[FADPUpdate] ABA Calls for Moratorium

[melliott3 at aol.com]

Friends,

Today, The American Bar Assosiciation (ABA) called for a nationwide 
moratorium on executions.  After a three year study of Death Penalty 
systems in eight states, including Florida, the ABA found that "their 
Death Penalty systems operate unfairly".  All states studied had 
serious common problems including "major racial disparities, inadequate 
legal defense services and irregular clemency review processes".

The ABA Press Release can be found at the abanet.org site or directly 
at:

http://www.abanet.org/abanet/media/release/news_release.cfm?releaseid=209

A blue ribbon panel spent two years studying Florida's Death Penalty 
system and issued their report in September, 2006.  The panel found a 
deeply-flawed system, lacking both fairness and accuracy.  The Florida 
Death Penalty Assessment Team included a former Florida Supreme Court 
Justice, a Circuit Court Judge, and a State Attorney as well as defense 
attorneys and legal scholars.  Panelist and prosecutor Harry Shorstein, 
State Atty - Jacksonville, called the application of Florida's Death 
Penalty "uneven and ineffective".

The Team made six vital recommendations to Florida's leaders.  The 
first one was for Florida to investigate the wrongful convictions of 
Death Row inmates (Florida leads the nations with 22).  Also included 
were recommendations for: 2. adequately compensated capital case 
defense lawyers, 3. properly qualified and compensated capital appeal 
lawyers, 4. unanimous jury recommendation for Death (Fla is the only 
state with no unanimous jury requirements in Death sentencing), 5. 
proper use of Clemency process, 6. investigation of the system for 
fairness and accuracy.

Florida's leadership responded by taking the position that NO problems 
exist and has done NOTHING.  When it comes to our fatally-flawed Death 
Penalty system, denial is a river that runs through Tallahassee.  
Perhaps this new call for a nationwide "moratorium until states can 
assure fairness and accuracy" will be a louder wake-up call for Florida.

Florida's Death Penalty Report can be found at: 
http://www.abanet.org/moratorium/home.html

Meanwhile, Florida's execution date of November 15 for Mark Schwab 
still stands, in spite of the pending U.S. Supreme Court decision on 
lethal injection methods that has resulted in stays of executions in 
virtually every other state.  More on this soon.

Shine the light,

---Mark

Mark Elliott, Executive Director
Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, FADP.org

2840 W. Bay Drive, #118
Belleair Bluffs, FL 33770
(727)215-9646
mark at fadp.org





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