A CASE STUDY ANALYSIS EXAMINING THE REMOVAL OF UNANJMITY FROM DEATH PENALTY SENTENCING

The following thesis is written as a result of the 2023 law passed in the state of Florida that removed unanimity for death penalty sentencing proceedings. The thesis looks into the previously researched information on death penalty law, juries, and the combination of the two. It then examines three two-prong case studies comparing cases in Alabama to cases in North Carolina and Ohio to determine if there are any specific or general differential outcomes when it comes to the removal of unanimity in death penalty sentencing trials. The results of the case study found significant differences in jury voting in the first case study; significant differences in both trial results and jury voting in the second case study; and significant differences in trial results in the third case study. The overall conclusion led to the idea of reexamining how we do trial systems to avoid groupthink and protect lives.