Daniel Lee Doyle v. State of Florida
Daniel Lee Doyle v. State of Florida
Opinion
We have for review Daniel Lee Doyle's appeal of the circuit court's order denying Doyle's motion filed pursuant to Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.851. This Court has jurisdiction. See art. V, § 3(b)(1), Fla. Const.
Doyle's motion sought relief pursuant to the United States Supreme Court's decision in
Hurst v. Florida
, --- U.S. ----,
After reviewing Doyle's response to the order to show cause, as well as the State's arguments in reply, we conclude that Doyle is not entitled to relief. Doyle was sentenced to death following a jury's recommendation for death by a vote of eight to four, and his sentence of death became final in 1985.
Doyle v. State
,
The Court having carefully considered all arguments raised by Doyle, we caution that any rehearing motion containing reargument will be stricken. It is so ordered.
LABARGA, C.J., and QUINCE, POLSTON, and LAWSON, JJ., concur.
PARIENTE, J., concurs in result with an opinion.
LEWIS and CANADY, JJ., concur in result.
PARIENTE, J., concurring in result.
As in prior
Hitchcock
2
-related cases, I concur in result because I recognize that this Court's opinion in
Hitchcock
is now final. However, I continue to adhere to the views expressed in my dissenting opinion in
Hitchcock
that
Hurst
3
should apply retroactively to defendants like Doyle.
Hitchcock
,
Applying
Hurst
to Doyle's case, in addition to the jury's nonunanimous recommendation for death of eight to four, this Court determined on direct appeal that the State did not prove the avoid arrest aggravating factor beyond a reasonable doubt and therefore struck it before determining that the death penalty was proportionate in Doyle's case.
Doyle v. State
,
The record reflects that [Doyle] was 21 years old; that he had an IQ of between 70 and 80, and was borderline retarded; that he was suffering from organic brain defects, which caused dyslexia, and had emotional problems; that he had been enrolled in handicapped classes; and that his mental condition was chronic.
Doyle
,
Therefore, in addition to the Court striking one of the three aggravating factors, the presence of substantial mitigation demonstrates that this case cries out for a resentencing by a jury in light of Hurst . While the crime itself was certainly aggravated, at least 4 jurors concluded that the death penalty was not appropriate, likely due to the significant evidence of mitigation. Accordingly, if Hurst applied to Doyle's case, I would conclude that the Hurst error is not harmless beyond a reasonable doubt and would, accordingly, grant Doyle a new penalty phase.
Although our decision affirming Doyle's death sentence does not specify the number of Doyle's jurors who voted to recommend death, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals referenced the jury vote in its decision regarding Doyle's federal petition for a writ of habeas corpus.
See
Doyle v. Dugger
,
Hitchcock v. State
,
Hurst v. State
(
Hurst
),
I also note that Doyle challenged his sentence of death under
Caldwell v. Mississippi
,
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Daniel Lee DOYLE, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee.
- Status
- Published