ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST

"Dust thou art, and unto dust thou shalt return" (Genesis 3:19)

THE CAPTAIN REPORTS:

FLORIDA RELEASES 24 INMATES FROM DEATH ROW .....

That's how many death sentenced prisoners have had their death sentences overturned in just the past decade. In case you had any doubt, Florida leads the nation in this category.

But that hasn't stopped current Florida Governor Rick Scott from his own goal of becoming Number One. That is first on the list in the category of most executions during a Governor's term in office. Currently, that honor goes to Jeb Bush, who oversaw the execution of 21 death row inmates during his EIGHT years in office.

Scott seeks to break that record, but he is valiantly attempting to do so in half that time.

In Scott's first two and one half years in office, he signed only eight warrants.  But as re-election time continues to get closer, Scott's pen has had an infusion of ink. Starting in April of last year and continuing through this February 2014, a period of roughly ten months, Scott has penned his name to no less than 10 Death Warrants. The tenth, Paul Howell, was executed three weeks ago.  On Friday, Scott signed yet another Death Warrant, this time for prisoner Robert E. Hendrix. Baring a delay, Hendrix will meet his maker on April 23rd at 6:00 PM.

Much of this most recent pace in executions might also have something to do with a bill that Scott signed into law last June. That new law,  dubbed "The Timely Justice Act" by its proponents, requires governors to sign death warrants 30 days after the Florida Supreme Court certifies that an inmate has exhausted all legal appeals. Once a death warrant is signed, the new law requires the state to execute the defendant within six months.

There’s less time for inmates to prove their innocence, making it easier for the state to kill them.

It’s already easier to put someone to death in Florida. It’s the only state that requires a simple jury majority to sentence someone to death. Every other state besides Alabama requires a unanimous vote.  And it keeps getting worse. According to Slate, State Supreme Court Justice Raoul Cantero has seen “some of the worst lawyering” in death penalty cases.

Washington Post writes about "Florida's Gruesome Execution Theatre" here:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-watch/wp/2014/03/19/robert-henry-and-floridas-gruesome-execution-theater/

The Tampa Tribune writes about Scott and Executions here:

http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/crime/gov-rick-scott-signs-bill-to-speed-up-executions-in-florida/2126764


With nine months remaining in Scott's first term, the record of 21 executions. is now within easy reach. Imagine what those numbers will look like if Scott is re-elected come November 2014.

CAPTAIN OUT ......
Captain4Justice@gmail.com

THE CAPTAIN REPORTS:

LOTS OF NEW JUDGES, and more on the way .......

Congratulations to Judge Lisa Walsh. On Monday, Governor Rick Scott elevated her to the Circuit Court to fill the seat left vacant with the death of Judge Pineiro. Judge Walsh has big shoes to fill, but those that know Lisa have all the confidence in the world that she will get the job done and do it fairly and with respect, to the litigants and the attorneys, from both sides, just like Rob would have wanted and expected!!!

Judge Walsh joins Judge Victoria Brennan who last week was appointed by the Governor to replace Judge Kevin Emas. If you were keeping score, the six names that the Governor was choosing from included: Judges Brennan, Figarola, Hague, Walsh and White-Labora, and attorney Michael Hanzman.

Meanwhile, with the passing of Judge Gross, the JNC recently sent up six more names. Those names are: Judges Brennan, Walsh and White-Labora, along with private attorneys Miguel de la O, Michael Hanzman, and Richard Hersch. Keep your scorecards out as that means two of the six names before the Governor have now been eliminated from the short list. So, your next Circuit Court Judge will be either Judge White Labora or one of the three attorneys, de la O, Hanzman or Hersch.

County Court .....

Last week Governor Scott appointed ASA Fleur Lobree to the open seat of Judge Bloom. On the same date that Lobree was being named a Judge, the JNC sent five more names up to the Governor to replace Judge Gayles’ open County Court seat. Those names are: Tanya Brinkley, Dawn Denaro, John Goran, Steven Lieberman, and Gordon Murray.

And, with the appointments of Brennan and Walsh, the JNC will open the application process one more time. They will conduct interviews and then send up still more names to the Governor and he will need to name two more County Court judges.

Of course, if by chance the Governor chooses Judge White-Labora for that last open Circuit Court seat, that will give Scott still one more County Court judge to name.

Has any Governor in the past ever had as many as eight (three Circuit and five County) judicial appointments in their first six months of office?

CAPTAIN OUT .......