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Date: 01-24-2021
Case Style:
Gerhard Hojan v. State of Florida
Case Number: SC18-2149
Judge: PER CURIAM.
Court: Florida Supreme Court
Plaintiff's Attorney: Ashley Moody, Attorney General, Tallahassee, Florida, and Lisa-Marie Lerner,
Assistant Attorney General, West Palm Beach, Florida
Defendant's Attorney:
OR
Just Call 855-853-4800 for Free Help Finding a Lawyer Help You.
Description:
Tallahassee, FL - Criminal defense attorney represented Gerhard Hojan with appealing two sentences of death imposed during a resentencing that this Court ordered as a result of Hurst1 error. .
The evidence presented at Hojan’s 2003 trial established that, at
approximately 4 a.m. on the morning of March 11, 2002, Hojan and Jimmy Mickel
entered a Waffle House where the victims, Barbara Nunn, Christina De La Rosa,
1. Hurst v. State, 202 So. 3d 40 (Fla. 2016), receded from in part by State v.
Poole, 297 So. 3d 487 (Fla. 2020).
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and Willy Absolu, worked. Hojan v. State (Hojan I), 3 So. 3d 1204, 1207 (Fla.
2009). The victims recognized and knew Hojan and Mickel because they had
eaten at that Waffle House on prior occasions, Mickel had previously worked
there, and Mickel and Hojan had previously admitted one of the victims to a club
where they worked. Id. After eating breakfast, Mickel retrieved a pair of bolt
cutters and went to the employee section of the restaurant, and Hojan ordered
Nunn, De La Rosa, and Absolu into a freezer at gunpoint, shutting them inside. Id.
at 1207-08. While Mickel cut the locks to the cash stores, Hojan returned to the
freezer three times. Id. at 1208. After demanding the victims give him their cell
phones and money, Hojan returned for a third and final time and ordered the
victims to turn around and kneel, shooting each of them. Id. Nunn survived and
identified Mickel and Hojan as being involved. Hojan was soon apprehended and
subsequently confessed. Id.
Hojan’s jury convicted him of two counts of first-degree murder, one count
of attempted first-degree premeditated murder, three counts of armed kidnapping,
and two counts of armed robbery. Id.2
At the penalty phase, Hojan waived his
right to present mitigation evidence. Id. at 1210. The jury recommended that
2. Hojan was also convicted of one count of attempted first-degree felony
murder for the shooting of Nunn. However he was not sentenced for this count
because he was sentenced for the attempted premeditated murder of the same
victim. Hojan I, 3 So. 3d at 1208 n.1.
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Hojan be sentenced to death by a vote of nine to three, and the trial court followed
that recommendation and imposed two death sentences for the murders of Absolu
and De La Rosa. Id. at 1208. This Court affirmed Hojan’s convictions and
sentences on direct appeal, id. at 1219, and the United States Supreme Court
denied certiorari. Hojan v. Florida, 558 U.S. 1052 (2009).
In 2010, Hojan filed his initial motion for postconviction relief pursuant to
Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.851 seeking to vacate his convictions and
sentences of death. Hojan v. State (Hojan II), 212 So. 3d 982, 988 (Fla. 2017).
The circuit court summarily denied all of Hojan’s claims, and Hojan appealed to
this Court and petitioned for a writ of habeas corpus. Id. at 986, 988. This Court
affirmed the circuit court’s summary denial of Hojan’s rule 3.851 motion, denied
the accompanying habeas petition, but vacated Hojan’s death sentences due to
Hurst error and remanded for a new penalty phase. Id. at 1001.
At the conclusion of his new penalty-phase trial, the resentencing jury voted
twelve to zero to recommend that Hojan be sentenced to death for both of his firstdegree murder convictions. As to count one, the first-degree murder of Absolu, the
jury found that the State proved the following four aggravators beyond a
reasonable doubt: (1) the defendant was previously convicted of another capital
felony or of a felony involving the use or threat of violence to another person; (2)
the first-degree murder was committed while the defendant was engaged, or was an
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accomplice, in the commission of, or an attempt to commit, or flight after
committing or attempting to commit, the crime of armed kidnapping; (3) the firstdegree murder was committed for the purpose of avoiding or preventing a lawful
arrest; and (4) the first-degree murder was especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel.3
As to count two, the first-degree murder of De La Rosa, the jury found that the
State proved the following five aggravators beyond a reasonable doubt: (1) the
defendant was previously convicted of another capital felony or of a felony
involving the use or threat of violence to another person; (2) the first-degree
murder was committed while the defendant was engaged, or was an accomplice, in
the commission of, or an attempt to commit, or flight after committing or
attempting to commit, the crime of armed kidnapping; (3) the first-degree murder
was committed for the purpose of avoiding or preventing a lawful arrest; (4) the
first-degree murder was especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel; and (5) the firstdegree murder was committed in a cold, calculated, and premeditated manner,
without any pretense of moral or legal justification.4
3. The jury found that the State failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt
that the first-degree murder of Absolu was (1) committed for financial gain and (2)
committed in a cold, calculated, and premeditated manner, without any pretense of
moral or legal justification.
