Wednesday, December 8, 1999
Krishna Maharaj v. State of Florida

No. 91,854

Dade Cou


Maharaj, a British citizen, was convicted and sentenced to death for the October 1986 murder of Duane Moo Young in the DuPont Plaza Hotel. His sentence was affirmed on appeal. He later challenged the validity of both his conviction and sentence. The judge agreed that a new sentencing proceeding was needed but upheld the conviction. On appeal, Maharaj continues to challenge his conviction. Friend of the court briefs have been filed by members of the British House of Lords, the European Parliament, and others alleging that Maharaj's trial fell below internationally accepted standards, in part because his trial judge was arrested for bribery during the trial and because of the alleged inexperience and ineffectiveness of his trial counsel.