Rockville Penitentiary resumes preparations after sentencing challenge fails to secure a continued stay
October 16, 2026 — Julie Bernard’s execution by electric chair has been rescheduled for Tuesday, October 27, after the U.S. Supreme Court lifted the stay that halted her execution earlier this week.
Bernard, sentenced to death in 2007 for the fatal shootings of a gas station clerk and a bystander during an armed robbery, had been scheduled to die Tuesday, October 13. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of
Appeals intervened to allow further consideration of evidence concerning her representation at sentencing.
The temporary reprieve gave Bernard’s attorneys an opportunity to argue that her trial lawyers failed to investigate and present information that could have persuaded jurors to recommend a life sentence.
Those arguments included concerns about the presentation of her personal history and the circumstances surrounding the shootings.
Following its review, however, the appeals court found insufficient support in the materials before it to justify a longer stay. The Supreme Court subsequently intervened and lifted the temporary order, clearing the way for a new execution date of October 27.
The decision leaves Bernard’s death sentence in place. It does not amount to a finding that every disputed aspect of her original representation was adequate, but it ends the protection provided by the stay.
Defense Expresses Disappointment
Bernard and her legal team were disappointed by the Supreme Court’s decision. Her attorneys criticized Florida’s decision to proceed with the execution, maintaining that unresolved questions about her sentencing representation deserved further consideration.
The defense has argued that jurors did not receive a sufficiently complete account of Bernard’s background or the sequence of events during the robbery. Her lawyers have also questioned whether evidence concerning her intent was adequately examined, describing the shootings as accidental.
Those assertions remain disputed. The prosecution has maintained that the judgment should stand and that the defense has not established grounds for further delay.
For Bernard’s attorneys, the central concern remains whether information omitted from the sentencing hearing could have changed the jury’s decision. The latest review did not produce sufficient support to keep the execution on hold.
Victims’ Families Welcome Decision
Relatives of the clerk and bystander welcomed the lifting of the stay, expressing relief that a new execution date had been set after years of legal proceedings.
Family members said they were pleased by the decision and confident the execution would proceed as scheduled on October 27. Although the execution cannot reverse their losses, they view enforcement of the sentence as an important step toward bringing the case to a conclusion.
Preparations Resume at Rockville
Rockville Penitentiary has resumed preparations for Bernard’s execution.
Following the October 13 postponement, Bernard was removed from the death watch cell and returned to death row. Under the institution’s planned timetable, she will be transferred back to death watch 48 hours before the execution, placing that move on Sunday, October 25.
The transfer will begin the final period of supervision and preparation ahead of the scheduled execution.
For now, Bernard remains on death row as her attorneys assess their remaining options. Any further challenge would require a new court order to stop the execution. With the previous stay lifted, prison officials are proceeding toward October 27.