4. The jury found that the State failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt
that the first-degree murder of De La Rosa was committed for financial gain.
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Following the Spencer5 hearing, the trial court found the same statutory
aggravators as the jury and assigned each aggravator “great weight.” With respect
to both counts, the trial court also found thirty nonstatutory mitigating
circumstances and assigned each of them little weight: (1) the defendant has no
criminal convictions other than the counts in this case; (2) the defendant has had no
disciplinary reports filed against him during his incarceration; (3) under the
circumstances, the defendant is a good father; (4) before his incarceration, the
defendant was a good son; since his incarceration, he has attempted to maintain a
positive relationship with his mother; and his father is deceased; (5) the defendant
has no history of drug/alcohol abuse; (6) before this incident, the defendant was a
good citizen who maintained consistent employment and helped provide for his
family; (7) the defendant has a positive influence on friends and family; (8) the
defendant has maintained positive, ongoing relationships during his incarceration;
(9) the defendant has been respectful in court; (10) defendant was physically and
emotionally abused by his father; (11) the defendant struggled to please his father
and was rejected by his father throughout his childhood; (12) the defendant was
displaced throughout his childhood; his parents sent him to reside with friends and
family members during his childhood; (13) the defendant at age fifteen was sent to
5. Spencer v. State, 615 So. 2d 688 (Fla. 1993).
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live in Miami while his parents remained in Jamaica, and he had limited adult
supervision during this time; (14) the defendant did not complete high school
because he suffered from a foot injury and was unable to drive himself to school;
(15) the defendant’s mother was subservient to his father and did not serve as a
protector for him during his formative years; (16) the defendant had no positive
father figure; (17) the defendant was ridiculed throughout his childhood about his
weight by his father; (18) the defendant had a desire to please his mother and his
father; (19) the defendant was influenced by others; (20) the defendant has a
hobby; he was a passionate kite flyer; (21) the defendant has demonstrated he is
able to continue to build positive relationships while incarcerated; (22) the
defendant was told by his codefendant that “we can’t leave any witnesses”; (23)
the defendant has demonstrated remorse, as reflected in his recorded statement
made within twenty-four hours of the incident, wherein he expressed he “wished
he could take it back”; (24) the defendant has expressed remorse for his actions to
his family and has expressed remorse for the victims’ families; (25) the
defendant’s son suffers from autism and Asperger’s syndrome; the two of them
have a close relationship and his son depends upon him for advice; (26) the
defendant is loved by all his family members and friends; (27) the defendant
obtained his G.E.D. while incarcerated; (28) the defendant cooperated with police
by voluntarily giving a statement and consenting to a search of his vehicle; (29) the
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defendant was diagnosed with and treated for bladder cancer; he is currently under
treatment by Dr. Gupta; and (30) the existence of any other factors in the
defendant’s character, background, or life, or the circumstances of the offense that
would mitigate against the imposition of the death penalty.6
Ultimately, the trial court followed the resentencing jury’s recommendation
and sentenced Hojan to death as to both counts. In its sentencing order, the trial
court considered and weighed the aggravating and mitigating circumstances and
found “the aggravating factors in this case far outweigh the mitigating
circumstances” with respect to both murders. Hojan now appeals his sentences of
death, arguing (1) that the trial court abused its discretion by limiting the scope of
defense counsel’s questioning during voir dire and (2) that his death sentences are
disproportionate.
ANALYSIS
Voir Dire
I. Defense Counsel’s Hypothetical.
Hojan first argues that the trial court improperly limited the scope of voir
dire by restricting his use of a hypothetical question. We review the trial court’s
6. For both counts, the jury also placed what appears to be a “1” in the
“Yes” option of the verdict form, indicating that “a mitigating circumstance or
circumstances was or were established by the greater weight of the evidence.”
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ruling for abuse of discretion. Calloway v. State, 210 So. 3d 1160, 1178 (Fla.
2017).
During voir dire, defense counsel posed the following question to a
prospective juror: “A guy kills somebody. Not self-defense. Not heat of passion.
