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Criminal Law keyed to Dripps
Hurst v. Florida
Citation:
577 U.S. 92, 136 S.Ct. 616, 193 L.Ed.2d 504.Facts
On May 2, 1998, Cynthia Harrison’s body was discovered in the freezer where she worked with petitioner. The restaurant’s safe was unlocked and missing hundreds of dollars. Petitioner was charged with murder and during the trial witnesses testified that petitioner had announced he planned to rob the restaurant, that petitioner and Harrison were the only people scheduled to work, that petitioner had disposed of blood stained evidence, and petitioner had used the stolen money to buy shoes and rings. Petitioner testified in his defense that he never made it to work because his car broke down and he called the restaurant to let Harrison know he would be late. At the close of trial, the judge instructed the jury that they could find petitioner guilty of first-degree murder if they found the murder was premeditated or committed during the course of the robbery. The jury convicted petitioner of first-degree murder but did not specify on which theory.
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