No. 20-6515

Anthony Ponticelli v. Florida

Lower Court: Florida
Docketed: 2020-12-03
Status: Denied
Type: IFP
IFP
Tags: capital-sentencing due-process eighth-amendment fourteenth-amendment hurst-v-state jury-unanimity retroactivity statutory-construction substantive-law
Latest Conference: 2021-03-19
Question Presented (from Petition)

1.Whether the Florida Supreme Court's statutory
construction in Hurst v. State constitutes substantive law, and
if so, whether the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment
requires that this substantive law govern the law in existence at
the time of Mr. Ponticelli's alleged offense?

2.Whether the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth
Amendment permits State v. Poole to retroactively change
Florida's substantive law to Mr. Ponticelli's detriment?

3.Whether McKinney v. Arizona governs the retroactivity
of Hurst v. Florida and Hurst v. State as to Florida's capital
sentencing statute which is markedly different than Arizona's
statute?

4.Whether the Eighth Amendment requires a unanimous jury
verdict on the elements required for a capital defendant to be
sentenced to death?

Question Presented (AI Summary)

Whether the Florida Supreme Court's statutory construction in Hurst v. State constitutes substantive law, and if so, whether the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment requires that this substantive law govern the law in existence at the time of Mr. Ponticelli's alleged offense?

Docket Entries

2021-03-22
Petition DENIED.
2021-03-04
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 3/19/2021.
2021-02-18
Brief of respondent Florida in opposition filed.
2020-12-31
Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is extended to and including February 18, 2021.
2020-12-30
Motion to extend the time to file a response from January 4, 2021 to February 18, 2021, submitted to The Clerk.
2020-11-27
Petition for a writ of certiorari and motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis filed. (Response due January 4, 2021)

Attorneys

Anthony John Ponticelli
Martin J. McClainLaw Office of Martin J. McClain, Petitioner
Florida
Amitabh AgarwalOffice of the Attorney General, Respondent