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Latest from Death Penalty

While those who argue in support of capital punishment suggest that it helps keep police officers safer on the streets — the idea being that the death penalty is a deterrent here — research undertaken by the Death Penalty Information Center suggests otherwise. After reviewing 31 years of FBI research on the murders of police officers across the country, and comparing the results between states with death penalty laws and those without capital punishment, the DPIC…
“Clemency,” was inspired by the true story of Troy Davis’ Execution by the State of Georgia in 2011 This month, the U.S. Grand Jury Prize for Drama at the Sundance Film Festival was awarded to the film “Clemency,” directed by Chinonye Chukwu. Critics and Viewers Rave About Clemency Clemency is acclaimed at the Rotten Tomatoes movie review site with the rare “100%” score.  Everyone loves this movie.  Moreover, not only are there are…
Today, Florida Death Penalty defense strategies are dealing with the aftermath of Hurst v. Florida, where the impact of a jury in a capital punishment case was forever changed by the Supreme Court of the United States. For details, read our past discussions: Florida Death Penalty, Hurst v. Florida, and Three SCOTUS Justices What Does the New Hurst Decision Mean for Florida Death Penalty? Florida Supreme Court Rules in Hurst v. Florida: Unconstitutional. In 2019,…
  What is a Petition for Writ of Prohibition? Death Penalty Defense and Petitions for Writs In Florida, several requests can be filed with the appellate court while a death penalty trial is ongoing.  Parties can seek appellate review and issuance of appellate exercises of power that include writs of mandamus, prohibition, quo warranto, certiorari, and habeas corpus, and all writs necessary to the complete exercise of the courts’ jurisdiction as well as for review of…
How JAC impacts the Florida Death Penalty: Indigent Defense Legal Fees For over 40 years, Florida’s Justice Administrative Commission (“JAC”) has provided administrative support to the state judicial branch.  Among its managerial tasks is overseeing the payment of court-appointed lawyers who represent defendants unable to afford counsel (indigent defendants).  In 2004, JAC was first given the job of reviewing and approving invoices of private attorneys who had been appointed by the courts to represent indigent…
This month, the trial of Markeith Loyd continues in an Orlando courtroom with Terry Lenamon at the defense table. While prior Florida state attorney Ayala declined to proceed with the death penalty, it is back on the table. For more on the Markeith Loyd case, see: Markeith Loyd Motion to Disqualify Trial Judge: Details on Recusal Request Defense To Call State Attorney Ayala as Mitigation Witness Against Death Penalty in Markeith Loyd Case Lenamon Files …
The Death Penalty Information Center has released its annual Year End analysis of the state of capital punishment in this country.  Go here to read the entire report, “The Death Penalty in 2018: Year End Report.”     2018: Death Penalty in Florida Of course, the State of Florida is included in this yearly recap on both death sentences and executions, as well as exonerations for those living on Florida’s Death Row.  What were…
Markeith Loyd Trial: Judge Denies Recusal Request This week, Orange-Osceola Chief Judge Frederick Lauten denied the defense motion seeking his recusal, filed by Terence Lenamon on December 5, 2018.  See, “Chief judge won’t recuse himself in Markeith Loyd case,” written by Gal Tziperman Lotan and published by the Orlando Sentinel on December 10, 2018.   Excerpt from the Motion: Fair Trial or Prejudice The following excerpt explains some of the defense arguments regarding how…