Thursday, November 12, 2026
TALLAHASSEE, FL – A delegation of Florida death row exonerees and advocates will gather before the press in Tallahassee at 11 a.m. on Thursday, November 12, 2026, to call on Governor-Elect Donalds to pause executions in the state. The speakers will share their personal stories of wrongful conviction and how the death penalty has affected their lives.
Florida has more death row exonerees than any other state, with a total of 30 men being released due to evidence of innocence since 1976. The three exonerees speaking at this event lost a combined 26 years on death row for crimes they did not commit. They ask Governor-Elect Donalds to stop executions, examine Florida’s laws that make wrongful convictions inevitable, and commit to giving each case careful consideration.
Florida carried out 19 executions in 2025, setting a state record. That record is set to be broken on Thursday, November 19, with the scheduled execution of Thomas Overton. Overton has maintained his innocence for 30 years. Prior to 2025, Florida carried out an average of 3 executions per year.
WHAT: Death Row Exoneree Press Conference
WHEN: Thursday, November 12, 2026 at 11 a.m. local time
WHERE: Leroy Collins Leon County Public Library, 200 W Park Ave, Tallahassee, FL 32301. 1st floor, Meeting Room B.
WHO: Joaquín José Martínez, the 19th person exonerated from Florida’s death row; Herman Lindsey, Executive Director of Witness to Innocence, an organization dedicated to empowering and supporting death row exonerees, and the 23rd person exonerated from Florida’s death row; Seth Penalever, the 24th person exonerated from Florida’s death row; and additional advocates and allies.
LIVESTREAM: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82469256441?pwd=DW2dYYqbXJzv4nwSsd7NZBCvBzaOQI.1
“When I hear about another execution, I think about how close I came to being one of those names. I was released, but I worry about who is still there and whether anyone is listening to them. That’s what I want the next governor to understand when we ask him to stop executions,” said Herman Lindsey, Executive Director of Witness to Innocence and a Florida death row exoneree.
“When people hear that someone is on death row, many assume that person must be guilty. I understand that, but I was there, and I was innocent. So were 29 other men in Florida. I hope the next governor will think about us when he’s told that a case is certain and there’s no reason to pause executions,” said Joaquín José Martínez, a Florida death row exoneree.
###