More on Florida Death Row Than Any Other State Except California

According to new research compilations by the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Statistics, we know that Florida remains number two in the country for the number of people setting on its Death Row.  

Only California has more Death Row residents.  Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics May 2017.

 

 We also learn the following, as of December 31, 2015:

  • 33 states and the BOP held 2,881 inmates under sentence of death, 61 fewer than at year-end 2014. This was the fifteenth consecutive year in which the number of inmates under sentence of death decreased. 
  • Fourteen states and BOP received 49 inmates under sentence of death.
  • Six states executed 28 inmates.
  • Twenty-one states removed 82 inmates from under sentence of death by means other than execution.
  • Overall, 20 states held fewer inmates under sentence of death than a year earlier, 5 states and BOP held more inmates, and 9 held the same number.
  • The largest decline in inmates under sentence of death occurred in Texas (down 17), followed by Georgia (down 8), and Missouri (down 7).

 

Over in Texas, the worst nightmare for any death penalty defense attorney is being played out in real life:  the allegations that a prosecutor committed serious misconduct during the capital trial, which resulted not only in the conviction of an innocent man, but his execution.

Cameron Todd Willingham was executed in 2004 for the arson deaths of his three young daughters.  He maintained his innocence always.

The Innocence Project began investigating claims of prosecutorial misconduct several years ago.  That led to a grievance being filed before the State Bar of Texas which included supporting evidence to allegations that the prosecutor that include:

1.  he made a deal with a jailhouse snitch to testify against Mr. Willingham in exchange for favorable treatment of the snitch; and 

2.  used various kinds of junk science to argue that the father had set fire to the home, killing his children.

Read the details in the Washington Post piece, " A Texas prosecutor is on trial for alleged misconduct," by Radley Balko published on May 3, 2017.  

Today, shocking many, the jury returned without any punishment for the prosecutor.  

Which makes the efforts of capital defense lawyers like Terence Lenamon all that more important and vital….

 The Death Penalty Info Center just updated its Death Penalty Fact Sheet.  You can download the pdf by clicking on the image:

 

Lots of information here regarding capital punishment in the United States today. From the DPIC statistics, consider the following:

  • Since 1973, more than 155 people have been released from death row with evidence of their innocence.
  • Florida had the second highest death row population in the country, exceeded only by California, in October 2016.
  • Enforcing the death penalty costs Florida $51,000,000 MORE each year than if these 1st degree murder convictions had been given a sentence of with life without parole.
  • The South has the highest murder rate and over 80% of executions are performed in the South.
  • As of January 1, 2015, there were 56 women on death row in the United States.  No juveniles are on death row because capital crimes committed by juveniles cannot be given the death penalty according to a 2005 SCOTUS decision.

 

Terence Lenamon and Florida Assistant State Attorney Robin Arnold have announced to the court that things are on schedule for the murder trial of James Bannister to begin on August 14, 2017.

For details, see the Ocala Star Banner coverage written by Katie Pohlman and published April 26, 2017 in "Quadruple-murder trial set to start in August."

 

There’s still talk that Terence Lenamon may participate in the defense of Markeith Loyd even after the judge declined the defendant’s request that Terry Lenamon be appointed as his defense counsel. 

Terence Lenamon Profile

Once again, Terence Lenamon is not issuing any news release here, but is sharing the following media profile and interview from the Orlando Sentinel published earlier this week regarding the Markeith Loyd case, written by Rene Stutzman:

"Terry Lenamon, Markeith Loyd’s hand-picked attorney: A staunch opponent of the death penalty."

Terence Lenamon Memoir

For those interested in learning more about Terence Lenamon’s attitude toward representing death penalty defendants as well as his past case experience, they can always check out the short memoir he published a few years back.  It’s also available in paperback at Amazon.com.

Amnesty International has released its latest study of the death penalty worldwide. A particular concern: China and its continued secret executions.

China’s Death Penalty

We discussed the China Death Penalty (with the Death Penalty Vans) in a series of earlier posts written by Sin-Ting Mary Liu. 

See, e.g., "In Depth Look at the Law: China Death Vans and Harvesting Prisoner Organs for Profit." 

Here, a video synopsis of their latest findings from Amnesty International:

 

 Markieth Lloyd wants Terence Lenamon as his defense counsel – and only Terry Lenamon. 

Terence Lenamon is not discussing this issue with the media and he’s not issuing any kind of news release here. 

This post shares this current development with the blog’s readers and refers them to the following news stories for details:

"Markeith Loyd asks Miami capital punishment lawyer to represent him," by Emilee Speck, published April 3, 2017, on ClickOrlando.com. (Also published by Local10.com); and

" Markeith Loyd Told A Judge He Wants A Specific Lawyer," published April 3, 2017, at NewsTalkFlorida.com. .

The court will rule on this matter on April 12, 2017.

 

The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) has ruled in the case of Bobby Moore v. State of Texas, and it’s a victory for opponents of the death penalty.

This case is one more step in the treatment of those with mental health issues or intellectual disability issues in capital punishment.  Another recent and important case here:  2014’s Hall v. Florida.

Moore v. Texas Does Two Things

In an opinion written by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, two things have happened:

1.  Texas Death Row Inmate Bobby Moore will get the opportunity to argue that he should not be executed because his intellectual disability bars him from capital punishment as cruel and unusual punishment under the U.S. Constitution; and

2.  The State of Texas has been told its method of determining who can be executed when their intellectual abilities are in question is wrong.  Its procedure does not meet constitutional muster according to SCOTUS.

Full Text of Moore v. Texas

Read the opinion here as we’ve stored it in the Terence Lenamon Online Library: 

 

As shocking as this may be, news reports are that the State of Arkansas will execute eight Death Row inmates next month, over the course of ten days. 

8 Executions Over 10 Days; Two at at Time

That’s almost one execution a day, right? Well, yes.  Except reports are that the executions are planned to occur two at a time.  That’s right: Arkansas will execute these men in pairs, two executions on the same day.

Lethal Injection Protocols In Question: What About The Drugs?

All these executions will be by lethal injection. 

Reports are that the state does not have all the proper drugs for the lethal injections.  This has not prevented the executions from being scheduled.

Will they be carried out? Will a federal court stop them?

And why now?  Arkansas has not executed anyone for TWELVE YEARS.

ACADP Tracking Efforts to Stop April Executions

For more information, including the fight to stop this mass execution next month, visit the web site of the Arkansas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (ACADP).

Governor Rick Scott signed into law SB280 earlier this week.

The bill had been unanimously approved by the Florida Senate and only three lawmakers in the Florida House of Representatives voted against it.

New Florida Death Penalty Law

What does the law provide? Now, in the State of Florida, juries in capital cases will all have to agree on the death penalty. Florida now requires unanimous juries in capital cases.

For more information, check out our earlier post that includes the full text of SB280 and its legislative progress:

Florida Legislature Moves to Pass New Laws for Death Penalty Procedure.