Federal Death Penalty Abolition Act of 2009 and more …

Russ Feingold Introduces Legislation to Abolish Federal Death Penalty
http://www.alternet.org/rights/132546

The Federal Death Penalty Abolition Act of 2009 comes just after New Mexico governor Bill Richardson banned capital punishment in his state.

The Death Penalty Photography Documentary Project comes to Tallahassee

Dear Friends,

Scott Langley was scheduled to speak about his death penalty photo exhibit on Thursday evening at FSU’s Moore Auditorium at 7 p.m.  Unfortunately, the FSU Amnesty International Chapter had some difficulties booking a flight for Mr. Langley and he will not be in Tallahassee.  They plan to bring him to speak in the Fall.  In the meantime, his exhibit will be shown on Thursday and Friday of this week and Monday through Wednesday of next week at 3 locations around town. Read More

Public Defenders Association site added

CAN FLORIDA AFFORD THE DEATH PENALTY?

Check out the Public Defenders Assoc. site and look for our Program on Tuesday, April 14th at 7:00 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church on Adams Street downtown.  http://sensiblesolutionsforflorida.com/index.html

No apparent stay in Wayne Tompkins killing ….

Dear Friends,

As of this evening there is no clear sign of a stay of execution for Wayne Tompkins who is scheduled to be killed at 6 p.m. tomorrow, Wednesday, February 11th.  We will gather for a vigil at 5:45 p.m. on Wednesday in front of the Governor’s Mansion.

We will also meet at the Capitol Rotunda at noon on the following day, Thursday, for a Service of Remembrance for Wayne Tompkins and his alleged victim, Lisa DeCarr.

Please read the press release below which was issued today by the Innocence Project of Florida.  Their statement discusses the inconclusive testing done in the Tompkins case and asks Governor Crist to issue a stay until further DNA testing can be done.

Thank you.

Sheila Meehan
Chair, TCADP

Governor urged to Stay Wayne Tompkins’ Execution

Innocence Project of Florida Urges Governor to Stay Wayne Tompkins’ Execution Says New Round of DNA Testing Could Answer Lingering Questions about Victim’s Identity

The Innocence Project of Florida (IPF), in a letter signed by their Executive Director Seth Miller, today urged Florida Governor Charlie Crist to stay the execution of Wayne Tompkins, who is scheduled to be killed on Wednesday by lethal injection. Serious doubts persist about the identity of the victim, and IPF believes a new round of DNA testing is likely to answer these important questions. Read More

Wayne Tompkins Execution Scheduled

Below is an exerpt from a recent news story on the February 11th scheduled execution of Wayne Tompkins:

Gov. Charlie Crist scheduled the execution of Wayne Tompkins at 6 p.m. on Feb. 11 at Florida State Prison near Starke. Attorney General Bill McCollum certified to Crist on Monday that all stays had been lifted and the governor is required to set a new execution date within 10 days.  Read More

Public Defenders Recommend Moratorium on Death Penalty

The Florida Bar News

February 1, 2009

By Kim MacQueen
Associate Editor

Florida’s public defenders have offered a controversial new idea for saving money during tight fiscal times: a moratorium on the death penalty. “This Legislature would be remiss not to look at the most costly, least cost-efficient service we provide: the death penalty,” 10th Circuit Assistant Public Defender Howard L. (Rex) Dimmig — speaking on behalf of the Florida Public Defender Association — told members of the Senate Criminal Justice and Judiciary committees gathered for the January special session in Tallahassee.Senate Criminal Justice Committee members did not offer immediate comment or reaction following Dimmig’s proposal, but Sen. Ted Deutch, D-Delray Beach, asked 13th Circuit State Attorney Mark Ober, who was also at the meeting, if he would support it. Read More