TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The last time we saw convicted killer Joseph Zieler he was in the Lee County Courthouse. It's there where he was found guilty of killing Lisa Story and 11-year-old Robin Cornell. He was sentenced to death.
Now, the Florida Supreme Court is hearing his appeal. Zieler's attorney went in front of the justices on Wednesday, asking them to overturn his conviction and sentence.
Steven Bolotin, his attorney, spent time arguing the aggravating factors and mitigating circumstances in the case. However, he spent much of his time arguing the death penalty sentence.
WATCH SENIOR REPORTER KAITLIN KNAPP EXPLAIN WHAT HAPPENED IN TALLAHASSEE:
Florida's death penalty law now only requires eight jurors to recommend death. Prior, it had to be unanimous.
In this case, it was 10 to 2 for the death penalty.
Bolotin argued this violates his sixth and eighth amendment rights. This argument was done not only in front of the justices, but Jan Cornell, Robin's mother.
"The court should require unanimity based on Ramos and based on the importance of unanimity to the moral judgment of whether a person should be sentenced to death or not," Bolotin said.
Chief Justice Carlos Muniz pushed back at times during the argument.
"It sounds like it’s a great issue for the Legislature to think about," he told Bolotin.
Christina Pacheco, representing the State of Florida, says none of Zieler's rights were violated.
"The State respectfully requests that this court affirms Zieler's convictions and his constitutional and very well deserved sentences of death," she said.
Justices can take as long as they need to make a decision, so it's not clear when that will happen.
