Jacksonville Criminal Defense Attorney Blog
With one murder conviction and a life sentence in the books, the state attorney’s office is planning at least one more trial in hopes of getting the death penalty for DeShawn Leon Green. Green is accused of three killings in a five-month span in 2009. He was found guilty of first-degree murder in the first trial last month. Three days after the verdict, the state dropped plans to seek the death penalty, at least partly because jurors said they did not believe the state had proven that the killing was premeditated, the Florida Times-Union reported.
The jury did agree the killing was done during the commission of a felony – part of Green’s drug operation – which makes the homicide first-degree murder. But the state didn’t want to take any chances on being denied the death penalty. Instead, prosecutors will go forward with a whole new murder trial, because a life sentence is clearly not enough for the state when it comes to Green. Prosecutors are planning on taking a second murder case against Green to trial in March. The only reason: trying to get Green executed.
That’s well within the state’s power.
If you are charged with multiple counts or multiple crimes, the state can chose to try them separately. Think of it as them saving some ammunition in case they lose the first fight. And just because the defense wins one trial, it does not guarantee the same results next time. A different jury and different trial can sometimes lead to different results. Whether these tactics are an efficient use of taxpayer money is a separate issue, but they are just another part of the state’s arsenal.
In many cases, our Jacksonville Criminal Defense Law Firm is able to negotiate to get charges consolidated, or have sentences run concurrently – meaning they can be served at the same time instead of being stacked on top of one another.
If you need a criminal defense attorney in Jacksonville or the surrounding area, call The Mussallem Law Firm, PA at 904-365-5200 for a free consultation.