Charles L. Anderson, Appellant v. State of Florida, Appellee; Charles L. Anderson, Petitioner, v. Julie L. Jones…

Summary

The court affirmed the denial of postconviction relief concerning Anderson’s murder conviction and denied his habeas petition. It rejected his claims that trial counsel was ineffective for failing to challenge forensic evidence, that the State violated due process by allowing evidence to deteriorate, and that later developments undermined the conviction. The court vacated the death sentence because the capital sentencing scheme was unconstitutional as applied and the nonunanimous death recommendation rendered the error harmlessness argument unavailable, remanding for a new penalty phase. Justice Canady, joined by Justice Polston, concurred in affirming the conviction and denying habeas relief but would not have required a new penalty phase because he would not apply the intervening capital-sentencing rule retroactively.