USA - Florida. Judge Willard Pope resentenced Emilia Carr to life in prison without parole

5th Judicial Circuit Court Judge Willard Pope resentenced Emilia Carr, 32, White, to life in prison without parole. After an evidentiary hearing May 19, the State declined to seek a new death penalty phase, according to court records. On December 9, 2010 (see) a Marion County jury recommended 7-5 that Emilia Carr, 26, white, be put to death for kidnapping and murdering Heather Strong, 26, White. Judge Pope formally imposed the sentence on Feb. 22, 2011. Carr's resentencing comes at a pivotal time for Florida's death penalty. After being ruled unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court in January 2016, Florida's death sentence scheme became a topic of debate and revision. The Florida Supreme Court released an opinion in October 2016 calling for a unanimous jury. In March of this year, Gov. Rick Scott signed new rules requiring a unanimous jury decision for the death sentence. The Florida Supreme Court is still hammering out final jury instructions for the new death sentence scheme.