The Florida Supreme Court on Wednesday affirmed the death sentence of James Herard, a Broward County gang member convicted of two murders in 2008.
Herard, identified as the second-in-command of a Lauderhill branch of the Crips gang, faced 18 gang-related felony charges, including the murders of Eric Jean-Pierre and Kiem Huynh.
The court’s ruling detailed a brutal crime spree in November 2008, where Herard and fellow gang members “drove the streets of Lauderhill in search of a victim for a body-count competition.” They targeted Jean-Pierre, an innocent bystander walking home from a bus stop.
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At Herard’s urging, another gang member fatally shot Jean-Pierre in the chest.
Herard’s defense challenged his case on several grounds, including the suppression of statements he made to police after initially requesting an attorney.
However, the Supreme Court rejected this argument. The ruling states that Herard later “waived his Miranda rights” by initiating further communication with detectives and signing a Miranda waiver form.
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The court’s decision was unanimous, with Chief Justice Carlos Muniz and Justices Charles Canady, John Couriel, Jamie Grosshans, Renatha Francis, and Meredith Sasso all in full agreement. Justice Jorge Labarga concurred with the final outcome.
Currently 34 years old, Herard is incarcerated at Union Correctional Institution. This ruling upholds his death sentence for the murder of Eric Jean-Pierre.
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