The FADP Community Speaks Out
You have no doubt heard that State Attorney Andrew Warren was suspended from his elected office by Governor DeSantis, effectively silencing the voices of Hillsborough County voters who twice elected him.
The new Hillsborough State Attorney, Susan Lopez, on her first day in office since DeSantis appointed her, reversed a decision by Warren not to seek the death penalty in a capital case. Warren has said he decided not to seek the death penalty based on the wishes of the family of the murder victim.
What does this mean? It means that State Attorney Lopez is seeking the death penalty in a case where the victims’ family has indicated they feel a life without parole sentence is satisfactory.
Should the case go to court as a death case, it also means the victims’ family will be forced to go through a far lengthier and more traumatic court process. Should it end in a sentence of death, it means they will have to endure decades of constitutionally required death penalty appeals.
The decision to seek death is up to the discretion of the State Attorney. She did not have to reverse Warren’s decision. Most incredibly, she did not consult the family. She didn’t even bother to tell them.
So what did we do?
We immediately mobilized our supporters in Hillsborough County, encouraging them to email SA Lopez and tell her they oppose the death penalty, support victims’ families, and prefer to see State Attorney resources spent on solving cold cases and taking care of crime victims. Many of you did, and we are so thankful.
As Martin Luther King, Jr. taught us – “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” We know this matters, and we are proud to speak up about it.
Gratefully,
The FADP Team
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