Just hours after declaring prosecutors could not seek death sentences under existing state law, the Florida Supreme Court on Wednesday rescinded the order, an uncommon move that casts fresh uncertainty on the state's death penalty. The reason: A typo. In a 5-2 ruling Wednesday morning, the court rejected Attorney General Pam Bondi's request to let prosecutors seek the death penalty as long as juries voted unanimously. The court threw out the state's revamped death sentencing law in October because it required only a 10-2 super majority of the jury to put someone to death. Then at 1 p.m., the Supreme Court rescinded the order, saying it was "prematurely issued," and deleted it from the court's website. The Wednesday morning ruling was vacated because of a "clerical error," said Craig Waters, a spokesman for the court. Instead of writing that death penalty laws in section 921.141 of Florida Statutes were unconstitutional, the cou...
Striving for a World without Capital Punishment