Not duress. Meant to do it. Premeditated. Killed an innocent victim. What are
your feelings about the death penalty, only appropriate penalty for a guilty
murderer of that innocent victim?” After the State lodged an objection and the trial
court directed defense counsel to “[r]ephrase it,” an extended sidebar took place
wherein defense counsel argued that he should be allowed to question the
prospective jurors using his hypothetical concerning premeditation. The trial court
again sustained the State’s objection but granted defense counsel’s request to
“make a record” outside of the presence of the jury. After several additional
exchanges with the trial court, defense counsel stated that the ultimate question he
wanted to ask the prospective jurors as a result of his proposed hypothetical was,
“[D]o you believe that in every situation, where a defendant is, has been found
guilty or you would find him guilty of premeditated murder that death is the only
appropriate penalty[?]” Upon receiving this explanation from defense counsel, the
trial court stated, “You know how we get to that question? You ask it.”
Hojan now argues that the trial court abused its discretion by not allowing
defense counsel’s proposed hypothetical. We disagree.
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We have explained that “the purpose of conducting voir dire is to secure an
impartial jury” and that a trial court’s ruling with respect to voir dire “will only be
reversed where a defendant demonstrates the partiality of the jury or an abuse of
discretion by the trial court.” San Martin v. State, 705 So. 2d 1337, 1344 (Fla.
1997). See also Mendez v. State, 898 So. 2d 1141, 1143 (Fla. 5th DCA 2005)
(acknowledging that while a trial court has “considerable discretion in determining
the extent of counsel’s examination of prospective jurors,” a trial court nonetheless
abuses its discretion “when it unreasonably limits counsel’s ability to conduct a
meaningful voir dire” (quoting Williams v. State, 424 So. 2d 148, 149 (Fla. 5th
DCA 1982)); Barker v. Randolph, 239 So. 2d 110, 112 (Fla. 1st DCA 1970)
(explaining that the trial judge has “wide latitude in the exercise of his discretion
with respect to the qualification of jurors” and that “[i]n exercising that discretion,
he may reasonably control voir dire examination in the interest of orderliness and
in the dispatch of trials”).
Hojan does not allege that his jury was partial, and he has not demonstrated
that the trial court abused its discretion by prohibiting adequate questioning on the
topic that was the subject of defense counsel’s proposed hypothetical. To the
contrary, the record shows that the trial court permitted an alternate inquiry by
defense counsel that was sufficient to allow counsel to assess any juror bias that
would affect the jurors’ ability to impartially decide the case based upon the
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evidence presented at trial and the law. Defense counsel conducted a meaningful
voir dire during which he thoroughly explored the prospective jurors’ feelings
regarding the death penalty, mitigation, and whether they could consider life. For
example, defense counsel asked the prospective jurors if they could think of any
specific instances concerning someone already convicted of first-degree murder
where they would automatically vote for death, if they would automatically give
the death penalty “in a case that involved a robbery,” if they could consider
mitigation and keep an open mind, if hearing victim impact evidence would affect
their weighing process, and repeatedly explained the weighing process,
emphasizing that the death penalty is never required. Accordingly, we find no
abuse of discretion. See Franqui v. State, 699 So. 2d 1312, 1323 (Fla. 1997)
(concluding that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in directing defense
counsel to ask a question concerning the defendant’s young age as a factor in
deciding whether to impose the death penalty “generically” where the record
reflected that “the trial court left defense counsel with plenty of latitude to discuss
mitigating circumstances with the jurors in the context of the legal instructions that
would be given by the court”); Farina v. State, 679 So. 2d 1151, 1154 (Fla. 1996)
(holding that the trial court did not improperly restrict the defendant’s voir dire and
explaining that while “defense counsel was restricted from exploring jurors’
attitudes on every potential mitigator, the record shows that the defense, the State,
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and the trial court either asked or instructed prospective jurors on numerous
occasions whether they could be fair to [the defendant] and his brother”), receded
from on other grounds by Franqui, 699 So. 2d at 1320.
Moreover, even if we were to agree with Hojan that the trial court more
broadly ruled that all hypothetical voir dire questions are improper, Hojan still
would not be entitled to relief because any error was harmless beyond a reasonable
doubt. Cf. Gore v. State, 475 So. 2d 1205, 1207 (Fla. 1985). In Gore, this Court
held that the trial court “should have allowed [defense counsel] to propound
questions to the jury as to their bias or prejudice in recommending a life sentence,”
but that the error was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt, explaining:
The jury was thoroughly questioned in regard to their attitudes toward
the death penalty and whether they felt it should be automatically
imposed or whether they would follow the court’s instructions and
make sure the circumstances were proved to support it before they
would consider it. Gore has not shown that his jury was made up of
one or more persons unalterably in favor of the death penalty or that
any of the juror’s views would prevent or substantially impair the
performance of his duties as a juror in accordance with his
instructions and his oath.
Id. at 1207-08.
The reasoning from Gore applies here. Despite not being able to ask the
proposed hypothetical, as we have explained above, the record demonstrates that
Hojan’s defense counsel was permitted to explore the prospective jurors’ attitudes
toward the death penalty. Moreover, Hojan has not alleged, let alone shown, that
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his jury was made up of one or more jurors unalterably in favor of the death
penalty or that any juror’s views would prevent or substantially impair the
performance of the juror’s duties in accordance with the jury’s instructions and
oath. Accordingly, even assuming the trial court erred, any error was harmless.
See id. at 1207-08.
II. The Trial Court’s Other Rulings With Respect to Voir Dire.
Hojan further contends that the trial court improperly restricted voir dire
questioning in three additional respects, namely by (1) ruling it would not instruct
the jury on premeditation even though defense counsel explained that a definition
of heightened premeditation was required for the CCP aggravator, (2) prohibiting
defense counsel from asking the prospective jurors if they understood that the law
is satisfied with a life without parole sentence, and (3) rebuking defense counsel
when he attempted to ask if life imprisonment is a significant enough penalty for
first-degree murder. Hojan’s assertions are without merit, as they are not an
accurate portrayal of the record.
First, although the trial court initially stated it would not instruct the jury on
premeditation, the court allowed defense counsel to read the instruction and
alternatively offered to instruct the jury on first-degree premeditated murder if
defense counsel and Hojan desired. The trial court also gave the standard jury
instruction for the CCP aggravator.
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Second, at a hearing on a motion in limine in which the State sought to
prevent the defense from arguing that “the law favors a life sentence,” the trial
court granted the State’s motion but left open the issue of whether the defense
could inform the jurors that “the law is satisfied with a life sentence” because it
“depends upon the phraseology and the way in which [defense counsel] put a
question to the jury.”7
Moreover, defense counsel told the prospective jurors that
the death penalty was never required, telling them at one point that “even if the
aggravating factors outweigh the mitigating circumstances, find no mitigating
circumstances, it is permissible to sentence him to life . . . [b]ecause each and
every one of you are an individual. Each of you have your own moral
compassion.” The trial court also gave the standard jury instruction for mitigating
circumstances and the weighing process, instructing the jurors that, regardless of
the results of each juror’s individual weighing process, “the law neither compels
nor requires you to determine that the defendant should be sentenced to death.”
Third, the trial court did sustain the State’s objection to defense counsel’s
asking prospective jurors if they thought “life in prison is a significant enough
7. In his brief, Hojan does not identify where in the record the trial court
prohibited defense counsel from asking the prospective jurors whether they
understood that the law is satisfied with a life without parole sentence. Our review
of the record shows that during voir dire, the State objected to defense counsel’s
telling the prospective jurors that “[t]he law is satisfied with a life sentence,” but
the transcript does not show that the trial court made a ruling as to that objection.
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penalty,” (emphasis added), but allowed counsel to ask the jurors if they thought
“life in prison is a significant penalty.” The record demonstrates that defense
counsel asked the prospective jurors this question and engaged with them on their
views.
Moreover, with respect to all three of Hojan’s additional allegations, our
review of the record shows that Hojan challenged three jurors for cause,
successfully removing one, and peremptorily struck eight jurors. This, in addition
to defense counsel’s thorough exploration of the prospective jurors’ feelings
regarding the death penalty and whether they could consider life, refutes Hojan’s
assertion that the trial court abused its discretion. See Vining v. State, 637 So. 2d
921, 926 (Fla. 1994) (holding that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in
limiting the scope of questioning during voir dire where “defense counsel was able
to explore the potential jurors’ understanding of the two-part procedure involved
and their ability to follow the law as instructed by the judge in the penalty phase”
and where such questioning “was comprehensive enough to permit defense counsel
to strike several prospective jurors for cause”).
Accordingly, we deny relief as to these additional claims. See Franqui, 699
So. 2d at 1322-23; Farina, 679 So. 2d at 1154; Vining, 637 So. 2d at 926.
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Proportionality
Hojan also argues that his death sentences are disproportionate. However,
after oral argument in this case, we receded from the judge-made requirement to
review the comparative proportionality of death sentences as contrary to the
conformity clause of article I, section 17 of the Florida Constitution. See Lawrence
v. State, 45 Fla. L. Weekly S277, S279 (Fla. Oct. 29, 2020). Accordingly, we do
not review the comparative proportionality of Hojan’s death sentences.8
Outcome: For the foregoing reasons, we affirm Hojan’s sentences of death.
Plaintiff's Experts:
Defendant's Experts:
Comments: