Robert Jeffrey Trease

Case overview

Robert Jeffrey Trease was sentenced to death on January 22, 1997.

Timeline

• 08/24/95 — Warrant for arrest issued.
• 09/28/95 — Indicted by the Grand Jury, Case # 95-2207.
• 10/13/95 — Special Public Defender appointed; plea of not guilty entered.
• 02/14/96 — Information filed for case # 96-1900.
• 12/11/96 — Jury found the defendant guilty of all counts as charged both in the indictment and the information.
• 12/19/96 — Advisory sentencing jury, by an 11 to 1 majority, voted for the death penalty.
• 01/22/97 — Sentenced as follows: Case # 95-2207 (Count I: Murder in the First Degree—Death; Case # 96-1900 (Count I: Burglary of a Dwelling w/ an Assault While Armed—Life; Count II: Robbery with a Firearm—Life).
• 02/28/97 — Trease filed Direct Appeal to the Florida Supreme Court.
• 08/17/00 — Florida Supreme Court affirmed the convictions and the sentence of death.
• 01/2001 — CCRC filed a notice of appearance.
• 03/19/01 — Trease filed a motion to dismiss counsel.
• 05/23/01 — A 3.850 motion was filed on Trease’s behalf.
• 05/24/01 — Competency hearing was held.
• 05/31/01 — Trial court entered an order determining the defendant competent to proceed; denying the 3.850 motion; and granting the defendant’s motion to dismiss counsel.
• 11/19/01 — Governor Jeb Bush signed a death warrant.
• 02/06/02 — Governor Bush granted a Stay of Execution.
• 02/07/02 — Execution was scheduled for 02/07/02, but was stayed.

The offence

Case # 95-2207 (indictment)

• Count I: Murder in the First Degree.

Case # 96-1900 (information)

• Count I: Burglary of a Dwelling with Assault While Armed.
• Count II: Robbery with a Firearm.

Trial

• 12/11/96 — The jury found the defendant guilty of all counts as charged both in the indictment and the information.
• 12/19/96 — Upon advisory sentencing, the trial jury voted for the death penalty by an 11 to 1 majority.

Sentencing

On 01/22/97, the defendant was sentenced as follows:

• Case # 95-2207, Count I: Murder in the first Degree — Death.
• Case # 96-1900, Count I: Burglary of a Dwelling w/ an Assault While Armed — Life.
• Case # 96-1900, Count II: Robbery with a Firearm — Life.

A related note stated that the charges in Case # 96-1900 were related to the same incident.

Appeals

Direct appeal to the Florida Supreme Court

Trease filed a direct appeal to the Florida Supreme Court on 02/28/97. His initial appeal contained claims including:

• The trial court abused its discretion by failing to appoint co-counsel to assist in the penalty phase and in denying his request for new counsel.
• The court erred in granting the State’s pre-trial motion, thereby preventing the defense from cross-examining Siegel regarding her drug addiction.
• The court gave little weight to non-statutory mitigating factors.
• The court erred in finding that Trease killed the victim in order to avoid a lawful arrest.
• The penalty of death was disproportionate.

The Florida Supreme Court affirmed the convictions and the sentence of death on 08/17/00.

Post-conviction proceedings

• 05/24/01 — A competency hearing was held.
• 05/31/01 — The trial court entered an order:
  • Determining the defendant competent to proceed.
  • Denying the 3.850 motion.
  • Granting the defendant’s motion to dismiss counsel.
• 09/27/02 — The 3.850 motion was reinstated.
• 03/27/06 — The motion was amended.

Death warrant and stay

• The execution was scheduled for 02/07/02, but Governor Bush granted a stay of execution on 02/06/02.

Other details

• Trease was also sentenced on 02/19/97 to one year prison for Burglary of a Dwelling; both charges resulted from the same incident.