Margaret A. Allen, Appellant v. State of Florida, Appellee.

Summary

The Supreme Court of Florida affirmed the denial of Margaret Allen's initial postconviction motion, rejecting her ineffective-assistance, prosecutorial-misconduct, false-testimony, and capital-sentencing claims. The court held that Allen failed to establish deficient performance or prejudice under the governing ineffective-assistance standard, that the false testimony about her drug convictions was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt, and that any sentencing error was harmless because the jury unanimously recommended death and the aggravating evidence was compelling. Justice Pariente, dissenting, would have vacated the death sentence and ordered a new penalty phase because counsel failed to investigate and present available, detailed testimony about Allen's abuse and trauma.