Pittman v. Secretary, Florida Department of Corrections

MARCUS, Circuit Judge:

In this capital case, David Joseph Pittman, a state prisoner in Florida convicted of the 1990 murder of Barbara, Clarence, and Bonnie Knowles, seeks federal habeas relief pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2254. Following a 9-3 recommendation by the jury in favor of death, the state trial court sentenced Pittman to death for each of the three murders. The judgment was upheld by the Florida Supreme Court on direct appeal and again on collateral review. Pittman v. State, 646 So.2d 167, 168 (Fla. 1994) (Pittman I); Pittman v. State, 90 So.3d 794, 799 (Fla. 2011) (Pittman II). Pittman…