Those concerns go to what Richard Dieter of the Death Penalty Center in Washington D.C. calls the root of the problem, “the mistakes made by poor representation on trial or on appeal.”
According to a CNN report, Senate President Don Gaetz (father of Matt) has said that his son’s bill will go to Scott’s desk on June 3. The governor has 15 days to sign or veto after that.
FSU’s Schlakman thinks the bill will be subjected to serious judicial review, in that it takes away part of the governor of Florida’s inherent clemency authority. “Only the governor can determine when a clemency review is complete,” he says, arguing that the Legislature has now attempted to take that right away with the Gaetz bill.
Of the more than 400 prisoners currently on death row in Florida, there are reportedly 100 whose capital cases are ready for consideration for clemency, according to FSU’s Mark Schlakman, meaning they have already gone through the court system — undermining the argument that the judicial branch is a part of the problem in the long delays.
Meanwhile, Seth Penalver moves on, finding jobs wherever he can through friends. He’s filled out applications, but says when an employer does a Google search, “it just lights up like a Christmas tree.” Florida does have a law to compensate death row inmates improperly imprisoned, but only for those with no prior arrests. Penalver has two priors, which means he won’t be getting a penny from the state.
Or 10 minutes with the governor.
