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Florida Supreme Court Throws Out 4 Death Sentences

The Florida Supreme Court is ordering new sentencing hearings for four inmates currently on the state's death row.
Scott Keeler/Tampa Bay Times via AP
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The Florida Channel
Leon County Judge John Cooper on June 30, 2022, in a screen grab from The Florida Channel.

The Florida Supreme Court is ordering new sentencing hearings for four inmates currently on the state's death row.

The high court on Thursday threw out the sentences because a jury did not unanimously recommend the death penalty. Last year the court ruled death sentences have to be unanimous, which the court put in place in response to U.S. Supreme Court rulings. 

The state court said anyone sentenced after a 2002 ruling could be eligible for a new sentence.

Among those getting a new hearing is Tiffany Ann Cole. She was convicted for her role in the 2005 murders of a Jacksonville couple who were buried alive. 

One of the other inmates who will get a new sentencing hearing is Michael Bargo, convicted for taking part in a teenager's 2011 torture and slaying.

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