Bush's privatization of death row counsel is questioned

With little debate or fanfare, one of former Gov. Jeb Bush?s privatization efforts may fade away this year.

The Senate Judiciary Committee passed Senate Bill 1690 unanimously Tuesday. Among other things, the bill would return control of attorneys representing death row inmates back to the state.

In 2003, Bush and legislative allies successfully privatized the northern region of the Capital Collateral Regional Council ? the unwieldy name for state-paid attorneys to provide appellate representation for death row inmates. The central and southern regions of the group stayed under state control.

But the bill's sponsor, Sen. Victor Crist, R-Tampa, said Tuesday that the Florida Supreme Court had made it clear that it had questions about the quality of representation provided by the rotating cast of private attorneys in the privatized north Florida region. CCRC attorneys have provided more thorough review of death row appeals, but that additional cost may raise eyebrows in the budget-sensitive Legislature this year.

-- Joe Follick
jfollick@earthlink.net

Last modified: April 8, 2008 2:43pm