FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – December 23, 2016
CONTACT: Mark Elliott, FADP Director, (727) 215-9646, [email protected]
TAMPA, FL- Thursday, the Florida Supreme Court ruled that nearly 200 death sentences for those now on death row are unconstitutional and that they are entitled to resentencing. This ruling affects those sentenced to death after the Ring v Arizona decision in 2002. There are now 384 people on Florida’s Death Row.
Responding to the ruling, Mark Elliott, director of Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty stated:
“200 death sentencing efforts could cost Florida taxpayers more than $100 million. Florida taxpayers could spend an additional $500,000 for each new sentencing with no guarantee of regaining a death sentence.”
“New death sentencing procedures are similar to original conviction trials with a twelve member jury along with all the extra attorneys and experts that follow. Not only are huge amounts of time and effort expended by the state, the costs are truly staggering.”
“Commuting these 200 death sentences to life in prison without the possibility of parole could save more than $100 million in critically needed criminal justice dollars. These funds could be reallocated to hire and train more law enforcement officers and better protect those who protect us.”
“Now is the time to be both tough on crime and smart with taxpayer dollars.”
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Sent by:
Mark Elliott
Executive Director
Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty
P.O. Box 82943
Tampa, FL 33682
FADP is a non-profit and non-partisan Florida organization of individuals and groups united to abolish the Death Penalty in Florida.