Next month, the death penalty trial of William Wells is set to begin in Bradford County, Florida, on September 4, 2017.
You may recognize this case as the "Mayport Monster" case. Terence Lenamon is defense counsel for William Wells.
Of interest here to many: this is another defendant facing the death penalty who suffers from mental disability.
How Does the Defense Get Death Penalty Excluded From Possible Sentence?
It’s the job of the defense team to fight for these defendants after the prosecutor has notified everyone that the government is seeking the death penalty.
So, how does this get argued in a capital case? A Motion is filed by the defense, and heard by the judge. The motion is the official request to have the death penalty taken on the table by the judge.
The judge then makes a decision and rules, in an Order signed by the judge that either grants or denies the relief.
In the Wells’ case, Terence Lenamon’s motion to exclude the death penalty has been denied. It has been placed into the Terence Lenamon Online Library.
Here is that motion as it was filed in the court record, for those of you interested in this issue and those who may be interested in how the actual motion reads: