No. 18-5181

Michael Gordon Reynolds v. Florida

Lower Court: Florida
Docketed: 2018-07-09
Status: Denied
Type: IFP
Relisted (4)IFP
Tags: caldwell-v-mississippi capital-sentencing death-penalty death-penalty-sentencing eighth-amendment hurst-error jury-instructions ring-v-arizona structural-error
Key Terms:
AdministrativeLaw DueProcess Punishment HabeasCorpus JusticiabilityDoctri
Latest Conference: 2018-11-09 (distributed 4 times)
Question Presented (AI Summary)

Whether the Florida Supreme Court's plurality decision rejecting Mr. Reynolds' Caldwell v. Mississippi, 472 U.S. 320 (1985) claim is error. The jury was affirmatively misled regarding its role in the sentencing process so as to diminish its sense of responsibility

Question Presented (OCR Extract)

QUESTIONS PRESENTED 1. Whether the Florida Supreme Court’s plurality decision rejecting Mr. Reynolds’ Caldwell v. Mississippi, 472 U.S. 320 (1985) claim is error. The jury was affirmatively misled regarding its role in the sentencing process so as to diminish its sense of responsibility. 2. Does the Florida Supreme Court’s holding that a Hurst error is per se harmless where a jury issues a generalized unanimous recommendation for death — after receiving instructions that the judge would make both the findings of facts necessary for a death sentence and render the final decision on the death penalty — contravene the Eighth Amendment under Caldwell v. Mississippi, 472 U.S. 320 (1985)?

Docket Entries

2018-11-13
Petition DENIED. Statement of Justice Breyer respecting the denial of certiorari. (Detached). Justice Thomas, concurring in the denial of certiorari. (Detached <a href = 'https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/18pdf/18-5181_olp2.pdf#page=5'>Opinion</a>). Justice Sotomayor, dissenting from denial of certiorari. (Detached <a href = 'https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/18pdf/18-5181_olp2.pdf#page=10'>Opinion</a>).
2018-11-05
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 11/9/2018.
2018-10-29
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 11/2/2018.
2018-10-22
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 10/26/2018.
2018-10-22
Rescheduled.
2018-10-09
Rescheduled.
2018-09-27
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 10/12/2018.
2018-09-21
Reply of petitioner Michael Gordon Reynolds filed.
2018-09-07
Brief of respondent State of Florida in opposition filed.
2018-07-24
Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is extended to and including September 7, 2018.
2018-07-23
Motion to extend the time to file a response from August 8, 2018 to September 7, 2018, submitted to The Clerk.
2018-07-03
Petition for a writ of certiorari and motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis filed. (Response due August 8, 2018)

Attorneys

Florida
Scott Andrew BrowneOffice of the Attorney General, Respondent
Scott Andrew BrowneOffice of the Attorney General, Respondent
Michael Gordon Reynolds
Julissa Rosalyn FontanCapital Collateral Regional Counsel- Middle Region, Petitioner
Julissa Rosalyn FontanCapital Collateral Regional Counsel- Middle Region, Petitioner
State of Florida
Carolyn M. SnurkowskiOffice of the Attorney Geneal, Respondent
Carolyn M. SnurkowskiOffice of the Attorney Geneal, Respondent