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The following summaries are drawn from briefs and lower court judgments. They are meant to provide a general idea of facts and issues presented in cases, and should not be considered official court documents. Facts and issues presented in these summaries should be checked for accuracy against records and briefs, available from the Court, which provide more specific information.
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Florida Supreme Court Oral Arguments
Monday, June 1, 2009
Arrive early. Times & order of appearance are tentative and subject to change with no notice. Cases may be postponed due to exigent circumstances.
Case |
Time |
Facts & Issues |
Place of Origin |
Roderick Michael Orme v. State of Florida
SC08-182
View briefs in Acrobat format by clicking the case number(s)
here |
9:00 |
Mr. Orme was convicted of the first-degree murder of Lisa Redd, who was
robbed, sexually battered and strangled in 1992. He was condemned to death and
this Court upheld the sentence on direct appeal. However, after considering a
postconviction challenge Mr. Orme later filed, this Court ordered a new
sentencing hearing for him. The jury voted 11-1 to recommend that he be
sentenced to death and the trial court condemned him a second time. This appeal
followed. |
Bay County |
James Delano Winkles v. State of Florida
SC08-941
View briefs in Acrobat format by clicking the case number(s)
here |
Approx. 9:40 |
Mr. Winkles pleaded guilty to two first-degree murders. Elizabeth Graham was
fatally shot in September 1980 after being kidnapped and raped over several days.
Margaret Delimon was fatally drugged after being kidnapped and raped over
several days in October 1981. Mr. Winkles waived his right to a sentencing
hearing before a jury and the trial court condemned him to death for both
murders. This Court upheld the convictions and sentences on direct appeal. Mr.
Winkles then filed a postconviction challenge in trial court, which was denied.
This appeal followed. |
Pinellas County |
State of Florida v. Randolph Wightman
SC08-1240
View briefs in Acrobat format by clicking the case number(s)
here |
Approx. 10:30 |
Mr. Wightman was convicted of two counts of sexual battery on a victim younger
than 12 and sentenced to life in prison. On appeal, the Second District Court of
Appeal overturned the convictions, ruling that the state improperly introduced
evidence of other crimes without notifying the defense. This appeal followed. |
Hilsborough County |
Peggy Allen Luttrell v. Fla. Dept. Of Highway Safety &
Motor Vehicles
SC08-1396
View briefs in Acrobat format by clicking the case number(s)
here |
Approx. 11:10 |
Ms. Luttrell was arrested on a DUI charge. Because she refused to submit to a
breath test, her license was suspended for a year. Ms. Luttrell argued that the
officer had no reasonable suspicion to approach her and that the suspension
should be invalidated. The hearing officer disagreed but the circuit court
overturned the hearing officer's order. The Department of Highway Safety and
Motor Vehicles appealed to the Fifth District Court of Appeal, which overturned
the circuit court's ruling. This appeal followed. |
Volusia County |
Florida Supreme Court Oral Arguments
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Arrive early. Times & order of appearance are tentative and subject to change with no notice. Cases may be postponed due to exigent circumstances.
Case |
Time |
Facts & Issues |
Place of Origin |
Mark A. Twilegar v. State of Florida
SC07-1622
View briefs in Acrobat format by clicking the case
number(s) here |
9:00 |
Mr. Twilegar was convicted of the first-degree murder of David Thomas, who was
fatally shot in 2002. Mr. Twilegar waived his right to sentencing hearing before
a jury and the trial court condemned him to death. This is his direct appeal. He
raises various issues. |
Lee County |
Donald Bradley v. State of Florida
SC07-1964 | SC08-1813
View briefs in Acrobat format by clicking the case
number(s) here |
Approx. 10:00 |
Mr. Bradley was convicted of the first-degree murder of Jack Jones, who was
fatally beaten in 1995. The jury recommended he be sentenced to death by a vote
of 10-2 and the trial court condemned him. This Court upheld the sentence on
direct appeal and Mr. Bradley filed a postconviction challenge in trial court. It was
denied and this appeal followed. Mr. Bradley also filed a habeas petition with this
Court. |
Clay County |
C.E.L. v. State of Florida
SC08-1898
View briefs in Acrobat format by clicking the case
number(s) here |
Approx. 10:40 |
C.E.L., a 15-year-old, ran from two deputies who were patrolling an apartment
complex in a high-crime area. C.E.L. also failed to obey the officers' command to
stop. The officers pursued and apprehended him. C.E.L. was adjudicated
delinquent for the offense of resisting an officer without violence. On appeal,
C.E.L. argued the police had no reason to lawfully detain him before he ran. The
Second District Court of Appeal upheld the trial court's decision and this review
followed.
