State v. Jones

BLACK, Judge.

The State of Florida seeks four writs of prohibition, arguing that four trial judges in two circuit courts lacked authority to determine that, after the United States Supreme Court’s holding in Hurst v. Florida, — U.S. —, 136 S.Ct. 616, 193 L.Ed.2d 504 (2016), the State could not proceed with these capital cases as death penalty cases. We grant the petitions. 1

I. Background

The four defendants, respondents here, allegedly committed homicides between 2011 and 2015. The State indicted each of them for first-degree murder and filed notices of intent to seek the death penalty. After…