Gridine v. State

Appellant, Shimeek Gridine, argues that the United States Supreme Court’s holding in Graham v. Florida, — U.S.-, 130 S.Ct. 2011, 176 L.Ed.2d 825 (2010), prohibits Florida trial courts from imposing a seventy-year sentence on juvenile defendants. We disagree with his assertion that his sentence is the “functional equivalent” of a natural life sentence without the possibility of parole and affirm the trial court’s finding that “[b]y the express holding of Graham, the term of years sentence imposed does not run afoul of the United States Supreme Court’s decision.”

On April 21, 2009, Mr. Gridine…