Florida's Vote "For" The Death Penalty
By Mary Hamer
25 March, 2013
Countercurrents.org
*PURPOSE: The Purpose of this article is to Investigate the Florida House of Representative’s Criminal Justice Committee’s NO Vote on HB #4005 on 2/7/13. by Mary Hamer MD
FLORIDA'S VOTE "for" the DEATH PENALTY:
*Key Sections: I. Mission Statement. II. House Bill #4005. III. Survey of Florida's HR Criminal Justice Cmte Members who Voted "for" the Death Penalty. IV. Results of Survey. V. Conclusion.
I. MISSION STATEMENT: A Florida Death Row prisoner “John” asked me to investigate the Florida HR’s Criminal Justice Cmte’s (CJC) Vote RE the Death Penalty. John claims he is an Innocent man who was Wrongfully convicted due to Florida’s Criminal Justice system Misconduct. John is concerned that Florida’s Criminal Justice system: #1. Favors the Rich people. & #2. is flawed by Judicial, Attorney & Police Misconduct, etc. Here are the findings of my investigation:
II. HB #4005: Florida Rep. Michelle Rehwinkel Vasilinda Introduced HB #4005 to Abolish the Death Penalty. HB #4005 would delete or repeal Florida's current legislation on the Death Penalty & Abolish Florida's Death Penalty. HB #4005 was voted on by the Criminal Justice SubCommittee on 2/7/13. Nine (9) HR Criminal Justice Cmte members voted "No" & four (4) members voted "Yes" on this bill with Overall, Unfavorable Action.
III. INVESTIGATION of FLORIDA HR CJC 9 NO VOTERS:
A. METHODS & MATERIALS: 12 Question Survey to FL HR CJC 9 No Voters:
*On 2/24/13, I wrote12 Questions RE the Death Penalty & emailed them to the 9 No Vote Members of this Cmte: Honorable HR Chairman Matt Gaetz, HR Dane Eagle, HR James Grant, HR Gayle Harrell, HR Charles David Hood, HR Travis Hutson, HR Dave Kerner, HR Ray Pilon & HR Charles Van Zant. I worked with Florida’s Office of Open Government to plan a reasonable deadline date for this survey of 3/20/13. I asked the 9 HR members to email me back their results. I informed these HR members I would be publishing the results of this study.
B. 12 QUESTION SURVEY for 9 NO VOTERS:
#1. NO VOTE: Please Explain to the Public why you Voted NO to the HB #4005 to Repeal Florida's Death Penalty? -- In essence you voted "for" the Death Penalty.
#2. WRONGFUL CONVICTIONS: How would you feel If you were Innocent, Wrongfully convicted of murder & sentenced to Death? How would you feel lying on the gurney being lethally injected & Executed -- If you were Innocent?
#3. CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM MISCONDUCT: In your Opinion, What percentage of Death Penalty cases involves some kind of Criminal Justice Misconduct? (Judicial, Prosecutorial, Defense Counsel, Police?) Please give your estimate to the nearest 5%: e.g. 0%, 5%, 10% ... 50% ... 100%.
#4. EXECUTIONS: How many Florida Death Penalty Executions have you attended? One (1), Two (2) Three (3) ... Ten (10) ... One Hundred (100)?
#5. CRIMINAL JUSTICE TRIALS: How many entire/full Criminal Justice Trials have each of you
attended in your life? One (1), Two (2), Three (3), ... Ten (10) ... One Hundred (100)? Please document these cases. [e.g. Smith v. Jones 2007 Murder Trial 3 Months.)
#6. DEATH ROW VISITS: How many Death Row inmates have you ever visited at Florida's Death Row prisons? One (1), Two (2), Three (3) ... Ten (10) ... One Hundred (100)?
#7. $51 MILLION DOLLARS for FLODIA'S DEATH ROW: How do you Justify spending $51 Million dollars per year on the expensive & long Death Penalty judicial process -vs- Spending this money on Health Care, Education & Children's Services? [www.deathpenaltyinfor.org.]
#8. Please comment on the following 2 articles I have written RE Florida's Death Penalty:
A. Letter to Florida Governor Rick Scott: 10 Reasons to Abolish the Death Penalty.
www.countercurrents.org/hamer131212.htm.
B. Letter to Florida Governor Scott: Please Stop your Execution Order...
www.prlog.org/12066536-letter-to-florida-governor-scott-please-sto...
#9. Do you believe Florida's Death Penalty is: A. Cruel, Irrational & Expensive or B. that it is a good
Hard,Tough on Crime way to Punish people for crimes?
#10. Do you believe in: A. The Retributive (Punishment) ethic? or B. in Restorative Justice? -- that Heals the Victims, Offenders & Society.
#11. Is Florida's Death Penalty really a Deterrent to Crime? Please provide Proof.
#12. Is it shameful that Florida leads the Nation in New Death Penalty cases? [www2.tbo.com.] & Florida leads the Nation in Wrongful convictions? [www.nationalmemo.com.]
*Thank you for your time answering this Death Penalty Survey RE HB #4005.
IV. RESULTS: NONE of the FL HR Criminal Justice Cmte. 9 No Vote members responded to the 12 Questions I asked them about why they voted "No" to HB #4005 & voted "for" the Death Penalty.
V. CONCLUSION: It is sad that the FL HR CJC No Voters did Not respond to this survey RE Florida's Death Penalty.
A. QUESTIONS: Do the FL HR CJC 9 No Voters: #1. Not receive or answer their emails? #2. Are these HR members apathetic about Florida's Criminal Justice issues or Florida citizen's concerns? #3. Are these HR Members ashamed to admit that they "like" the Death Penalty? #4. Are these HR members being threatened to abide by the Republican Hard on Crime "Kill" ethic?
B. JOHN is being DENIED his CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT in FLORIDA'S COURTS: NO
ACCOUNTABILITY & FAILURE OF OVERSIGHT for FLORIDA'S CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: I also emailed Florida’s HR Criminal Justice Cmte a paper I wrote about “John” & his Wrongful conviction. I asked the 9 HR Criminal Justice Cmte No Voters including Chairman Gaetz to review this article including John’s claims of failure of Florida’s Courts to give John his Constitutional right to an Evidentiary Hearing. Again, None of the 9 No voters responded to my request for their opinions. [Paper: Florida Convicts an Innocent Man of Murder & Sentences him to Death. by Mary Hamer MD. 3/7/13.] Overall, There is No Accountability & a Failure of Oversight of Florida's Criminal Justice system. Res Ipsa Loquitur.
C. FLORIDA'S JUSTICE? It is tragic that John who sits on Florida's Death Row
& who claims that he is Innocent & Wrongfully convicted -- faces being Executed by Florida's Governor Rick Scott, the FL HR Criminal Justice Cmte including Chairman Gaetz & Florida's flawed Criminal Justice system. Is there Justice in America? Or is it just for the Rich people? Res Ipsa Loquitur.
Thank you. Respectfully, Mary Hamer MD. Florida, a Death Penalty state.
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