🏛️ Russ + Hildwin v. State + Rippy v. Shepard + Relin v. Ferber | FL Supreme Ct. Mar. 7, 2011

Russ v. State | Hildwin v. State | Rippy v. Shepard | Relin v. Ferber | Florida Supreme Court | March 7, 2011 Jim Woolchack (public defender, Daytona Beach) argued for David Russ, who pled guilty to murder, kidnapping, robbery, and burglary, then waived mitigation at the penalty phase — raising the question of whether his death sentence is proportionate. Martin Mlan argued for Paul Hildwin on appeal of a penalty-phase IAC claim stemming from a 1985 crime and 1986 conviction. Steve Brick (Bran & Humphrey) argued for Petitioner Rippy in a negligence case arising from a golf cart injury involving a third-party driver. Joel Eaton argued for John Veland (personal representative of the estate of Jose Martinez, a passenger killed in a Lakeland airplane crash) on whether a 1948 federal statute preempts Florida's dangerous instrumentality doctrine as applied to aircraft owners. Key issues addressed: Russ v. State: Whether the death sentence is proportionate where the defendant pled guilty and knowingly waived mitigation evidence at the penalty phase Hildwin v. State: Whether penalty-phase counsel was ineffective for a 1985 murder conviction, and what relief is appropriate 25+ years later Rippy v. Shepard: Whether the negligence of a third-party operator of a golf cart can be attributed to the property owner/permissive lessor Relin v. Ferber: Whether a 1948 federal statute preempts Florida's dangerous instrumentality doctrine as applied to the owner of an aircraft that crashed after takeoff in Lakeland 🔗 Florida Rules & Legal Resources: www.floridarules.net #FloridaSupremeCourt #FloridaAppeal #DeathPenalty #IAC #DangerousInstrumentality #FederalPreemption #AircraftCrash #FloridaRules #OralArguments #FloridaCriminalLaw