6/2/20 Florida Supreme Court Oral Arguments: State of Florida v. Bessman Okafor SC20-323

Okafor was convicted and sentenced to death for the 2012 first-degree murder of Alex Zaldivar. The jury voted 11-1 to recommend a death sentence and the trial court sentenced Okafor to death. This Court affirmed the conviction for first-degree murder but set aside the death sentence based on Hurst v. State. Following this Court’s decision in State v. Poole, the State of Florida filed a motion to reinstate Okafor’s death sentence, which was denied by the trial court. The State of Florida now asks this Court to direct the lower court to reinstate Okafor’s death sentences.