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Thread: Luther Youenr Douglas - Florida

  1. #1
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    Luther Youenr Douglas - Florida




    Summary of Offense:

    On the evening of December 25, 1999, Mary Ann Hobgood left her parents’ house with her friend, Misty Jones, in a car driven by Jones’ boyfriend, Luther Douglas. Douglas was driving a red Ford Escort, which belonged to the mother of one of Douglas’ children, Jimela Dozier. The three then stopped at a liquor store and bough a bottle of rum and soda, which Douglas and Hobgood drank. They then went to several area bars and, when Douglas dropped Jones off at home around midnight, he left with Hobgood in the car. Douglas called Jones in the early hours of December 26, 1999, first telling her that he had dropped Hobgood off at a bar and then stating that he had taken Hobgood home.

    When Jones saw Douglas later in the morning, she noticed scratch marks on Douglas’ neck that had not been there the previous evening. In Douglas’ presence, Jones called Hobgood’s home and was informed that she had not returned home. When Hobgood’s sister called Jones later in the day, Jones lied and told her that they [Jones and Hobgood] had been out with Jones’ ex-boyfriend, Timothy Hightower, the previous evening. Jones later stated that she lied to Hobgood’s sister because Douglas was listening to the conversation. Jones then confronted Douglas regarding Hobgood’s whereabouts, while the two were driving in the red Ford Escort. During the drive, Jones noticed that the car was clean, inside and out, whereas it had been dirty and cluttered with trash on the previous evening. Douglas admitted beating Hobgood and throwing her out of the car. Douglas also told Jones that if she was questioned about the crime, she should implicate Hightower, or else she would end up like Hobgood. When police questioned Jones about Hobgood’s whereabouts, she told them the same story that she had told Hobgood’s sister – she and Hobgood had gone out with Hightower. Jones recanted that statement when police again questioned her in January of 2000.

    On the afternoon of December 26, 1999, Hobgood’s body was found along a set of railroad tracks. She was found on her back in a shrub line, with her legs stretched out in front of her. Hobgood’s body was nude from the waist down, and her knit top and black bra were torn and pushed up to her shoulders. Near the body, police found a lug wrench, a rubber car part (later determined to be from the red Ford Escort), and a blood-soaked maroon jacket, that was later determined to have belonged to Douglas. Forensic investigation determined that Hobgood died as the result of blunt head trauma, with ten blows to the face, seven blows to the back of the head, and seven to ten blows to her hands and arms. Additionally, her jaw and nose were broken, several of her teeth had been knocked out and her right shoulder was dislocated. An autopsy showed that additional, extensive injury was received post-mortem, most likely the result of being run over by a car. A rape kit indicated the presence of semen, later determined to be Douglas’, in the vagina of Hobgood. Forensic testing in the red Ford Escort yielded traces of blood in, on, and under the car that matched Hobgood’s blood. When questioned by police, Douglas initially claimed that the blood found in the car belonged to a friend, Eric Ransom, but police later determined that Ransom was incarcerated at the time of the murder. Police then arrested Douglas for the rape and murder of Hobgood. While in jail awaiting trial, Douglas implicated himself in the crimes to a fellow inmate.

    Douglas was sentenced to death in Duval County on June 14, 2002.

  2. #2
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    DOUGLAS, Luther (B/M)
    DC# 125172
    DOB: 07/04/74

    Fourth Judicial Circuit, Duval County Case # 00-1549

    Sentencing Judge: The Honorable Henry E. Davis

    Attorney, Trial: Refik W. Eler – Private (Court-Appointed)

    Attorney, Direct Appeal: Nada Carey – Assistant Public Defender

    Attorney, Collateral Appeals: Frank Tassone – Registry


    Date of Offense: 12/26/99

    Date of Sentence: 06/14/02


    Trial Summary:

    03/02/00 Indicted as follows:

    Count I: First-Degree Murder

    Count II: Sexual Battery

    Count III: Kidnapping

    03/15/02 Jury returned guilty verdicts for Counts I and II of the indictment

    State nolle prossed Count III of the indictment

    04/05/02 Jury recommended death by a vote of 11-1

    06/14/00 Sentenced as follows:

    Count I: First-Degree Murder – Death

    Count II: Sexual Battery – Life
    Imprisonment


    Appeal Summary:

    Florida Supreme Court – Direct Appeal

    FSC# 02-1666

    878 So.2d 1246

    07/25/02 Appeal filed

    05/06/04 FSC affirmed convictions and sentences

    06/15/04 Rehearing denied

    07/15/04 Mandate issued

    U.S. Supreme Court – Petition for Writ of Certiorari

    USSC# 04-6881

    543 U.S. 1061

    10/13/04 Petition filed

    01/10/05 USSC denied Petition

    Circuit Court – 3.851 Motion

    CC# 00-1549

    05/17/05 Motion filed

    12/28/05 Amended motion filed

    11/23/09 Motion denied

    Florida Supreme Court – 3.851 Motion Appeal

    FSC# 10-318

    (Pending)

    02/22/10 Appeal filed

    Florida Supreme Court – Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus

    FSC# 10-1725

    09/03/10 Petition filed


    Factors Contributing to the Delay in Imposition of Sentence:

    The case progression appears to be within acceptable time parameters.


