Jury deliberations begin Wednesday in Bessman Okafor resentencing

1 year ago 606

This is the second resentencing trial for Okafor

Sentencing hearing for Bessman Okafor continued

ORLANDO, Fla. – A jury will begin deliberating in the latest resentencing trial of Bessman Okafor on Wednesday in Orlando.

Okafor was convicted for the murder of Alex Zaldivar, who was slated to testify against Okafor in a home invasion case. Okafor’s 2015 death sentence, however, got caught up in the constitutional dispute over whether a jury’s death penalty recommendation had to be unanimous.

The Florida Supreme Court ruled jury recommendations for a death sentence had to be unanimous in 2016, so Okafor’s sentence was overturned. But in the last few years, a more conservative Supreme Court revisited the issue and decided jury death sentence recommendations do not have to be unanimous. So Okafor has to be resentenced.

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In November, a judge declared a mistrial in the first resentencing trial after a juror, Kayla De Pena, 26, told the court she discussed the case with a friend. She eventually told the judge that she lied about having any conversations about the trial, in the hopes of getting out of further jury service.

A new jury had to be seated for another resentencing trial, which happened earlier this month.

The judge in the case said jury deliberations will begin on or before noon Wednesday.

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