Brandy Bain Jennings v. State of Florida

237 So. 3d 909

• Court: Supreme Court of Florida
• Decided: January 29, 2018
• Docket: SC17-938
• Status: Published

Opinion

PER CURIAM.

We have for review Brandy Bain Jennings' appeal of the circuit court's order denying Jennings' motion filed pursuant to Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.851. This Court has jurisdiction. See art. V, § 3(b)(1), Fla. Const.

Jennings' motion sought relief pursuant to the United States Supreme Court's decision in Hurst v. Florida , --- U.S. ----, 136 S.Ct. 616 , 193 L.Ed.2d 504 (2016), and our decision on remand in Hurst v. State ( Hurst ), 202 So.3d 40 (Fla. 2016), cert. denied , --- U.S. ----, 137 S.Ct. 2161 , 198 L.Ed.2d 246 (2017). This Court stayed Jennings' appeal pending the disposition of Hitchcock v. State , 226 So.3d 216 (Fla. 2017), --- U.S. ----, 138 S.Ct. 513 , 199 L.Ed.2d 396 (2017). After this Court decided Hitchcock , Jennings responded to this Court's order to show cause arguing why Hitchcock should not be dispositive in this case.

After reviewing Jennings' response to the order to show cause, as well as the State's arguments in reply, we conclude that Jennings is not entitled to relief. A jury convicted Jennings of three counts of first-degree murder and recommended a death sentence for each murder by a vote of ten to two. Jennings v. State , 718 So.2d 144 , 147 (Fla. 1998). Following the jury's recommendations, the trial court sentenced Jennings to death on all three counts of murder. Id. Jennings' sentences of death became final in 1999. Jennings v. Florida , 527 U.S. 1042 , 119 S.Ct. 2407 , 144 L.Ed.2d 805 (1999). Thus, Hurst does not apply retroactively to Jennings' sentences of death. See Hitchcock , 226 So.3d at 217 . Accordingly, we affirm the denial of Jennings' motion.

The Court having carefully considered all arguments raised by Jennings, 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.

I concur in result because I recognize that this Court's opinion in Hitchcock v. State , 226 So.3d 216 (Fla. 2017), cert. denied , --- U.S. ----, 138 S.Ct. 513 , 199 L.Ed.2d 396 (2017), is now final. However, I continue to adhere to the views expressed *911 in my dissenting opinion in Hitchcock .