James Daniel Turner v. State of Florida

143 So. 3d 408, 39 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 330, 2014 WL 1923575, 2014 Fla. LEXIS 1627
CourtSupreme Court of Florida
DecidedMay 15, 2014
DocketSC12-2271
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 143 So. 3d 408 (James Daniel Turner v. State of Florida) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
James Daniel Turner v. State of Florida, 143 So. 3d 408, 39 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 330, 2014 WL 1923575, 2014 Fla. LEXIS 1627 (Fla. 2014).

Opinion

PER CURIAM.

James Daniel Turner appeals an order of the circuit court that denied his motion to vacate a conviction of first-degree murder and sentence of death filed pursuant to Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 8.851. We have jurisdiction. Art. V, § 3(b)(1), Fla. Const.

FACTS AND BACKGROUND

On November 29, 2007, a jury convicted James Daniel Turner of the first-degree murder of Renee Howard, the attempted first-degree murder of Stacia Raybon, grand theft of a motor vehicle, home invasion robbery, and aggravated assault on a police officer. Turner v. State, 37 So.3d 212, 217, 219 (Fla.2010). The jury recommended the death penalty by a vote of ten to two for the murder of Howard, and the trial court imposed a sentence of death. Id. at 219-20. In the opinion affirming the convictions and sentences, this Court detailed the facts of the murder:

... Turner had been sentenced to jail in Newberry County, South Carolina, for a violation of probation stemming from a felony battery charge. While incarcerated at that location he was primarily assigned to perform various duties at the local sheriffs office and was given special privileges because he was considered trustworthy.... Despite being scheduled to be released from the facility at the end of 2005, on September *410 28, 2005, Turner escaped from the New-berry County Jail in a stolen Newberry County Office Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV). The SUV was discovered by local employees in the parking lot of a business located in St. Johns County, Florida the next day. Local law enforcement officials found Turner’s identification card and multiple rocks of crack cocaine in the stolen vehicle.
On September 30, 2005, two hotel guests saw Turner lurking around the Comfort Inn located in St. Augustine. ...
That morning, Renee Howard, her four children ages eighteen, fourteen, two, and ten months, Howard’s eight-month-old granddaughter, and Stacia Raybon occupied room 210 of the motel.... Raybon testified that early that morning ... the defendant passed them, “almost pushing [them] off the sidewalk.” Shortly thereafter, Howard drove her son to work and daughter to school, taking two of the other three children with her.... Howard returned to the motel and Raybon was on the way downstairs to assist Howard in gathering the children when she noticed Turner outside room 210. Howard, Raybon, and the three remaining children returned to the room to prepare to check out of the motel.
The record reflects that while preparing bottles at the rear of the room for the children, Raybon saw a flash of light hit the mirror as the door of the room suddenly opened. She then saw Turner go toward Howard. Turner appeared to strike Howard in the midsection and then turned and proceeded to attack Raybon. Raybon crouched on the floor in the rear of the room and buried her face in her hands. Turner pulled Ray-bon up by the arm and stabbed her in the elbow. Immediately after stabbing Raybon, Turner noticed Howard move back toward the entry door of the room and Turner turned and directed his attention to her for the second time. Turner’s movement afforded Raybon time to grab her purse, rush into the bathroom, and lock herself inside.
While in the bathroom, Raybon heard “loud hitting noises” in the room and the children screaming. Raybon then heard water running in the sink, which was located immediately outside the bathroom door. Turner attempted to force his way into the bathroom, and after he failed multiple times, Raybon asked Turner to release one of the children to her. Turner demanded money, and, after searching her purse, Raybon slid $5 and several credit cards under the bathroom door. Turner slid the $5 back under the door to her and told Raybon to keep it. Turner then brought one of the children to the bathroom door and allowed the child to enter.... After Raybon pleaded for Turner to leave her and the children alone, Turner ordered Raybon to wait ten minutes before exiting the room.... When Raybon finally exited the bathroom, she discovered Howard’s motionless body on the floor.

Id. at 215-17.

In sentencing Turner to death, the trial court det§rmined that the State had proven beyond a reasonable doubt the existence of five statutory aggravating circumstances: (1) Turner previously had been convicted of a felony and was under a sentence of imprisonment (moderate weight); (2) Turner was contemporaneously convicted of a felony involving the use or threat of violence (the attempted murder of Stacia Raybon and the aggravated assault on a police officer) (great weight); (3) the murder was committed while Turner was engaged in the commission of, or an attempt to commit, the crime of burglary *411 or robbery, or both (great weight) (this factor was merged with another aggravating factor — that the murder was committed for pecuniary gain); (4) the murder was especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel (great weight); and (5) the murder was committed in a cold, calculated, and premeditated manner without any pretense of moral or legal justification (CCP) (significant weight). Id. at 220.

The court found the existence of two statutory mitigating circumstances: (1) the murder was committed while Turner was under the influence of an extreme mental or emotional disturbance (moderate weight); and (2) the capacity of Turner to appreciate the criminality of his conduct or to conform his conduct to the requirements of the law was substantially impaired (moderate weight). Id. The trial court also found that the following nonstatutory mitigating circumstances had been established:

(1) Turner’s ability to form loving relationships (some weight); (2) Turner’s family problems and mental suffering (little weight); (3) Turner’s uncles gave him drugs when he was young (some weight); (4) Turner’s cognitive development was impaired due to substance abuse (some weight); (5) Turner’s chronic alcohol and drug problem (moderate weight); (6) at the time of the murder, Turner was under the influence of crack cocaine (some weight); (7) Turner was a hard worker and skilled carpenter (little weight); (8) prior to escaping, Turner was a good worker in South Carolina (slight weight); and (9) Turner’s appropriate courtroom behavior (some weight).

Id.

On direct appeal, Turner presented the following issues: (1) Turner’s retrial violated the double jeopardy clauses of the United States and Florida Constitutions; 1 (2) the trial court erroneously found the existence of the CCP aggravating circumstance; (3) the death sentence is not proportionate; and (4) Florida’s death penalty statute violates Ring v. Arizona, 536 U.S. 584, 122 S.Ct. 2428, 153 L.Ed.2d 556 (2002). Id. at 220-29. This Court denied relief on all claims and affirmed the convictions and sentences. Id. at 229. The United States Supreme Court denied cer-tiorari review on October 18, 2010. Turner v. Florida, — U.S. —, 131 S.Ct. 426, 178 L.Ed.2d 332 (2010).

Postconviction Motion

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
143 So. 3d 408, 39 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 330, 2014 WL 1923575, 2014 Fla. LEXIS 1627, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/james-daniel-turner-v-state-of-florida-fla-2014.