William Lee Thompson v. State of Florida , 261 So. 3d 1255 ( 2019 )


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  •           Supreme Court of Florida
    ____________
    No. SC18-1435
    ____________
    WILLIAM LEE THOMPSON,
    Appellant,
    vs.
    STATE OF FLORIDA,
    Appellee.
    January 7, 2019
    PER CURIAM.
    We have for review William Lee Thompson’s appeal of the postconviction
    court’s order denying Thompson’s motion filed pursuant to Florida Rule of
    Criminal Procedure 3.851. This Court has jurisdiction. See art. V, § 3(b)(1), Fla.
    Const.
    Thompson’s motion sought relief pursuant to the United States Supreme
    Court’s decision in Hurst v. Florida, 
    136 S. Ct. 616
    (2016), and our decision on
    remand in Hurst v. State (Hurst), 
    202 So. 3d 40
    (Fla. 2016), cert. denied, 
    137 S. Ct. 2161
    (2017). Thompson responded to this Court’s order to show cause arguing
    why Hitchcock v. State, 
    226 So. 3d 216
    (Fla.), cert. denied, 
    138 S. Ct. 513
    (2017),
    should not be dispositive in this case.
    After reviewing Thompson’s response to the order to show cause, as well as
    the State’s arguments in reply, we conclude that Thompson is not entitled to relief.
    Thompson was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death following
    a jury’s recommendation for death by a vote of seven to five. Thompson v. State,
    
    619 So. 2d 261
    , 264 (Fla. 1993). Thompson’s sentence of death became final in
    1993. Thompson v. Florida, 
    510 U.S. 966
    (1993). Thus, Hurst does not apply
    retroactively to Thompson’s sentence of death. See 
    Hitchcock, 226 So. 3d at 217
    ;
    see also Foster v. State, No. SC18-860, 
    2018 WL 6379348
    , at *2-4 (Fla. Dec. 6,
    2018) (explaining why the “elements of ‘capital first-degree murder’ ” argument
    derived from Hurst and the legislation implementing Hurst “has no merit”).
    Accordingly, we affirm the postconviction court’s order denying relief.
    It is so ordered.
    QUINCE, POLSTON, LABARGA, and LAWSON, JJ., concur.
    CANADY, C.J., and PARIENTE and LEWIS, JJ., concur in result.
    NO MOTION FOR REHEARING WILL BE ALLOWED.
    An Appeal from the Circuit Court in and for Miami-Dade County,
    Marisa Tinkler-Mendez, Judge - Case No. 131976CF003350B000XX
    Neal Dupree, Capital Collateral Regional Counsel, Marie-Louise Samuels Parmer,
    Special Assistant Capital Collateral Regional Counsel, and Brittney Nicole Lacy,
    Staff Attorney, Southern Region, Fort Lauderdale, Florida,
    -2-
    for Appellant
    Pamela Jo Bondi, Attorney General, Tallahassee, Florida, and Melissa Roca Shaw,
    Assistant Attorney General, Miami, Florida,
    for Appellee
    -3-
    

Document Info

Docket Number: SC18-1435

Citation Numbers: 261 So. 3d 1255

Filed Date: 1/7/2019

Precedential Status: Precedential

Modified Date: 1/12/2023