Florida Supreme Court to Revisit Death Penalty Case Citing Abuse at Infamous Reform School

The Florida Supreme Court is being asked to re-examine the death penalty case of Victor Tony Jones, a death row inmate whose jury never heard evidence of the abuse he endured at the state-run Florida School for Boys at Okeechobee.

Jones, convicted in 1993 of two counts of first-degree murder and armed robbery, has spent more than three decades on death row. On Tuesday, a coalition of legal and activist groups filed a motion seeking to submit a friend-of-the-court brief, arguing that Jones’ sentencing was unconstitutional because jurors lacked access to crucial mitigating evidence about his childhood.

The motion notes that Jones is a recognized victim of Florida’s notorious reform schools and is eligible for compensation under a 2024 state law that provides restitution to survivors.

“The jury’s consideration of mitigation is critical in the capital sentencing process,” the brief states. “Because there is no corrective remedy once a person is executed, individualized consideration is a constitutional requirement.”

A Broad Coalition Weighs In

The groups—ranging from the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers to Conservatives Concerned, which questions the death penalty’s alignment with conservative values—reflect unusual bipartisan support. Also joining is attorney Troy Rafferty, who represented reform school survivors during the fight for compensation legislation.

While Jones’ defense team supports the filing, the State of Florida, represented by Jennifer Alexandria Davis, has opposed it.

Why It Matters

The case underscores growing legal and moral scrutiny of how evidence of childhood trauma and systemic abuse should be weighed in capital sentencing. It also renews focus on the Florida School for Boys at Okeechobee and its sister facility, the Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys, both of which have been the subject of decades of abuse investigations.

If the court grants the motion, Jones’ case could set a precedent for how Florida handles similar appeals from inmates with histories of state-acknowledged abuse.