Ault v. State
Annotate this CaseAfter a jury trial, Appellant was found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder and related crimes. The jury recommended death on both counts of murder. The trial court followed the jury’s recommendation and imposed two death sentences. The Supreme Court affirmed Appellant’s convictions, vacated his death sentence, and remanded for a new penalty phase based on an error in jury selection. Upon resentencing, the jury again recommended death for both murders. The trial judge sentenced Defendant to death for each count of first-degree murder. The Supreme Court affirmed the sentences of death. Appellant later filed a motion to vacate convictions for first-degree murder and sentences of death under Fla. R. Crim. P. 3.851, alleging that both guilt and penalty phase counsel were ineffective under Strickland v. Washington. The postconviction court denied each of Appellant’s claims. The Supreme Court vacated Appellant’s sentences of death, holding (1) the postconviction court did not err in denying relief on Appellant’s ineffective assistance of guilty phase counsel claim; (2) the Court declines to address Appellant’s ineffective assistance of penalty phase counsel claim; and (3) any Hurst error in Appellant’s sentencing was not harmless beyond a reasonable doubt.
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