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561 So. 2d 532

Docket No. 73999.

State v. Jones

STATE of Florida, Petitioner, v. Roosevelt JONES, Respondent.

Supreme Court of Florida

Decided March 29, 1990.

Supreme Court of Florida · decided 1990-03-29

Cited by 3 later decisions — most recently August 1997

3 state decisions

Relies on 561 So. 2d 528 - State v. Griffith · Jones v. State

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1990-03-29

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¶1Robert A. Butterworth, Atty. Gen., and Michael J. Neimand, Asst. Atty. Gen., Miami, for petitioner.

¶2Bennett H. Brummer, Public Defender, and Harvey J. Sepler, Asst. Public Defender, Eleventh Judicial Circuit, Miami, for respondent.

¶3McDONALD, Justice.

¶4In Jones v. State, 548 So.2d 244, 244 n. 2 (Fla. 3d DCA 1989), the district court certified the following question as one of great public importance:

Whether a twelve-person jury is required in a first degree murder case in which the prosecution waives the death penalty?

¶5We have jurisdiction. Art. V, § 3(b)(4), Fla. Const. In State v. Griffith, 561 So.2d 528 (Fla. 1990), we answered the certified question with a qualified affirmative and held that, regardless of whether the state seeks the death penalty, a twelve-person *533 jury is required in first-degree murder trials unless waived by the defense. In this case defense counsel's agreement with the state to trial by a six-person jury in exchange for the state's waiver of the death penalty constituted a valid waiver of Jones's statutory right to trial by a twelve-person jury.[*]Griffith. We therefore quash the district court's decision.

¶6It is so ordered.

¶7EHRLICH, C.J., and SHAW, BARKETT, GRIMES and KOGAN, JJ., concur.

¶8OVERTON, J., concurs in result only.

NOTES

¶9[*] The following exchange took place on the record.

¶10MR. SOHN: [Defense Counsel]: It's my understanding the State is waiving the death penalty. We have agreed to a jury of six.

¶11MR. NORRIS: [Prosecutor]: That's correct, Judge.

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