Proffitt v. Florida

Judgment of the Court, and opinion of

Mr. Justice Stewart, Mr. Justice Powell, and Mr. Justice Stevens, announced by Mr. Justice Powell.

The issue presented by this case is whether the imposition of the sentence of death for the crime of murder under the law of Florida violates the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments.

I

The petitioner, Charles William Proffitt, was tried, found guilty, and sentenced to death for the first-degree *245murder of Joel Medgebow. The circumstances surrounding the murder were testified to by the decedent’s wife, who was present at the time it was committed. On July 10, 1973,…