NEWSFLASH: TEMPORARY STAY!!! of Paul Howell execution.

February 25, 2013 — The U.S. Court of Appeals of the 11th Circuit issued a stay for Paul Howell until the merits of his appeal can be briefed and heard.

Congratulations to his attorneys, Michael Ufferman and Sonya Rudenstine!

An opportunity to help the cause.

Louise Reid Ritchie posted this on the TCADP FaceBook pageAfter Leonard Scovens strangled her daughter and 6-year-old grandson whom Agnes Furey had helped raise, Agnes helped keep Leonard from death row and subsequently established a written and telephone relationship with him that is helping transform them and many others.

Agnes, a retired Tallahassee nurse, and Leonard, a crack addict serving a life sentence in Florida, just published a book, “Wildflowers in the Median: A restorative journey into healing justice and joy,” that contains their writing and correspondence. Agnes now is taking readings of it to the public to introduce the public to the concept of restorative justice and to help people learn about its healing power.

The readings are done by Agnes along with two actors, and are performed at no charge. The experience includes a facilitated post reading discussion . If you would be interested in hosting a reading at your home or at another location, please contact Agnes via Facebook or: agnesfurey@gmail.com.

The book and production are powerful examples of the importance of restorative justice — which, while holding criminals responsible for the damage they have caused, also provides a measure of healing for them, their families and communities.

NO STAY!!!

We are very sorry to report that, in an unusual move and in a divided opinion, the U.S. Court of Appeals has lifted the U.S. District Court’s stay of the execution of John Ferguson. The U.S. District Court had issued the stay in order to hear arguments on Friday that Ferguson is incompetent to be executed. It is now possible that the execution of John Ferguson could proceed as previously scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 23 at 6pm ET unless the U.S. Supreme Court intervenes.
We will send out an update as soon as more information comes in. Here is the latest news.

Please TAKE ACTION!!!
PLEASE contact Governor Rick Scott and ask him to convene the Board of Executive Clemency to commute the death sentence of John Ferguson to Life in Prison with No Parole, because he is incompetent to be executed.
Gov. Rick Scott – Phone: 850-488-7146
Email: Rick.Scott@eog.myflorida.com

Read More

Governor sets execution date ….

Dear Friends,

We got word from Mark Elliott of Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty that the Governor has set the execution date
for John Ferguson for next week, Tuesday, October 23. The time is likely to be 6 p.m. A vigil will be held in front of the Governor’s mansion at that time. A Service of Remembrance will take place the following day, Wednesday, October 24 at 12 noon at the Capitol Rotunda.

Below is an editorial that appeared in the New York Times: “A Schizophrenic on Death Row.” Please read and share.

Sheila Meehan
TCADP Board
www.tcadp.net Read More

APPEAL DENIED!

Friends,

The Florida Supreme Court has denied the appeals of John Ferguson and lifted the stay of execution. This will be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. Reports are that a new execution date has not been set. We will send out a bulletin as soon as we know more. Read More

Upcoming TCADP participation and actions

1. The Stations of the cross (Pax Christi) – Good Friday, April 6 at noon at the Old Capital

2. Vigil for David Goreman – Thursday, April 12 at 6 pm in front of the Governor’s Mansion

3. Service of Remembrance – Friday, April 13 at 12 noon at the Capital Rotunda

The Death Penalty: Evolving Issues in Florida

The Florida State University Center for the Advancement of Human Rights & the American Bar Association present:The Death Penalty: Evolving Issues in Florida

A two-hour forum that will include perspective and commentary from FSU President Emeritus, former Dean of the College of Law and former American Bar Association President Talbot “Sandy” D’Alemberte; former Florida Supreme Court Justice Raoul Cantero; 2nd Judicial Circuit Judge Janet Ferris (retired); 18th Judicial Circuit Judge O.H. Eaton (retired) and former member of the ABA Florida Death Penalty Assessment Team; Harry Shorstein, former Fourth Read More

Valle Executed

Important — from Mark Elliott of Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty:
Valle Executed

“The struggle for justice doesn’t end with me. This struggle is for all the Troy Davises who came before me and all the ones who will come after me.” — Troy Davis

Friends,

After an afternoon of misinformation from the some media reports, it has been confirmed by the Governor’s office and the DOC that Manuel Valle was pronounced dead at 7:14 pm Eastern Time.

The 4:00 pm execution had been put on hold for almost 3 hours to await a U.S. Supreme Court decision on a stay. The stay was denied and the execution commenced. It is not yet confirmed that Manuel Valle was on the gurney with IV’s started during the entire wait.

There were a dozen execution vigils and protests around our state today. Thanks to every one of you who are working to end this madness in whatever way you can. Writing Letters to the Editor, calls, emails, letters and visits to your representatives, supporting FADP…are all needed. Working together we will see an end to executions in our time…for all time.

“Never Stop Fighting for Justice and We will Win!”

—Troy Anthony Davis, Oct. 9, 1968 – Sept. 21, 2011

Shine the light,

—Mark

Florida’s Catholic bishops repeated their plea for Gov. Rick Scott ….

Travis Pillow writes in the Florida Independent that Florida’s Catholic bishops repeated their plea for Gov. Rick Scott to call off the execution of Manuel Valle, the subject of Scott’s first death warrant.

Valle was convicted of the 1978 killing of a Coral Gables police officer, and first sentenced in 1981. He then waged a decades-long series of appeals, including most recently a challenge to Florida’s lethal injection drug mixture and procedures, which allowed him to delay his scheduled execution.

The Florida Supreme Court issued a ruling Thursday allowing the execution to proceed. It is scheduled for Sept. 1. Read More

Death Penalty Information Center report

On December 21, the Death Penalty Information Center released its latest report, “The Death Penalty in 2010: Year End Report,” on statistics and trends in capital punishment in the past year.  The report noted there was a 12% decrease in executions in 2010 compared to 2009 and a more than 50% drop compared to 1999. DPIC projected that the number of new death sentences will be 114 for 2010, near last year’s number of 112, which was the lowest number since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976. Death sentences declined in all four regions of the country over the past ten years, with a 50 percent decrease nationwide when the current decade is compared to the 1990s.  Only 12 states carried out executions in 2010, mostly in the South, and only seven states carried out more than one execution. Texas led the country with 17 executions, but that was a significant drop from last year.  The number of new death sentences in Texas this year was 8, a dramatic decline from 1999 when 48 people were sentenced to death.  Since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976, 82% of the executions have been in the South. California has not had an execution in almost 5 years, and the same is true for North Carolina, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and many other states that rarely carry out the death penalty.  “Whether it’s concerns about the high costs of the death penalty at a time when budgets are being slashed, the risks of executing the innocent, unfairness, or other reasons, the nation continued to move away from the death penalty in 2010,” said Richard Dieter, DPIC’s Executive Director and the report’s author.