Fla. High Court Vacates Paul Johnson’s Death Sentences

New penalty phases to be held for murderer Paul Beasley Johnson.

The original report by Suzie Schottelkotte & Jason Geary appeared in the Lakeland Ledger.

Shelia Meehan provided this abstract:

Paul Beasley Johnson’s death sentence was vacated by the Florida Supreme Court and he will now get a new Penalty Phase hearing.  In murder cases there are two phases — 1) guilt or innocence, and 2) penalty.  Governor Crist signed Johnson’s death warrant just a couple of months ago following an on-line petition effort by the local sheriff.  Mr. Johnson will now get a new penalty phase hearing because the Florida Supreme Court found that there was serious misconduct by the prosecutors during his original trial almost 30 years ago.

Forum to focus on Florida Death Penalty

FORUM Weds. Sept. 16 TO FOCUS ON FLORIDA DEATH PENALTY

Three years after the American Bar Association completed one of the most comprehensive studies to date on the fairness and accuracy of the death penalty in Florida, some of the state’s best legal minds will gather at The Florida State University to examine the ABA’s findings and discuss what, if anything, has changed in the administration of capital punishment. Read More

THE DEATH PENALTY AS POLITICAL THEATRE

THE DEATH PENALTY AS POLITICAL THEATRE

Two experiences from last week prompt this column.  The first was a vigil at the Governor’s Mansion, protesting the state of Florida’s execution of John Richard Marek and remembering Adela Marie Simmons, the innocent victim for whose death John Marek was executed.  My second experience was reading a story by an Associated Press writer about what Governor Crist did at the time of the execution, together with a follow-up column by Paul Flemming in the Tallahassee Democrat (“Death, politics mix with execution,” Aug. 21). Read More

Important forum event. Plan to attend.

Film Screening of Juan Melendez – 6446 August 13 @ 7pm

A Documentary Film Screening Sponsored by the Innocence Project of Florida and
Tallahassee Citizens Against the Death Penalty in opposition to the pending execution of John Marek

Read More

Read this today ……

An excellent article has appeared in the Florida Catholic magazine
The death penalty: Voices unite for louder opposition.

Justice system fails on many fronts

By Gerald Kogan, Special to the Times

Published Monday, June 30, 2008

In April, the U.S. Supreme Court found that the method of lethal injection utilized by Florida, among other states, does not violate the Constitution’s prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment.

That should not be the end of the conversation.

Reasonable men and women of all political affiliations, faiths, and professional backgrounds have disagreed for decades about the morality of executing those who commit heinous crimes. As a former prosecutor, defense attorney, trial judge and chief justice of the Florida Supreme Court, I have been involved in 1,200 capital cases and can personally attest to the complexity and uncertainty of that debate. Remarkably, the same individuals who agree on little else are beginning to find one piece of common ground: the belief that Florida’s system of capital punishment is broken. Read More

More frequent executions

Originally published July 3, 2008
Schwab’s legacy may be more frequent executions
By Paul Flemming
FLORIDA CAPITAL BUREAU
Mark Dean Schwab’s execution, Florida’s first in more than 18 months, is the start of more lethal injections for the 386 prisoners on the state’s death row. Read More

Executions – Now & in the Future

Governor Charlie Crist’s administration carried out their first execution on July 1st. Thank you to all who turned out for our Vigil for Mark Schwab and for the Service of Remembrance for Mark and his victim, Junny Rios-Martinez. Because the execution appears to have been carried out without being “botched,” as was Angel Diaz’s, this may pave the way for the signing of several more death warrants. In preparation for the killing of Mark Schwab, the Department of Corrections completed several “tests” on their so-called new lethal injection methods. It was reported that the tests failed 30% of the time. Consequently, it would seem that 1 out of 3 executions will be “problematic.” If two more warrants are signed then one of them will likely be “botched.”

We continue to be hopeful and will keep you apprised as things develop.

Sheila Meehan
Chair, TCADP

Mark Schwab to die Tuesday, July 1st at 6:00 p.m.

Dear Friends,

Despite appeals filed this week on behalf of Mark Schwab, things do not look promising. He is scheduled to be killed on Tuesday, July 1st at 6:00 p.m.

We will gather in front of the Governor’s mansion on Tuesday at 5:45 p.m. for a vigil for Mark.

On Wednesday, July 2, please join us at 12 noon at the Capital Rotunda for a memorial service for Mark Schwab and his victim, Junny Rios-Martinez.

Sheila Meehan
Chair, TCADP