Shocking Development in Bates Case
Last week, attorneys for Kayle Bates (Maud Dib Al Sharif Qu’un), a Black Muslim veteran, filed a civil rights lawsuit against Governor Ron DeSantis. The lawsuit challenges Florida’s racially biased and unconstitutional process for choosing who lives and who dies, and points out the overwhelming disparity of conducting executions involving white victims.
Mr. Bates’ attorneys argue that “Florida’s current prioritization of white lives cannot be viewed independently of its devaluation of Black lives.” Even if these disparities are not the product of intentional racial discrimination, they reflect an impermissible degree of arbitrariness that still violates the U.S. Constitution.
Alarmingly, just two hours after the lawsuit was filed, the Governor signed a death warrant for Curtis Windom, a Black man sentenced to death for killing three Black victims. The timing of Curtis’ warrant is particularly curious as it marked the first time in recent Florida history that three men were on death watch at the same time facing execution.
To add insult to injury, the victims in Curtis’ case are adamantly opposed to his execution, and have been outspoken about that for decades. This retaliatory warrant singing is just another example of how Florida’s broken death penalty disproportionately targets and marginalizes minorities. Stay with us for more updates from the Bates and Windom teams in the coming days.
Veterans Speak Out
U.S. veterans across Florida and the country are speaking out. In a powerful open letter to the Governor, veterans are urging him to honor the code they all live by: Leave no one behind. That obligation does not end when the uniform comes off. To execute a fellow veteran suffering from the invisible wounds of war is not justice — its abandonment.
As their letter to the Governor states:
“We can never be a veteran friendly state when our leader is signing off on their deaths at the hands of the State. We urge you now to lead from a place of bravery, to return to the honor code from your service, and to stop setting the executions of our fellow soldiers.”
If you are a veteran, inside or outside of Florida, we urge you to join them now.
What You Can Do TODAY:
This is a moment in our history that demands your action.
- Read and share our press release and social media posts on Kayle’s lawsuit
- Sign the Kayle and Curtis petitions urging Governor DeSantis to stop this execution
- Send a message directly to Governor DeSantis on behalf of Kayle and Curtis
We must force our leaders to do better. With your voice, we will.
In solidarity,
The FADP Team
P.S. Please consider making a contribution to FADP today so that we can continue fighting against Florida’s machinery of death and supporting the loved ones of those facing execution.