Guzman v. State
Annotate this CaseAfter a jury trial, Defendant was convicted of first-degree murder. The jury recommended a sentence of death by a vote of seven to five. The trial court followed the jury’s recommendation and imposed a sentence of death. The Supreme Court affirmed Defendant’s conviction but reversed his death sentence, holding (1) the trial court did not err in denying Defendant’s motions for mistrial during the guilt phase; (2) any error by the State in its statements during closing arguments did not rise to the level of fundamental error; (3) the evidence was sufficient to sustain a felony-murder conviction; but (4) the failure to require a unanimous verdict was not harmless in this case. Remanded to the trial court for a new penalty phase.
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