The Florida Supreme Court has given a green light to the execution of David Joseph Pittman despite the arguments that he is intellectually disabled. Pittman is a 63-year-old man who is convicted of a triple murder.
Despite numerous appeals, the execution has been given a green light, and Governor Ron DeSantis signed his death warrant earlier this month.
Pittman’s execution is scheduled for September 17, 2025. Governor DeSantis has signed more death warrants in 2025 than in any other year of his tenure. Some victims’ rights groups have praised this move but those who oppose the death penalty have been critical of DeSantis’s trigger-happy behaviour.
With this ruling, Pittman has become the 12th person to be executed in Florida in 2025. It is the year with the highest number of executions carried out in the state in a single year. The record goes back to 1976, the year when the death penalty was reinstated nationwide.
Florida is on a killing spree.
Sign the petitions to stop these upcoming executions:https://t.co/clUZEWkirThttps://t.co/1mVW0z6mdQ#StopExecutions pic.twitter.com/r7lUik9h4z
— Rehumanize International (@RehumanizeIntl) September 12, 2025
Pittman was accused and convicted of killing three members of his estranged wife’s family. The incident occurred in 1991 in Polk County. When Pittman went on trial, prosecutors claimed that he stabbed his wife’s sister and her parents. He then set their house on fire to cover up his crime. Pittman also stole a car linked to the victims.
The jury found him guilty of three counts: first-degree murder, arson, and theft. The court, according to the documents, ruled these murders as premeditated, and Pittman was sentenced to death.
Since then, Pittman’s attorneys have filed several appeals against the sentencing. They also filed a last-minute appeal arguing that he is intellectually disabled and therefore should be exempted. They argued that Pittman’s exemption from execution comes under the U.S. Constitution’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment.
🚨 Florida plans to take the life of #DavidPittman on Sept 17 despite clear evidence of intellectual disability—IQ scores of 70–71 before age 18, special ed placement, and confirmed diagnoses. This violates constitutional protections! @fadporg
📞 Call Gov. DeSantis at… pic.twitter.com/JRbMYuvghi
— Death Penalty Action (@DeathPenaltyAct) September 15, 2025
The legal team presented evidence of low IQ scores. They also claimed that the difficulties in learning during his childhood are proof of his diminished mental capacity.
His lawyers had asked the Florida Supreme Court to consider the recent decision in Phillips v. State, which updated the legal rules and criteria for determining intellectual disability.
However, the court rejected Pittman’s appeal in a 6-1 decision. The court rejected Pittman’s attorney’s claims of his intellectual disability and stated that he did not meet the legal standards. The court also ruled that the decision and updated Phillips v. State can not apply to a retroactive case as the deadlines have already passed.
Florida is set to execute #DavidPittman on Sept 17. He has an IQ of 70, documented brain damage & lifelong intellectual disability. The U.S. Supreme Court has banned such executions. This is unconstitutional.
Pls sign the petition to stop the execution: https://t.co/R5kMALORV4— Karine Omry (@KarineOmry) September 8, 2025
Among the bench at the Florida Supreme Court, Justice Jorge Labarga was the only dissenting voice. He said that he believed Pittman’s claim deserved more review.
Pittman’s legal team might still try to approach the US Supreme Court; however, there are hardly ever last-minute stays granted for executions.
In case there is no intervention, Pittman will be put to death by lethal injection later this month.
