Justin Curtis Heyne, Appellant v. State of Florida, Appellee

Summary

The Florida Supreme Court affirmed the trial court’s denial of Hey Heyne’s guilt‑phase post‑conviction claims, finding his ineffective‑assistance arguments meritless, and vacated his death sentence as a Hurst error that was not harmless, remanding for a new penalty phase. The Court applied Strickland’s two‑prong test, held that Heyne’s ambiguous statements did not require termination of interrogation, and concluded that the abandoned shoebox was lawfully seized. Justice POLSTON, concurring in part and dissenting in part, agreed with the majority except for the vacatur of the death sentence.