Duval County: State waives death penalty for Jonte Harris
This week, the State agreed to waive the death penalty against Harris--before the court ruled on the applicability of the 2023 capital sentencing scheme.
Jonte Harris is set to be tried next month in Duval County for crimes that occurred in 2018. In 2019, the State indicated its intent to seek the death penalty against Harris.
This week, however, the State agreed on the record to waive the death penalty.
In late 2023, the defense filed various motions challenging the applicability of Florida’s 2023 capital sentencing statute to Harris’s case. The State’s waiver of death came before the court held a hearing on the motions. Because the State’s waiver made the motions moot, the court did not rule on the motions.1 If convicted of first-degree murder, Harris will be sentenced to life in prison without parole.
The information in this post is not reflected in filings on the docket but was obtained from attorneys familiar with the case.