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Thread: Jeremiah Martel Rodgers - Florida Death Row

  1. #1
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    Jeremiah Martel Rodgers - Florida Death Row


    Jennifer Robinson, 18




    Summary of Offense:

    On May 8, 1998, Jonathan Lawrence took Jeremiah Rodgers to pick up Jennifer Robinson from her mother’s house to take her out on a date. The following day, Robinson’s mother contacted the police to report her daughter missing, since she never returned from her date with Rodgers.

    Police also received a phone call from Rodgers’ brother, Elijah. Rodgers had told Elijah what happened on the date with Robinson. He told him that Lawrence had shot Robinson and he had Polaroid pictures of her dead body to prove it. Elijah told the police that Lawrence was responsible for the murder. Police arrested Lawrence and then arrested Rodgers.

    In Rodgers’ original statement, he said Lawrence planned to pick up his girlfriend to join them on the date. Lawrence never went to his girlfriend’s house. Instead, he drove out into the woods. While parked in the woods, the three drank alcohol and Rodgers and Lawrence supposedly both had sex with Robinson. At one point, Rodgers walked away to go to the bathroom. He heard a gunshot and went back to the truck. He saw Robinson dead and Lawrence with a gun. Robinson had been shot in the back of the head.

    Rodgers and Lawrence then took Robinson’s body further into the woods. They mutilated her calf, removing the muscle and cut her forehead. They took turns posing with Robinson’s mutilated body and took Polaroid pictures. Rodgers and Lawrence attempted to burn Robinson’s body but were unsuccessful and buried her remains.

    The removed portion of Robinson’s leg was later found in a freezer at Lawrence’s house. At Lawrence’s house, police also discovered books describing human anatomy and surgery, a hand gun and some of the Polaroid pictures. Later, Rodgers confessed he was the one who shot Robinson.

    Rodgers pled guilty to all counts and was sentenced to death in Santa Rosa County on November 21, 2000.

    Jonathan Huey Lawrence was also sentenced to death.

  2. #2
    Senior Member CnCP Legend JLR's Avatar
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    Factors Contributing to the Delay in Imposition of Sentence:

    The Direct Appeal was pending from 01/25/01 – 09/26/06.

    Case Information:

    On 01/25/01, Rodgers filed a Direct Appeal in the Florida Supreme Court. In his Direct Appeal, Rodgers contended that evidence related to the codefendant’s obsession with killing and possession of killing paraphernalia was erroneously excluded from the trial. Rodgers also argued that, since his case had such a great amount of mitigation, the death sentence was unconstitutional and the sentencing judge erroneously ignored the mitigating evidence. Rodgers argued that his right to confrontation was violated. He also argued that he was erroneously absent from a conversation his attorney had with the judge regarding his plea and that his attorney erroneously told the judge of his lack of preparation to proceed in the case. Rodgers’ final arguments were that the state erroneously introduced evidence of a conviction for a prior violent felony made by a judge who should have recused himself, reversal is required under Ring v. Arizona, and that he was forcibly medicated to be tried and sentenced, which violated the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments. On 11/24/04, the Florida Supreme Court affirmed Rodgers’ convictions and reversed his sentence of death. On 06/29/06, the Florida Supreme Court granted rehearing and issued a new opinion, in which it affirmed the conviction, reversed the sentence, and remanded for a new sentencing hearing. Rodgers was resentenced to death on 06/20/07.

    Rodgers filed a Petition for Writ of Certiorari in the United States Supreme Court on 09/27/06. The petition was denied on 12/04/06.

    On 09/04/07, Rodgers filed an appeal for resentencing to the Florida Supreme Court citing the following issues: (1) the trial court erred when it failed to require a new competency hearing before the defendant waived his right to a jury sentencing recommendation and instructed his attorney not to present mitigation; and (2) the trial court erred in deciding that death was the appropriate sentence, given the unparalleled mitigation in this case and the fact that the defendant was only an accomplice. On 02/05/09, the Florida Supreme Court affirmed the death sentence by the lower court. On 02/26/09, the Florida Supreme Court issued a mandate.

  3. #3
    Administrator Moh's Avatar
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    On November 6, 2015, Rodgers filed a habeas petition in Federal District Court.

    https://dockets.justia.com/docket/fl...5cv00507/83773

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    Senior Member CnCP Legend Mike's Avatar
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    Today the Florida Supreme Court denied his Hurst appeal because he waived his right to a jury in the penalty phase.

    http://www.floridasupremecourt.org/d.../sc17-1050.pdf

    Also his mental health claims are based on a diagnoses that he has gender dysphoria. I can't wait to see how in the current political climate if the judges will rule him mentally incompetent/ill because of that.
    Last edited by Mike; 02-08-2018 at 12:04 PM.

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    Administrator Heidi's Avatar
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    In today's orders, the United States Supreme Court declined to review Rodgers' petition for certiorari.

    Lower Ct: Supreme Court of Florida
    Case Numbers: (SC17-1050)
    Decision Date: February 8, 2018
    Rehearing Denied: April 24, 2018

    https://www.supremecourt.gov/search....ic/18-113.html
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    Moderator Bobsicles's Avatar
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    Distributed for conference September 29, 2020.

    https://www.supremecourt.gov/search....c/20-5117.html
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  7. #7
    Senior Member CnCP Legend Mike's Avatar
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    In today's orders, the United States Supreme Court declined to review Rodgers's petition for certiorari.

    Lower Ct: Supreme Court of Florida
    Case Numbers: (SC19-241)
    Decision Date: November 21, 2019
    Rehearing Denied: February 11, 2020

    https://www.supremecourt.gov/search....c/20-5117.html
    "There is a point in the history of a society when it becomes so pathologically soft and tender that among other things it sides even with those who harm it, criminals, and does this quite seriously and honestly. Punishing somehow seems unfair to it, and it is certain that imagining ‘punishment’ and ‘being supposed to punish’ hurts it, arouses fear in it." Friedrich Nietzsche

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