Troy Victorino v. State of Florida
Troy Victorino v. State of Florida
Opinion
Troy Victorino, a prisoner under sentences of death, appeals the portions of the postconviction court's order denying in part his successive motion for postconviction relief, which was filed under Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.851. We have jurisdiction. See art. V, § 3(b)(1), Fla. Const.
*49 I. BACKGROUND
On July 25, 2006, after a jury trial, Victorino was found guilty of the following crimes: one count of conspiracy to commit aggravated battery, murder, armed burglary of a dwelling, and tampering with physical evidence; six counts of first-degree murder of victims Erin Belanger, Francisco Ayo Roman, Jonathon W. Gleason, Roberto Manuel Gonzalez, Michelle Ann Nathan, and Anthony Vega; one count of abuse of a dead human body with a weapon; one count of armed burglary of a dwelling; and one count of cruelty to animals. After the penalty phase, the jury returned a recommendation that Victorino be sentenced to death for the murders of Erin Belanger (by a vote of ten to two), Francisco Ayo Roman (by a vote of ten to two), Jonathon W. Gleason (by a vote of seven to five), and Roberto Manuel Gonzalez (by a vote of nine to three), and to life imprisonment for the murders of Michelle Ann Nathan and Anthony Vega. The trial court followed the jury's recommendation and imposed four death sentences on Victorino.
We affirmed Victorino's convictions and death sentences on direct appeal.
Victorino v. State
,
Following the United States Supreme Court's decision in
Hurst v. Florida
, --- U.S. ----,
II. ANALYSIS
A. Section 775.082(2), Florida Statutes
Victorino concedes we have already ruled in
Hurst v. State
and
Franklin v. State
,
B. The Prohibition Against Double Jeopardy
Victorino next argues that because none of the four jury recommendations for the death penalty in his case were unanimous, he was "acquitted" of the death penalty and therefore subjecting him to a new penalty phase, in which he will again be eligible for the death penalty, violates the prohibition against double jeopardy. This claim is meritless. The
Hurst
decisions do not "acquit" Victorino of his four death sentences. As the United States Supreme Court discussed in
Sattazahn v. Pennsylvania
,
C. The Prohibition Against Ex Post Facto Laws
Victorino argues that to "apply the recent, post-
Hurst
case law retroactively to make the Defendant death-eligible would violate the constitutional prohibitions against ex post facto laws." Initial Brief of Appellant at 18,
Victorino v. State
, No. SC17-1285 (Fla. Sept. 21, 2017). For a criminal law to be ex post facto it must be retrospective, that is, it must apply to events that occurred before its enactment; and it must alter the definition of criminal conduct or increase the penalty by which a crime is punishable.
Lynce v. Mathis
,
III. CONCLUSION
For these reasons, we affirm the portions of the postconviction court's order denying Victorino's claims that he is entitled to have his death sentences reduced to life sentences.
It is so ordered.
LABARGA, C.J., and PARIENTE, LEWIS, QUINCE, CANADY, POLSTON, and LAWSON, JJ., concur.
Section 775.082(2) provides:
In the event the death penalty in a capital felony is held to be unconstitutional by the Florida Supreme Court or the United States Supreme Court, the court having jurisdiction over a person previously sentenced to death for a capital felony shall cause such person to be brought before the court, and the court shall sentence such person to life imprisonment as provided in subsection (1). No sentence of death shall be reduced as a result of a determination that a method of execution is held to be unconstitutional under the State Constitution or the Constitution of the United States.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Troy VICTORINO, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee.
- Cited By
- 6 cases
- Status
- Published