Donte Jermaine Hall, Appellant v. State of Florida, Appellee; Donte Jermaine Hall, Petitioner, v. Julie L. Jones…

Summary

The Court affirmed the denial of Hall’s post‑conviction guilt‑phase claims and his habeas‑corpus guilt‑phase claims, but held that his death sentence violated Hurst because the jury recommendation was not unanimous, found the error not harmless, vacated the death sentence and remanded for a new penalty phase. It applied the Strickland test to reject ineffective‑assistance claims and found procedural bars to Hall’s appellate‑counsel and cumulative‑error arguments. Concurring opinions joined the judgment, while Justice POLSTON, dissenting in part, would have left the death sentence in place.