Death Warrant for Paul Johnson plus TCADP activites.

October 21, 2009 on 7:42 am | In State legal news, TCADP actions | |

Dear TCADP members,

Gov. Charlie Crist has signed a Death Warrant for Paul Johnson who is scheduled to be executed on Wednesday, November 4th at 6:00 pm at the Florida State Prison near Starke.

Paul Johnson was convicted for the 1981 killing of Polk County Sheriff’s Deputy Theron Burnam, Winter Haven taxi driver William Evans and Lakeland painter Darrell Beasley.

If this execution proceeds, TCAD will hold a  vigil at 6 p.m. outside of the governor’s mansion the day of the execution, and it will hold a commemoration for the Paul Johnson, Theron Burnham, William Evans and Darrell Beasley at noon the next day in the atrium of  the state capitol.
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Mon., Nov. 9

We are invited to participate in a Death Penalty “Die in” and vigil at FSU Mon., Nov. 9. It is sponsored by FSU’s Amnesty International, who has requested our help.

FSU’s Amnesty International has invited us to join them by participating in the following events, which is designed to bring attention to reasons why the death penalty should be abolished. Please come and “die” also invite others who are against the death penalty to participate by “dying”. Note: The die-in is secret in that the general public will not know in advance that it will occur. By “dying,” we should be able to attract the general public’s attention to this issue, and engage them in conversations about the death penalty.

12 p.m.-1 p.m. Die-in at the FSU Student Union Green.

At  noon, we will walk out into the Union and literally lay down for 15 minutes “playing dead.”  Wear  a black or navy t-shirt with a death penalty statistic written on it or you can put such info in a sign hung around your neck. The goal is to get the attention of the people who pass by and then to engage them in conversations about the death penalty. Consider bringing a death penalty-related prop such as a noose or syringe.

7 p.m. -8 p.m.  Candelight vigil at FSU’s Landis Green

Sat. , Nov. 14,  10:00 am-1:00 pm
Sun., Nov. 15,

1:00-4:00 pm.
Holiday Card signing for cards to be sent to death row inmates.
At Nancy and Robert Fichter’s home 710 Waverly Rd

News stories of interest

Study: States can’t afford death penalty
Study: Death penalty costs can average $10M more per year per state than life terms; Eleven state legislatures have considered repealing the death penalty this year; Study relied on U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics data from 33 large urban counties
http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/10/20/death.penalty/index.html

Northwestern University Journalism students who won new hearing for man in prison are asked by state’s attorney’s office to turn over notes, interview recordings and information on the students: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-nu-subpoena-19-oct19,0,3778012.story

Thank you for your support of ending the death penalty.

Sincerely,

Louise Ritchie
Chair, Tallahassee Citizens Against the Death Penalty
LouiseRitchie@aol.com