Supreme Court of Florida

Thomas Theo Brown, Appellant v. State of Florida, Appellee.

September 13, 2018258 So. 3d 1201

Summary

The Florida Supreme Court affirmed the post‑conviction court’s partial denial of relief, holding that trial counsel’s failure to object to a mischaracterization of the appellant’s statements during closing argument did not constitute ineffective assistance of counsel. The Court applied the Strickland test and a mixed standard of review, finding no prejudice because the record already demonstrated premeditation.