Florida Death Penalty Unconstitutional
This morning, the United States Supreme Court, in an 8 - 1 decision, has ruled that Florida's system for sentencing persons to death is unconstitutional. The system is set up to where the same jury who found the accused guilty, will participate in the "penalty phase" of the trial. During the penalty phase, both the State and Defense will put on testimony and offer evidence in an effort to sway a jury into deciding to rule in favor of death or life in prison. The problem the Court found was that regardless of the jury's decision, the ultimate decision power rested in the hands of the trial Judge.