I have important and exciting news to share:
James Duckett will not be executed under the current death warrant.
Here’s what happened:
- The circuit court denied further DNA analysis (as we shared last night).
- Today, the State asked the Florida Supreme Court to lift the stay of execution.
- Instead, the Court ordered briefing that extends beyond the warrant period.
What this means:
The Florida Supreme Court wants to hear more information about why Jim Duckett is requesting access to the data underlying his recent DNA test results. They have given his defense team until next Wednesday to file this, meaning that the window the State gave themselves to carry out the execution will expire. Jim Duckett is not at risk of execution in the immediate future.
This is a significant outcome. The State pushed to move forward quickly — and it didn’t happen. The case remains active, and there is now time to continue legal advocacy and public pressure.
The fight is not over. Serious concerns in this case remain, and we will keep pushing. But today’s news matters. It’s a reminder that these outcomes are not inevitable — that pressure, persistence, and collective action can interrupt even the most entrenched systems. Florida has led 30 men to their deaths over the past 15 months. Jim Duckett was supposed to be 31.
Instead, Jim will live to see Easter Sunday — a day in the Christian calendar that is rooted in the possibility of redemption, of truth coming to light, of life where death once seemed certain. That is not lost on me, and I hope it’s not lost on you either.
Thank you for being part of what made this possible — your attention, your advocacy, and your willingness to stay engaged.
We’ll be in touch soon with next steps.