aggravating facts in the case to deliver the death sentence to the defendant rather than life imprisonment. Afterwards, the judge considers the jury's recommendation but ultimately decides alone if the facts warrant the death penalty.
Florida's unique system for sentencing people to death has long been deemed unconstitutional, as it gives too much power to judges and not enough to juries to decide capital sentences. Hence, receiving an 8-1 ruling, the procedure has finally been ruled by the Supreme Court as flawed.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor who wrote the decision for the nearly unanimous court gave a statement in light of this judicial decision.
"The Sixth Amendment protects a defendant's right to an impartial jury. Florida's sentencing scheme, which required the judge alone to find the existence of an aggravated circumstance, is therefore unconstitutional."
Writing as the sole dissenting vote, Justice Samuel Alito argued that the ruling is hypocritical. He argues that the Court has purportedly reversed its course that strikes down Florida's capital systems. However, he does acknowledge the critical role of the jury.
This decision of the Court is expected to trigger new sentencing appeals from some of the 390 inmates on Florida's death row. Legal experts said, however, that the changes may only apply to those whose initial appeals are not yet exhausted and it remains unclear if inmates who have reached the end of their appeals and those whose convictions are final will be entitled to resentencing.
As per Tampa Bay Times, the court's opinion having arrived on the opening day of the state's legislative session, is effectively forcing on Florida lawmakers the responsibility of re-writing the state's capital punishment scheme.
The ruling's direct impact is limited to Florida and does not include the bigger and more divisive question of the constitutionality of the death penalty in general.
Cassandra Stubbs, director of the American Civil Liberties Union's Capital Punishment Project, argued that the ruling marked another step toward ending capital punishment since juries across the country have been increasingly reluctant to impose death sentences.
