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Dear Florida Media, The US Supreme Court is expected to rule this week in the Wiggins case, possibly as early as Monday morning (6/23/03). Wiggins, a Maryland death row prisoner, argues that his legal representation at the sentencing phase of his trial was so inadequate and ineffective it violated his rights under the U.S. Constitution. The court could use the case to revisit its 1984 ruling in Strickland v. Washington, which set a low standard for determining what constitutes ineffective assistance of counsel. A decision affirming Wiggins' argument could impact numerous Florida cases. For further background, see FADP's press release issued on November 19, 2002: www.fadp.org/pressrel57.html FADP will issue a statement and is available for comment once it has had a chance to review the decision. In the interim, the following quote may be used: "We know that the death penalty is not reserved for the prisoners who commit the worst crimes, but rather for those with the worst lawyers," said Abe Bonowitz, Director of Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty. "The U.S. Constitution guarantees a lawyer to a person on trial for a felony offense. It should also guarantee an effective lawyer. The standard established by the Court in Strickland is not adequate. The U.S. Supreme Court now has the opportunity to revisit this standard. Governor Bush should not schedule further executions until Florida courts determine the impact of the Wiggins ruling on Florida cases."
MEDIA ADVISORY FLORIDIANS FOR ALTERNATIVES TO THE DEATH PENALTY (FADP.org)23 June 2003
Abe Bonowitz, spokesman, Abolitionist Action Committee
David Elliot, spokesman, National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty STARVIN' FOR JUSTICE 2003; THE TENTH ANNUAL FAST AND VIGIL TO ABOLISH THE DEATH PENALTY AT THE U.S. SUPREME COURT Juan Melendez a featured speaker, Abe Bonowitz of FADP coordinates national event June 23, 2003 - Anti-death penalty activists from Florida and across the United States will converge on Washington, D.C. June 29 through July 2 for four days of activities commemorating the historic 1972 and 1976 Supreme Court rulings that suspended the death penalty in the United States and later allowed executions to resume. NOTE TO REPORTERS, EDITORS AND PRODUCERS: A media availability will be held at 11:15 a.m. Monday, June 30 on the sidewalk in front of the U.S. Supreme Court. Among those available for interviews will be Juan Melendez, the 99th innocent person released from death row, and spokespersons and leaders from national organizations opposing the death penalty. A public rally, complete with interesting visuals [Including the DEVIOUS JEB BUSH!], will begin at noon. Washington Wizards Center Etan Thomas and musician Steve Earle are expected to participate. The annual event is organized by the Abolitionist Action Committee and endorsed by such groups as the American Civil Liberties Union Capital Punishment Project, American Friends Service Committee, the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty and Students Against the Death Penalty. At the same time the Washington, D.C. event is going on, groups and individuals across the United States and abroad will stage solidarity actions. One solidarity action is scheduled to take place in Tampa. June 29 marks the 31st anniversary of the Furman v. Georgia decision suspending executions, while July 2 marks the 27th anniversary of the Gregg v. Georgia ruling allowing executions to resume. Since Gregg, 858 people have been executed in the United States (56 in Florida) though a combination of lethal injections, hangings, firing squads, gas chambers and electrocutions. In the past 12 months alone, 78 people have been executed, while eight people have been freed from death row and released from prison due to actual innocence, including one in Florida. "The death penalty in 1972 was arbitrary and capricious and the death penalty in 2003 is arbitrary and capricious," said Abe Bonowitz, spokesman for the Abolitionist Action Committee. "The difference between 1972 and 2003 is that the abolition movement in the United States is now committed to a strategy of legislative repeal - organizing on a grassroots level, state by state, legislature by legislature. It is no longer a question of whether we will abolish the death penalty, but when." Bonowitz said the primary goal of the June 29-July 2 activities is to educate the public. "This is the tenth year that we will stand vigil in front of the U.S. Supreme Court between the historic anniversaries of when all death penalty laws were thrown out in 1972 and when new laws were upheld in 1976," Bonowitz explained. "Our goal is to further educate the public about why the death penalty is a bad public policy, and we invite everyone to stand with us for alternatives to the death penalty. But the Fast and Vigil also serves as an opportunity for activists to come together and renew our commitment to the struggle for abolition." For more information or to learn how to support Starvin' For Justice, please visit www.abolition.org
SENT BY:
Abraham J. Bonowitz
Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (FADP)
 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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