DNAdeadline

CONTACT YOUR LEGISLATOR TODAY!

On October 1, 2005, Florida’s wrongfully convicted prisoners will forever lose the ability to request DNA testing of biological evidence that could prove their innocence because Florida’s postconviction DNA statute sunsets on that date, after which no petitions may be filed and evidence will no longer be required to be preserved for future DNA testing.

We have lined up sponsors in both the House (HB 247) and the Senate (SB1004) who are in the process of submitting strike all amendments to their existing bills to substitute the required legislation. We now need people to call and email legislators urging support of this important issue. Our bills will amend Florida’s postconviction statute to remove the time deadline, as well as the prohibition against those who pled guilty from requesting DNA testing regardless of their actual innocence and will create an Innocence Commission to investigate the wrongful convictions. It will also make other changes in the law so that Florida may qualify for it’s share of $34 million a year in federal grants for the next five years for DNA testing improvements, both before and after conviction, under the Justice for All Act signed into law by President Bush on October 30, 2004. (Please note that the new bill language is not yet available on the legislative websites; Click here to see the draft language).

Please call or email the following legislators to let them know you support this issue, and urge them to place these bills on the committee calendars as soon as possible. If the person is listed below as a sponsor, please thank them. If not, ask them to become a co-sponsor as well.

Committee leadership:

• Representative Dick Kravitz (Chair of House Criminal Justice Committee):
  (850) 488-1304 or (904) 213-3005 or email [email protected]

• Senator Stephen Wise (Chair of the Senate Criminal Justice Committee):
  (850) 487-5027 or (904) 573-4900 or email: [email protected]

Bill sponsors in the House:

• Representative Phillip Brutus: (850) 488-4233 or (305) 956-2538 or email [email protected]

• Representative Curtis Richardson: (850) 488-1798 or email [email protected]

• Representative Priscilla Taylor: (850 488-8632 or (561) 840-4814 or email [email protected]

Other House leadership:

• Representative Allen Bense (Speaker of the House): (850) 488-1450 or email [email protected]

• Representative Tee Holloway (Vice Chair of Criminal Justice Committee): (850) 488-0766 or (305) 650-2300 or email [email protected]

• Representative David Simmons (Chair of Judiciary Committee): (850) 488-2231 or (407) 262-7520 or email [email protected]

• Representative J.C. Planas (Vice Chair of Judiciary Committee): (850) 488-3616 or (305) 442-6800 or email [email protected]

Bill sponsor in the Senate:

• Senator Gary Siplin: (850) 487-5190 or (407) 297-2071 or email: [email protected]

Other Senate leadership:

• Senator Tom Lee (Senate President): (850) 487-5072 or (813) 744-8683 or email: [email protected]

• Senator Webster (Chair of Judiciary Committee): (850) 487-5047 or (407) 656-0066 No email

• Senator Villalobos (Vice Chair of Judiciary Committee): (850) 487-5130 or (305) 222-4160 or email: [email protected]

• Senator Smith (Vice Chair of Criminal Justice Committee): (850) 487-5020 or (352) 375-3555 or email: [email protected]

Thank you for your support of this very important criminal justice issue! Please note that for an email campaign, the originating location of the email is not important, so please send supporting emails even if you are not Florida constituents!

Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty
PMB 335
2603 NW 13th St (AKA Dr. MLK Jr. Hwy)
Gainesville, FL 32609
(800) 973-6548
[email protected]

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