Name/DOC #

James Adams

Address

Florida State Prison/deceased

Date of Birth

May 30, 1936

Race

Black

Date of Crime

November 12, 1973, Ft. Pierce, FL

Age Time of Crime

37

Date Sentenced

March 15, 1974

Victims

Edgar Brown

Race of Victims

White

Relationship to Defendant

Did some work for him

Summary of Facts Alleged by State

Adams entered victim’s home to rob him and when Brown returned, he bludgeoned him to death with a fire poker

County of Trial

St. Lucie

Trial Judge

Wallace Sample

Trial Attorney

N. Richard Schopp, Port. St. Lucie, FL and Bruce Wilkinson, Stuart, FL

Prosecutors

R. N. Koblegard, Raymond E. Ford

Trial By

Jury voted 7-5 for death penalty

Race of Jurors

White-all male

Convicted of

Capital murder

Confession

No, always claimed innocence

Accomplice Testimony

No

Eyewitness Testimony

Yes: Foy Hortman spoke with person leaving house where murder committed; viewed lineup and stated "not Adams"

Forensic Testimony

Hairs found in victim’s hand were not from Adams

Jailhouse Snitch

No

Defendant Testimony

Yes: maintained innocence

Principal Exculpatory Evidence

Alibi, playing cards at friend’s house; hair in hand of victim not his

Sentencing Authority

Jury; judge had override

Statutory Aggravating Factor

Previous (unconstitutional) conviction for rape of a white woman in TN in 1962

Non-Statutory Aggravating Factor

Race

Mitigating Factors

12^th of 14 children in family of impoverished sharecroppers; no witnesses called by defense in penalty phase

Mental Retardation or Neurological Damage

No

Criminal History

Previous conviction for rape of white woman in TN; conviction for stealing a pig in 1976, had no counsel

Appellate History

· 1976 FL Supreme Court affirmed conviction and death sentence; USSC refused to intervene and to reconsider decision, 2977; 1978 FL Supreme Court denied relief on info not known to defense;1978 U.S. supreme Court would not intervene;1978 Petition for rehearing–U.S Supreme court invited State to respond but denied petition in 1979

· 1980 Gov. Graham signed death warrant; PCR denied

· 1980 FL Supreme Court affirmed above; Fed. District Court granted stay; writ denied; 1983,11^th Circuit Ct. of Appeals affirmed; Jan. and Feb.

· 1984 U.S. Supreme Court refused to review or reconsider; April 12, 1984 2^nd death warrant

· Supreme Court, U.S. District Court. denied relief; May 8, 1984 11^th Circuit granted stay on racial Disparities; vacated by U.S. Supreme Court-Blackmun, Brennan, Marshall, & Stevens dissented.

Ineffective Assistance?

Yes

Police Misconduct?

Unknown

Prosecutorial Misconduct?

Suppression of forensics on hair in hand of victim until 3 days after sentencing

Appellate Counsel

Richard Burr and Craig Barnard