A Florida appeals court made a significant ruling on Friday, August 9, 2024, determining that a man accused of a 2018 double homicide in Hillsborough County can face the death penalty even without a unanimous jury recommendation.
The ruling overturns a previous decision by Circuit Judge Lyann Goudie, who had mandated a unanimous jury recommendation for the death penalty in the case against the defendant, McKinsie Lyons. Lyons is accused of murdering two people in Ruskin in 2018.
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The three-judge panel of the 2nd District Court of Appeal based their decision on a 2023 law that altered the requirements for imposing capital punishment. While the law in 2018, when the alleged murders occurred, required a unanimous jury recommendation, the 2023 law permits judges to impose the death penalty with a minimum of eight jurors in favor.
The specifics of Lyons’ charges were not detailed in the appeals court’s ruling, but local media reports have indicated that he is accused of a double homicide in Ruskin.
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This ruling could set a precedent for other capital cases in Florida where the crimes were committed before the 2023 law change. This potentially opens the door for more death sentences to be imposed even without unanimous jury recommendations.
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