Florida

Man Convicted of Killing Central Florida Deputy Has Death Sentence Overturned For Third Time

A Florida man sentenced to death three times for killing a deputy and two others during a drug-addled rampage is off of death row again - at least for now.

The state Supreme Court on Thursday ordered a new sentencing hearing for Paul Beasley Johnson. It's the third time they've ordered a new sentencing hearing, including once after then-Gov. Charlie Crist signed his death warrant in 2010.

The court cited two U.S. Supreme Court rulings requiring juries, not judges, to impose sentences. That includes a decision that led the state high court to rule in October that jury decisions have to be unanimous.

The court did uphold Johnson's murder convictions in the January 1981 shooting deaths of Polk County Deputy Theron Burnham, cab driver William Evans and Darrell Ray Beasley.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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