USA - Florida. The Florida Supreme Court has overturned the death sentence of Richard Franklin

The Florida Supreme Court has overturned 5-2 the death sentence imposed by a trial judge on Richard Franklin, 42, Black. Wednesday's ruling ordered a lower court to hold a new sentencing proceeding for Franklin, who was convicted of first-degree murder in the March 18, 2012 stabbing death of Columbia Correctional Institution Sgt. Ruben Thomas, 24, White. At the time Franklin was serving a life sentence for murder since 1995. He was convicted the following year and on June 26, 2013 a jury voted 9-3 in favor of executing Franklin. A judge sentenced him on Aug. 2, 2013. But last month the state Supreme Court ruled that death sentences have to be unanimous, citing a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in January (Hurst v. Florida) that overturned a Florida death sentence issued on a 7-5 jury recommendation. Franklin's case will go back to a jury for a new penalty hearing. However, Florida currently does not have any constitutionally valid statute in place to conduct a resentencing.