The Commission on Capital Cases updates thisinformation regularly. This information, however, is subject to changeand may not reflect the latest status of an inmate’s case and should not berelied on for statistical or legal purposes.
SWEET, William (B/M)
DC # 100063
DOB: 10/03/67
Fourth Judicial Circuit, Duval County, Case #91-2899
Sentencing Judge: The Honorable Frederick B. Tygart
Attorney, Criminal Trial: Charles Adams, Esq. & LindseyMoore, Esq.
Attorney, Direct Appeal: David A. Davis – Assistant PublicDefender
Attorney, Collateral Appeals: Frank Tassone, Jr. – Registry
Date of Offense: 06/27/90
Date of Sentence: 08/30/91
Circumstances of Offense:
William Sweet was convicted and sentenced to death for themurder of 13-year-old Felicia Bryant.
In June 1990, Marcine Cofer was robbed and physicallyaccosted in her apartment by three men. Cofer was able to identify two ofher attackers by name and on 06/26/90, she was taken to the police station totry to identify the third assailant through photographs. That eveningDetective Robinson dropped Cofer off back at her apartment. WilliamSweet was watching from afar as Cofer left the detective.
Sweet had previously implicated himself to a friend as thethird perpetrator in the attack and robbery of Cofer.
That same evening, Cofer asked her neighbor, Mattie Bryant,if Bryant’s two daughters, Felicia and Sharon Bryant, could stay with her inher apartment. Mattie agreed and the girls went over to Cofer’s placearound 8:00 p.m.
At 1:00 a.m., Sharon reported hearing a loud kick on theapartment door. She woke Cofer and informed her of the noise. Afterchecking the premises, Cofer told Sharon not to worry as it appeared thatwhoever had been there had left. Cofer then went back to bed. Sharon then saw someone pulling on the screen in the living room andagain alerted Cofer. Cofer then looked out the peephole of her front doorand noticed Sweet standing outside the apartment.
Cofer told Felicia to bang on the wall of the bathroom,alerting her mother, Mattie Bryant, who was next door. Mattie rushed overa few minutes later. The four women lined up behind the door, with Coferin the back of the line. As they attempted to leave, William Sweet forcedhis way inside the apartment, trying to cover his face with a pair ofpants. Sweet opened fire on Cofer, and then proceeded to shoot the otherthree women. Six shots were fired. Cofer was shot twice, as wasFelicia. Felicia died as a result of the gunshot wounds to her abdomenand hand.
William Sweet was arrested on 06/28/90.
Prior Incarceration History in the State of Florida:
| Offense Date | Offense | Sentence Date | County | Case No. | Prison Sentence Length |
| 10/14/1985 | BURG/DWELL/OCCUP.CONVEY | 11/12/1985 | DUVAL | 8511252 | 1Y 3M 0D |
| 04/02/1986 | ESCAPE | 05/15/1986 | DUVAL | 8603280 | 1Y 0M 1D |
| 04/19/1988 | POSS.FIREARM BY FELON | 08/22/1988 | DUVAL | 8804845 | 1Y 1M 0D |
| 08/23/1988 | RIOT-INCITING | 02/24/1989 | DUVAL | 8810728 | 4Y 0M 0D |
| 08/23/1988 | BATTERY LAW ENFORCEMENT | 02/24/1989 | DUVAL | 8810728 | 4Y 0M 0D |
| 04/18/1990 | 2ND DEG.MURD,DANGEROUS ACT | 12/02/1994 | DUVAL | 9404813 | 35Y 0M 0D |
NOTE: William Sweet was sentenced to 35 years imprisonmentfor Second-Degree Murder (CC # 94-4813) after he was sentenced to death for thecurrent offense (CC # 91-2899).
Trial Summary:
06/28/90 Defendant arrested.
08/02/90 Defendant indicted on the following:
Count I: First-Degree Murder
Count II: AttemptedFirst-Degree Murder
Count III: Attempted First-DegreeMurder
Count IV: Attempted First-DegreeMurder
Count V: Armed Burglary
05/24/91 The jury found the defendant guilty of all counts charged in the indictment.
06/03/91 Upon advisory sentencing, the jury, by a 10 to 2 majority, voted for the deathpenalty.
08/30/91 The defendant was sentenced as followed:
Count I: First-Degree Murder - Death
Count II: AttemptedFirst-Degree Murder – Life
Count III: Attempted First-DegreeMurder – Life
Count IV: Attempted First-DegreeMurder – Life
CountV: Armed Burglary – Life
Appeal Summary:
Florida Supreme Court – Direct Appeal
FSC# 78,629
624 So. 2d 1138
09/19/91 Appeal filed.
08/05/93 FSC affirmed the convictions and sentence of death.
10/14/93 Rehearing denied.
11/15/93 Mandate issued.
U.S. Supreme Court – Petition for Writ of Certiorari
USSC# 93-7051
510 U.S. 1170
12/09/93 Petition filed.
02/28/94 Petition denied.
State Circuit Court – 3.850 Motion
CC# 91-2899
08/01/95 Motion filed.
06/30/97 Amended motion filed.
03/30/00 Motion denied.
