Frances v. State
Annotate this CaseAfter a jury trial, Appellant was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death. The Supreme Court affirmed Appellant’s convictions of first-degree murder and his sentences of death on appeal. Appellant subsequently filed a motion to vacate judgment of conviction and death sentence. After an evidentiary hearing, the circuit court denied the motion. The Supreme Court affirmed the circuit court’s denial of Appellant’s postconviction motion and denied habeas relief, holding (1) trial counsel did not render constitutionally deficient assistance by failing to object to the striking of a minority venireperson, failing to object to certain comments made by the trial court and the State, failing to file a motion to preclude the State from seeking the death penalty, and failing to investigate and present certain mitigation evidence; (2) Florida’s method of execution by lethal injection did not violate Appellant’s constitutional rights; and (3) appellate counsel was not ineffective for failing to raise on appeal the unconstitutionality of the strike of the minority venireperson.
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