Justice Charles Canady is recused. |
Hillsborough County |
Florida Supreme Court Oral Arguments
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Arrive early. Times & order of appearance are tentative and subject to change with no notice. Cases may be postponed due to exigent circumstances.
Case |
Time |
Facts & Issues |
Place of Origin |
In re: Amendments to Fla Rules of Criminal Procedure
SC08-2163
View briefs in Acrobat format by clicking the case
number(s) here |
9:00 |
The Court considers a change to an existing rule that allows defendants to waive
their right to an attorney. The proposed modification would require that defendants
not be allowed to waive that right if they suffer from severe mental illness to the
point that they would be unable to represent themselves at trial. |
Statewide impact |
Norman Blake McKenzie v. State of Florida
SC07-2101
View briefs in Acrobat format by clicking the case
number(s) here |
Approx. 9:20 |
Mr. McKenzie was convicted of the first-degree murders of Randy Wayne
Peacock and Charles Frank Johnston, who were fatally injured with a knife and
hatchet. The jury voted 10-2 to recommend a death sentence for each murder and
the trial court condemned Mr. McKenzie. The jury voted 8-4 to recommend a
death sentence and the trial court condemned Mr. McKenzie. This is his direct
appeal. He raises various issues. |
St. Johns County |
Florida Supreme Court Oral Arguments
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Arrive early. Times & order of appearance are tentative and subject to change with no notice. Cases may be postponed due to exigent circumstances.
Case |
Time |
Facts & Issues |
Place of Origin |
Clayton Harris v. State of Florida
SC08-1871
View briefs in Acrobat format by clicking the case
number(s) here |
9:00 |
Mr. Harris pleaded no contest to possession of pseudoephedrine for use in making
methamphetamine. On appeal to the First District Court of Appeal, he challenged
the reliability of the drug-sniffing dog used by the officer who stopped him. Mr.
Harris argued the drugs seized from his truck could not be used as evidence
because the officer lacked probable cause. The First District Court of Appeal
upheld the trial court's ruling to allow the evidence and this appeal followed.
Justice Ricky Polston is recused. |
Liberty County |
In re: Amendments to Fla. Rules of Juvenile Procedure
SC09-141
View briefs in Acrobat format by clicking the case
number(s) here |
Approx. 9:40 |
The Juvenile Court Rules Committee recommends several changes to the current
rules for juvenile divisions of Florida's circuit courts. One change is designed to
end routine and blanket shackling of children appearing in court. It would ban the
use of handcuffs, chains, irons or straightjackets on children in court unless the
children are a danger to themselves or others or there's reason to believe a child
may try to flee.
|
Statewide impact |
In re: Amendments to Fla. Rules of Criminal Procedure
SC09-159
View briefs in Acrobat format by clicking the case
number(s) here |
Approx. 10:40 |
The Florida Criminal Procedures Rule Committee recommends a variety of
changes to Florida's rules of criminal procedure. The proposed changes update and
clarify existing rules. |
Statewide impact |
Fla. Dept. Of Children & Families v. P.E.
SC09-169
View briefs in Acrobat format by clicking the case
number(s) here |
Approx. 11:10 |
P.E. failed to appear in court for a hearing scheduled to consider possible
termination of her parental rights to her daughter. Her parental rights were
terminated and she appealed to the Second District Court of Appeal. The 2nd
DCA ruled that by law a parent's failure to appear at such a hearing, despite proper
notification, constitutes a voluntary consent to the termination of rights. The 2nd
DCA also noted that its ruling was in conflict with rulings from both the Third and
Fifth District Courts of Appeal. In this case, however, the 2nd DCA reversed the
termination order for another reason. |
Hillsborough County |
Florida Supreme Court Oral Arguments
Friday, June 5, 2009
Arrive early. Times & order of appearance are tentative and subject to change with no notice. Cases may be postponed due to exigent circumstances.
Case |
Time |
Facts & Issues |
Place of Origin |
Investiture of Justice James E.C. Perry |
1:00 |
James E.C. Perry of Sanford will be invested as Florida's 85th Justice. At this ceremony, Gov. Charlie Crist will present Justice Perry's credentials to Chief Justice Peggy A. Quince, and Justice Perry then will be formally seated at the bench. |
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