TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Possibly showing its hand on the future of capital punishment in Florida, the state Supreme Court by a 5-2 vote on Wednesday forbid the state from imposing the death penalty in pending prosecutions, only to withdraw the order hours later as "prematurely issued."
[VOTE BELOW: Should death penalty be abolished in Florida?]
Recommended Videos
The highly unusual move was made necessary by an "internal error," according to a statement issued by court spokesman Craig Waters.
Sign up for ClickOrlando breaking news alerts and email newsletters
But it leaves prosecutors in a troubling limbo, signaling that they may be taking a risk if they pursue the death penalty in murder cases at this time. One prosecutor said the Florida Legislature needs to act quickly to craft a death penalty law that passes constitutional scrutiny.