P R E S S R E L E A S E
from
F L O R I D I A N S FOR A L T E R N A T I V E S
TO THE DEATH PENALTY (FADP)
15 February 2005
CONTACT: Abe Bonowitz: 561-371-5204
PRESS CONFERENCE ANNOUNCEMENT
DEATH ROW SURVIVOR JUAN MELENDEZ AND FADP DIRECTOR ABE BONOWITZ TO COMMENT
ON SB1004/HB0247, AND OTHER TOPICS RELATED TO THE DEATH PENALTY IN THE
COMING FLORIDA LEGISLATIVE SESSION
WHO: Florida Death Row Survivor Juan Melendez and FADP Director Abe Bonowitz
WHAT: Press Conference
WHEN: Wednesday, February 16, 2005 at 9:30am
WHERE: Florida Press Center, 336 E. College Ave. in Tallahassee
Florida Death Row Survivor Juan Melendez, who spent almost 18 years on
death row for a crime he did not commit, will comment on HB 0247/SB1004,
"An act relating to wrongful criminal convictions...," as well as the need
for a formal compensation fund to assist persons freed from prison after
being wrongly convicted in the State of Florida. Currently Florida has no
mechanism to assist the wrongly convicted.
Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (FADP) Director Abe
Bonowitz will comment on FADP's 2005 Legislative Agenda, including the
following specific items:
* Ending immunity for law enforcement officials who knowingly send an
innocent person to prison;
* Establishing a compensation fund for persons wrongly convicted and
imprisoned in Florida;
* Requiring a unanimous jury to sentence a convicted murderer to death;
* Raising the minimum age to be eligible for the death penalty to 18 at the
time of the crime.
See FADP's Legislative Agenda at http://www.fadp.org/2005legislativeAgenda.html.
Learn more about Juan Melendez at http://www.fadp.org/thefloridaproblem.html.
**********
ALSO, Juan Melendez will share his story at an event open to the public at
7pm, Thursday, Feb. 16 at the Tallahassee Progressive Center,
1720 S. Gadsden St. in Tallahassee, FL
**********
SENT BY:
Abraham J. Bonowitz
Director
Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (FADP)
800-973-6548 http://www.fadp.org <fadp@fadp.org>
PMB 335, 2603 DR. Martin Luther King Jr. Hwy
Gainesville, FL 32609
Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty works for restorative
justice in the form of effective alternatives to the death penalty. It
does so by
# supporting and coordinating the work of organizations and individuals
# educating and energizing the general public and state legislators
# supporting the many persons affected by capital crime and punishment
# advocating specific legislative improvements
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