FL H0979

Requires advisory sentences of death in capital felony cases to be made by unanimous jury recommendation, effective for offenses committed on or after October 1, 2011.

Allows courts to impose death sentences notwithstanding jury recommendations (whether majority or unanimous), provided the court makes specific written findings supporting the death sentence.

Requires courts to document written findings that sufficient aggravating circumstances exist and that mitigating circumstances are insufficient to outweigh aggravating circumstances when imposing death sentences.

Applies the same unanimous jury recommendation requirement to capital drug trafficking felony cases under section 921.142.

Court must enter written findings within 30 days of judgment; failure to do so results in automatic life imprisonment sentence.