    Case Information:

    Douglas filed a Direct Appeal with the Florida Supreme Court on 07/25/02, citing the following errors: allowing crime scene and autopsy photographs into evidence; failing to find mitigating circumstances; finding the aggravating circumstance of heinous, atrocious, or cruel murder; disproportionate death sentence; and Florida’s unconstitutional death penalty statute. On 05/06/04, the FSC affirmed the convictions and sentences.

    Douglas filed a Petition for Writ of Certiorari with the U.S. Supreme Court on 10/13/04 that was denied on 01/10/05.

    Douglas filed a 3.851 Motion with the Circuit Court on 05/17/05 that was denied on 11/23/09.

    Douglas filed a 3.851 Motion Appeal with the Florida Supreme Court on 02/22/10, which is pending.

    Douglas filed a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus with the Florida Supreme Court on 09/03/10, which is pending.

  3. #3
    Senior Member CnCP Legend JLR's Avatar
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    Oral arguments were held on June the 8th.

    http://www.floridasupremecourt.org/p.../oa06-11.shtml

    You can find the briefs here.

    http://www.floridasupremecourt.org/p...318/index.html

  4. #4
    Administrator Heidi's Avatar
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    Luther Douglas v The State Of Florida

    In today's opinions, the Florida Supreme Court DENIED Douglas' petition for post-conviction relief.

  5. #5
    Moderator MRBAM's Avatar
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    Why this monster is even trying to appeal is beyond me. He should be fast tracked to the front of the line for being extra extra guilty.

  6. #6
    Administrator Heidi's Avatar
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    I have never heard of someone being extra extra guilty! I like it!

  7. #7
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    An uninformed opponent is a dangerous opponent.

    "Y'all be makin shit up" ~ Markeith Loyd

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    Administrator Moh's Avatar
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    On April 1, 2013, Douglas filed a habeas petition in Federal District Court.

    http://dockets.justia.com/docket/flo...v00346/282652/

  9. #9
    Moderator Bobsicles's Avatar
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    April 17, 2023

    ACLU calls jury selection processes in Jacksonville death penalty cases ‘discriminatory’

    By Marilyn Parker
    news4jax.com

    JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Defense attorneys in two death penalty cases are challenging what they say is a discriminatory jury selection process in Duval County.

    The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) tried to bring in leaders from Jacksonville’s Black community to help their case. Those pastors, community leaders and activists agree jury proceedings in the criminal justice system have not been fair to the Black community.

    The ACLU said it has the studies to prove it, but state prosecutors believe this is more of an issue to be addressed in legislation or at the ballot box, not in court.

    The cases under a microscope include two pending capital re-sentencing trials in Duval County: Luther Douglas and Donald Banks.

    Both men were convicted of murders and sentenced to death. Those sentences were later thrown out for being unconstitutional. On Friday, their cases returned to court and News4JAX watched.

    The ACLU is challenging the jury selection process saying it removes jurors who don’t want to impose the death penalty and disproportionality removes Black jurors from service.

    “I think we all need to grapple with the fact that we still have racial discrimination in our communal justice system. We are all trying to eradicate it. But we’re not there yet. We can’t pretend like it’s gone. It’s not gone and when people have distrust in the system based on that racial discrimination, and then the state takes advantage of that and excludes them from the process, and excludes them even though there’s a raw punishment those jurors can select, that violates the eighth amendment death sentence infused with racial consideration. It’s not an impartial jury, and we’ve heard, and that only our Black jurors are excluded and that affects deliberation. We heard that from Professor (inaudible), but also the white jurors who are included are more likely to hold racist views,” said Brian Stull, Deputy Director of the ACLU Capital Punishment Project.

    A declaration from a professor showed in the 12 capital cases in Duval County in 2010, Black jurors were twice as likely to be removed as white jurors.

    Stull mentions how local activists and community groups have done studies showing distrust in the criminal justice system goes back to legal lynchings.

    The judge urged the defense to stick to legal issues and acknowledged that anecdotal statements are tragic but don’t move the court in any direction.

    The state said the defense wouldn’t want a jury of people who only consider death and neither do they.

    “People who are opposed to the death penalty personally may be a preemptory strike, but they are not a cause challenge. If they say I can, although personally against that law, can follow the law. The last paragraph of the court reads to jurors, and I know the court is aware of, is that no juror has a right to violate the rules we all share. This is a fundamental principle of our justice system, and this side of the courtroom is arguing that because a person has more pigmentation in their skin that they should not have to follow that. That they are allowed to ignore the law,” said prosecutor Alan Mizrahi.

    Mizrahi said jurors are charged with considering punishments and people of any race have feelings about the death penalty.

    Stull said the opposition to the death penalty is greater today and the judge pointed out how white jurors will be excluded like anyone else if they can’t follow the rules.

    On Friday, Florida lawmakers passed a bill to remove unanimous jury requirements for the death penalty.

    Both Douglas and Banks’ cases have been passed to May 17 where the judge will make a ruling.

    https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/...iscriminatory/
    Thank you for the adventure - Axol

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  10. #10
    Moderator Bobsicles's Avatar
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    Back under a death sentence per the FDOC death row roster.

    https://fdc.myflorida.com/OffenderSe...rowroster.aspx
    Thank you for the adventure - Axol

    Tried so hard and got so far, but in the end it doesn’t even matter - Linkin Park

    Hear me, my chiefs! I am tired. My heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever. - Hin-mah-too-yah-lat-kekt

    I’m going to the ghost McDonalds - Garcello

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