February 25, 2010 on 12:36 pm | In Case news, TCADP actions | No Comments |
Dear TCADP Members:
Gov. Crist has signed a death warrant for David Eugene Johnston, whose execution has been scheduled for May 27th. This makes it even more imperative that we who oppose the death penalty become active in raising the visibility of our cause, including by letting public officials know that we want Florida to join the 15 states that have abolished the death penalty. During the legislative session, TCADP will schedule a morning to meet with legislators to discuss our concerns about the death penalty.
Consequently, please make it a priority to attend our workshop, “Don’t Kill in My Name,” that will be this Sat. from 12:45-4:30 p.m. in Program Room B of the Leroy Collins Public Library. Please also invite others whom you know who oppose the death penalty.
The free workshop is designed to educate death penalty opponents about advocating to end the death penalty.
It will include expert presentations on legal, ethical, religious, racial and financial problems with the death penalty, presentations by a homicide survivor who opposes the death penalty and by a former journalist who witnessed an execution, instruction from an experienced legislative lobbyist, and it will conclude with a documentary about an innocent man who spent almost 18 years on Florida’s death row.
The first 15 attendees will be given TCADP T-shirts.
Attached is a flyer.
Thank you for reading this. I hope to see you Saturday.
Louise Ritchie, Chair
Tallahassee Citizens Against the Death Penalty
Please contact clemency board to try to prevent execution Tues.
February 15, 2010 on 7:52 pm | In Uncategorized | No Comments |Subject: Please contact clemency board to try to prevent execution Tues.
Passing along these suggestions from the coalition of people trying to stop the planned execution of Martin Grossman Tues. Feb. 16.
Louise Ritchie
Chair, Tallahassee Citizens Against the Death Penalty.
“What I am doing with mine is to send a one-line e-mail to each of them with copies of that e-mail to all the other three (including clemencyweb) so that each time I send one, four travel together. I just change the sentence each time, very simple changes.
Best, blessed,
Michelle
On Sat, Feb 13, 2010 at 8:29 PM, Michael (Chaskel) Bennett
This is an Urgent request from the. “Commitee to save Martin”
Read More
Upcoming action
February 11, 2010 on 8:31 pm | In State legal news, Associated organization, TCADP actions | No Comments |1. A coalition of a variety of organizations is holding a phone media conference this Friday morning in an attempt to stop Florida’s execution of Martin Grossman, which is scheduled for next Tues. The participants include some public figures, representatives of peace organizations and religious institutions, and our member, Agnes Furey, a survivor of homicide, is also scheduled to be part of this.
2. Despite 10,000 people signing petitions requesting that Martin Grossman not be executed, Gov. Crist says he still plans to execute Grossman Tues. Feb. 16. If it goes as scheduled, at 6 p.m. Tues. please come stand outside the governor’s mansion at 6 p.m. Tues. Feb. 16 as we hold a vigil to reflect our opposition to the death penalty, and come to the memorial service we’ll hold Weds. at noon in the courtyard between the old and new capitols.
3. Sat. Feb. 27 free public workshop to train death penalty opponents about advocating for ending the death penalty. This is the beginning of our campaign to add Florida to the 15 states and D.C. that don’t impose the death penalty. It will be 12:45-4:30 in Program Room B of the Leroy Collins Public Library.
Please come to the workshop and also invite others. We’re particularly interested in involving students in this movement, so please share this information with professors and college and high school students and their organizations.
The workshop will include: experts’ presentations on legal, ethical, religious, racial, and financial problems with the death penalty; presentations by a homicide survivor and by a former journalist who witnessed an execution; instruction from an experienced legislative lobbyist; and it will conclude with a documentary about an innocent man who spent almost 18 years on Florida’s death row.
We will give free TCADP T-shirts to the first 15 attendees.
Thank you for reading this.
