Johnny Leartice Robinson
Encyclopedia
Johnny Leartice Robinson (25 July 1952 – 4 February 2004) was executed by the State of Florida
for the 1985 murder of Beverly St. George.
Robinson had faced several criminal charges before being arrested for murder; he was convicted of several previous rapes and was on parole for a rape conviction in Maryland
at the time of Beverly St. George's murder. On 11 August 1985, Robinson and 16-year-old Clinton Fields were travelling from along I-95
in Florida
when they came upon St. George's car, which had broken down along the highway.
Robinson took St. George to a nearby cemetery
where Robinson claimed that the two had consensual sex on the hood of a car. Prosecutors contended that she was sexually assaulted
. St. George was shot twice, but Robinson claimed that the gun "accidentally" fired, hitting her in the face, and that he then shot her again to make sure she was dead, claiming "How do you tell someone I accidentally shot a white woman?" Clinton Fields, Robinson's co-defendant, testified at trial that Robinson abducted St. George at gunpoint and had planned to kill her.
Robinson and Fields were arrested several days later following another rape and robbery. Based largely upon Fields' testimony, Robinson was convicted and sentenced to death in June 1986; Fields was sentenced to life in prison. On appeal, Robinson's death sentence was overturned by the Florida Supreme Court
; his attorneys contended that questions and statements made by prosecutors amounted to racial bias
against Robinson. A second sentencing hearing in 1989 restored the death sentence.
During further appeals, Robinson's defense lawyers continued to content that Robinson was the victim of racial discrimination, that he was abused as a child, and that Fields, with an IQ of 50, was coerced by prosecutors into giving false testimony. (Fields did recant his trial testimony in January 2004.) Final appeals to the United States Supreme Court
challenged the process of lethal injection as cruel and unusual punishment
.
Robinson was scheduled to be executed at 6 p.m. on 4 February 2004, but less than 15 minutes before the scheduled time, the United States Supreme Court contacted the Florida governor's office, asking the state to briefly halt the execution; the court returned their decision about an hour later, refusing, on a vote of 5-4, to halt the execution.
Robinson's final meal prior to his execution was fried chicken gizzards, french fries, smoked sausage, and butter pecan ice cream. His final words before being executed by lethal injection
were: "Yep... Later!" Robinson was pronounced dead at Florida State Prison
in Raiford
at 7:34 p.m. on 4 February 2004. His execution was the 895th carried out in the United States since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976, and the 58th in Florida.
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
for the 1985 murder of Beverly St. George.
Robinson had faced several criminal charges before being arrested for murder; he was convicted of several previous rapes and was on parole for a rape conviction in Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
at the time of Beverly St. George's murder. On 11 August 1985, Robinson and 16-year-old Clinton Fields were travelling from along I-95
Interstate 95 in Florida
Interstate 95 is the main Interstate Highway on the east coast of the United States; it serves the Atlantic coast of Florida. It begins at a partial interchange with U.S. Highway 1 just south of downtown Miami, and heads north past Daytona Beach and Jacksonville to the Georgia state line at the St...
in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
when they came upon St. George's car, which had broken down along the highway.
Robinson took St. George to a nearby cemetery
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
where Robinson claimed that the two had consensual sex on the hood of a car. Prosecutors contended that she was sexually assaulted
Sexual assault
Sexual assault is an assault of a sexual nature on another person, or any sexual act committed without consent. Although sexual assaults most frequently are by a man on a woman, it may involve any combination of two or more men, women and children....
. St. George was shot twice, but Robinson claimed that the gun "accidentally" fired, hitting her in the face, and that he then shot her again to make sure she was dead, claiming "How do you tell someone I accidentally shot a white woman?" Clinton Fields, Robinson's co-defendant, testified at trial that Robinson abducted St. George at gunpoint and had planned to kill her.
Robinson and Fields were arrested several days later following another rape and robbery. Based largely upon Fields' testimony, Robinson was convicted and sentenced to death in June 1986; Fields was sentenced to life in prison. On appeal, Robinson's death sentence was overturned by the Florida Supreme Court
Florida Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the State of Florida is the highest court in the U.S. state of Florida. The Supreme Court consists of seven judges: the Chief Justice and six Justices who are appointed by the Governor to 6-year terms and remain in office if retained in a general election near the end of each...
; his attorneys contended that questions and statements made by prosecutors amounted to racial bias
Discrimination
Discrimination is the prejudicial treatment of an individual based on their membership in a certain group or category. It involves the actual behaviors towards groups such as excluding or restricting members of one group from opportunities that are available to another group. The term began to be...
against Robinson. A second sentencing hearing in 1989 restored the death sentence.
During further appeals, Robinson's defense lawyers continued to content that Robinson was the victim of racial discrimination, that he was abused as a child, and that Fields, with an IQ of 50, was coerced by prosecutors into giving false testimony. (Fields did recant his trial testimony in January 2004.) Final appeals to the United States Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
challenged the process of lethal injection as cruel and unusual punishment
Cruel and unusual punishment
Cruel and unusual punishment is a phrase describing criminal punishment which is considered unacceptable due to the suffering or humiliation it inflicts on the condemned person...
.
Robinson was scheduled to be executed at 6 p.m. on 4 February 2004, but less than 15 minutes before the scheduled time, the United States Supreme Court contacted the Florida governor's office, asking the state to briefly halt the execution; the court returned their decision about an hour later, refusing, on a vote of 5-4, to halt the execution.
Robinson's final meal prior to his execution was fried chicken gizzards, french fries, smoked sausage, and butter pecan ice cream. His final words before being executed by lethal injection
Lethal injection
Lethal injection is the practice of injecting a person with a fatal dose of drugs for the express purpose of causing the immediate death of the subject. The main application for this procedure is capital punishment, but the term may also be applied in a broad sense to euthanasia and suicide...
were: "Yep... Later!" Robinson was pronounced dead at Florida State Prison
Florida State Prison
Florida State Prison , formerly known as the Union Correctional Institution—East Unit, is a correctional institution located in unincorporated Bradford County, Florida. It is located on Florida State Road 16 right across the border from Union County. The institution opened in 1961, even though...
in Raiford
Raiford, Florida
Raiford is a town in Union County, Florida, United States. The population was 187 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S...
at 7:34 p.m. on 4 February 2004. His execution was the 895th carried out in the United States since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976, and the 58th in Florida.
See also
- List of individuals executed in Florida
- Capital punishment in the United StatesCapital punishment in the United StatesCapital punishment in the United States, in practice, applies only for aggravated murder and more rarely for felony murder. Capital punishment was a penalty at common law, for many felonies, and was enforced in all of the American colonies prior to the Declaration of Independence...
Sources
- Johnny L. Robinson. The Clark County Prosecuting Attorney. Retrieved on 2007-11-13.
- Inmate Release Information Detail - Inmate 102767. Florida Department of CorrectionsFlorida Department of CorrectionsThe Florida Department of Corrections, established in 1821, operates state prisons in Florida. It has its headquarters in Tallahassee.The Florida Department of Corrections operates the third largest state prison system in the United States...
. Retrieved on 2007-11-14.