Florida Supreme Court – 3.850 Motion Appeal
FSC# 00-1509
810 So. 2d 854
07/17/00 Appeal filed.
01/31/02 FSC affirmed the denial of Sweet’s 3.850 Motion.
Florida Supreme Court – Petition for Writ of HabeasCorpus
FSC# 01-2867
810 So. 2d 854
12/31/01 Petition filed.
06/13/02 Petition denied.
State Circuit Court – 3.850 Motion
CC# 91-2899
05/12/03 Motion filed.
11/18/03 Amended motion filed.
02/11/04 Motion denied.
Florida Supreme Court – 3.850 Motion Appeal
FSC# 04-514
900 So. 2d 555
03/10/04 Appeal filed.
12/20/04 FSC affirmed the denial of Sweet’s 3.850 Motion.
03/24/05 Rehearing denied.
04/11/05 Mandate issued.
U.S. District Court, Middle District – Petition forWrit of Habeas Corpus
USDC# 03-844
01/18/05 Petition filed.
08/08/05 USDC dismissed petition with prejudice.
State Circuit Court – 3.850 Motion
CC# 91-2899
03/08/05 Motion filed.
07/14/05 Motion denied.
Florida Supreme Court – 3.851 Appeal
FSC# 05-1374
934 So. 2d 450
07/27/05 Appeal filed.
06/16/06 FSC affirmed the denial of the motion.
U.S. Court of Appeal, 11th Circuit – Petition for Writof Habeas Corpus Appeal
USCA# 05-15199
467 F. 3d 1311
09/15/05 Appeal filed.
10/23/06 USCA affirmed dismissal of petition.
U.S. Supreme Court – Petition for Writ of Certiorari
USSC# 06-9755
127 S. Ct. 2139
02/26/07 Petition filed.
04/30/07 USSC denied petition.
State Circuit Court – 3.850 Motion
CC# 91-2899
04/30/08 Motion filed.
08/10/09 Motion denied.
Factors Contributing to the Delay in the Imposition ofthe Sentence:
The greatest source of delay in Sweet’s case has been thelengthy disposition of his 3.850 Motion. The 3.850 Motion was pending inthe State Circuit Court for over 4 ½ years.
Case Information:
On 09/19/91, Sweet filed a Direct Appeal in the FloridaSupreme Court. In that appeal, he argued that the trial court erred infailing to adequately inquire into his desire to represent himself. Sweetalso contended that the court erred in admitting evidence that Cofer hadpreviously been robbed and that Sweet was involved. Sweet also argued theconsideration and application of aggravating factors. The Florida SupremeCourt affirmed Sweet’s convictions and sentence of death on 08/05/93.
Sweet then filed a Petition for Writ of Certiorari in theUnited States Supreme Court, which was denied on 02/28/94.
Next, Sweet filed a Motion to Vacate Judgment and Sentence(3.850) in the State Circuit Court. That motion was subsequently denied,after which Sweet filed an appeal in the Florida Supreme Court. The courtaffirmed the denial of Sweet’s 3.850 Motion on 01/31/02.
On 12/31/01, Sweet filed a Petition for Writ of HabeasCorpus in the Florida Supreme Court, which was denied on 06/13/02.
On 05/12/03, Sweet filed a 3.850 Motion in the State CircuitCourt. An amended motion was filed on 11/18/03. The motion wasdenied on 02/11/04.
Sweet filed a 3.850 Appeal with the Florida Supreme Court on03/10/04. On 12/20/04, the Florida Supreme Court affirmed the denial ofSweet’s 3.850 Motion.
On 01/18/05, Sweet filed a Petition for Writ of HabeasCorpus with the U.S. District Court, Middle District that was dismissed withprejudice on 08/08/05.
Sweet filed a 3.850 Motion in the Circuit Court on03/08/05. The motion was denied on 07/14/05.
On 07/27/05, Sweet filed a 3.851 Appeal in the FloridaSupreme Court. On 06/16/06, the FSC affirmed the denial of the motion.
Sweet filed a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus Appeal withthe U.S. Court of Appeal, 11th Circuit, and on 10/23/06, the USCA affirmed thedismissal of the petition.
On 02/26/07, Sweet filed a Petition for Writ of Certiorariwith the U.S. Supreme Court that was denied on 04/30/07.
On 04/30/08, Sweet filed a 3.851 Motion in the CircuitCourt. This motion was denied on 08/10/09.
Institutional Adjustment:
DATE DAYS VIOLATION LOCATION
-------- ---- ---------------------------- ------------------
05/18/95 0 FAILURE TOCOMPLY UNION C. I.
11/22/95 0 DISOBEYING ORDER UNION C. I.
11/30/98 0 POSS OF ESCAPE PARA. UNION C. I.
04/18/00 0 UNAUTH USE OF DRUGS UNION C. I.
11/06/01 180 REF. SUB. ABUSETEST UNION C. I.
01/30/04 180 REF. SUB. ABUSE TEST UNION C. I.
________________________________________________________________________
Reported 06/04/02 EW
Approved 07/23/03 WS
Updated 08/31/09 EMJ