Louise Ritchie
Chair, TCADP
February 2, 2010 on 4:13 pm | In Case news, State legal news, Associated organization | No Comments |
Subject: Important message about pending execution of Martin Grossman
Dear TCADP Members,
This updates the message that I sent last week about how Florida Alternatives to the Death Penalty is requesting our help in attempting to prevent the execution of Martin Grossman, which is scheduled for Feb. 16. The letter that is being organized by Rabbi Zvi Boyarski at the Aleph Institute. Individuals and organizations who can sign on should do so by e-mailing their
Name
Title
Organization
City
State
To zvi@aleph-http://www.facebook.com/l/7bff7;institute.org as soon as possible. Read More
Tallahassee Citizens Against the Death Penalty Update
January 29, 2010 on 9:09 am | In Associated organization, TCADP actions | No Comments |
Tallahassee Citizens Against the Death Penalty Update
Dear TCADP members: Here’s an update about the pending execution of Martin Grossman, and about a talk by Mayor John Marks that TCADP is cosponsoring Feb. 2.
Florida Alternatives to the Death Penalty has requested our help in doing the following in connection with the execution of Martin Grossman, which is scheduled for Feb. 16.
1. Write letters and call Governor Charlie Crist to ask him to call for a time-out on executions and do a thorough study of Florida’s Death Penalty. Tell him to PLEASE STOP signing Death Warrants. Florida’s governor has the decision-making authority to do this. Letters can be short, even two to three sentences long.
2. Sign up to receive future action alerts and news from Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (FADP) at http://www.facebook.com/l/b107b;www.fadp.org/esubscribe.html.
3. Forward this action to a friend (or five!) and have them contact Governor Crist too.”
For talking points and more information: http://www.facebook.com/l/b107b;www.fadp.org/takeact.html
January 16, 2010 on 5:48 pm | In Associated organization, Commentary, TCADP actions | No Comments |
PAX CHRISTI TALLAHASSEE*
INVITES YOU TO HEAR
MAYOR JOHN MARKS
speak on
BLACK HISTORY MONTH & THE INFLUENCE OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. ON HIS LIFE
TUESDAY, FEB. 2, 2010
ST. THOMAS MORE CO-CATHEDRAL
O’BRIEN HALL
(CORNER OF TENNESSEE & WOODWARD)
7:pm
Info: Shirley Poore – 850-893-6838 – bpoore@earthlink.net
*CO-SPONSORS
FSU CENTER FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS
TALLAHASSEE CITIZENS AGAINST THE DEATH PENALTY

Fla. High Court Vacates Paul Johnson’s Death Sentences
January 16, 2010 on 7:54 am | In Case news, State legal news, Commentary | No Comments |
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.
Death Warrant Signed/TCADP Meeting noon today
January 14, 2010 on 9:45 am | In State legal news, TCADP actions | No Comments |
Gov. Crist signed the warrant Jan. 12 for 44-year-old Martin Grossman. Florida State Prison warden Steven Singer then set the execution by lethal injection for Feb. 16 at 6 p.m.
This makes it even more urgent that you take the time to attend today our planning meeting for the training session we’ll conduct Sat. Feb. 27 to educate advocates for ending the death penalty.
We’re meeting today from noon-1:30 on the first floor of the annex of First Presbyterian Church, 110 N. Adams St. This is the two story building across from the courthouse.
Even if you can’t stay the whole time, please come and share your ideas about the content of the workshop and what we can do to attract many supporters to the training.
Thank you for your interest in this important human rights issue.
Louise Ritchie
Chair, TCADP
Crist signs death warrant for park ranger killer
January 12, 2010 on 10:49 pm | In Case news, State legal news | No Comments |FLORIDA—-new execution date
Gov. Charlie Crist signed a death warrant for Martin Grossman, convicted
of murdering a Pinellas County wildlife officer in 1984. Grossman is scheduled to be put to death by lethal injection on Feb. 16 at 6 p.m. Read More
The Florida Supreme Court denies a death-sentence appeal Thursday
January 8, 2010 on 8:52 am | In Case news, State legal news | No Comments |Bill Cotterell
Florida Capital Bureau
The Florida Supreme Court denied a death-sentence appeal Thursday in the case of a Fort Myers man who refused to let lawyers show mitigating facts that might have kept him off of Death Row.
After being found guilty of murder, the court said, Mark Twilegar waived a jury in the penalty phase of his trial. The ruling said he stated, “I would rather do the death penalty and just get it over with.” He filed an affidavit saying presentation of mitigating factors would violate his right to privacy, amount to an admission of guilt and violate his religious rights.
Twilegar was convicted of fatally shooting David Thomas in Fort Myers on Aug. 7, 2002.
© Tallahassee Citizens Against the Death Penalty 2005
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