1-26-2020

Dear Reader,
Hey, I hope you're doing well.

There's been a ruling in the FSC (Florida Supreme Court) that is a major setback for those of us on Florida death row.

The FSC restored a death sentence last week without giving him a new penalty trial. His death sentence was already vacated because he was sentenced to death by a non-unanimous jury, which both the FSC and USSC (Untied States Supreme Court) rules was unconstitutional. So, everyone on Florida's death row who was sentenced to death by anything other than a 12-0 jury vote has had their death sentenced overturned, me included.

Going back to 2002. About 157 cases.

The fella's case they just ruled on—he was supposed to go back in front of a jury and it would be them who would decide if he was resentenced to death or given a life sentenced. But the FSC sentenced him back to death. No one understands why just yet. But in the months to come, they'll explain why they did this.

For now, it looks like an extreme miscarriage of justice. They've handed down a ruling that completely goes against what they themselves previously ruled on. They are ignoring that he has the right to a new sentencing trial. The assumption is they are going to try to restore the old sentencing process—majority rules.

This is a lot of effort they are applying to a cause that the majority of America does not support.

From my point of view, it feels like they have a lust for homicide. Prosecutors who constantly seek death and those who dishonor their moral integrity by using deceptive tactics to convict men and women, and sentence them to death just because they don't like them, their skin color or their nationality, their gender or sexual preference, their lifestyle—it's prejudice. And they are the ones killing us.

If the FSC succeeds, I will be on my last leg of my appeal and would be eligible for execution in only a few years... We'll see what happens.

Until next time.

Yours truly,
Doug