Pasco County: Phillup Partin resentenced to life

Last week, Phillup Partin was resentenced to life in prison without parole (LWOP) based on an apparent agreement by the State to drop the death sentence on resentencing.

Last week, Phillup Partin was resentenced to life in prison without parole (LWOP) based on an apparent agreement by the State to drop the death sentence on resentencing.

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Background

Partin was originally tried in 2007 and then retried in March 2008 “following an inadvertent discovery violation.”¹ At the retrial, the jury convicted Partin of first-degree murder.² After the penalty phase, the jury recommended the death penalty by a vote of 9-3.³ The trial court followed the jury’s recommendation and imposed a sentence of death.

On direct appeal, in 2011, the Florida Supreme Court affirmed Partin’s conviction and sentence of death.⁴

Following Hurst,⁵ Partin was granted a resentencing.

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Resentencing

Partin’s resentencing had been continued several times. Last week, on April 4, the trial court set aside the original Judgment and Sentence.

The same day, the trial court entered a new Judgment and Sentence sentencing Partin to LWOP.

1. Partin v. State, 82 So. 3d 31, 37 (Fla. 2011).

2. Id.

3. Id.

4. See generally id.

5. For a full explanation of Hurst, see the five-part TFDP series available here.