Legally Pink Law wanted to share the news that legislation is expected to be signed by Governor Rick Scott to speed up executions. Jacksonville.com reported that, “legislation expected to be signed by the governor that will speed up executions had angered opponents of capital punishment while drawing praise from people who say it will help the families of victims.”
The death penalty is a highly debatable subject that people may never agree upon. Death Penalty Information Center explains the more recent history of the Death Penalty, “although some states abolished the death penalty in the mid-Nineteenth Century, it was actually the first half of the Twentieth Century that marked the beginning of the “Progressive Period” of reform in the United States. From 1907 to 1917, six states completely outlawed the death penalty and three limited it to the rarely committed crimes of treason and first degree murder of a law enforcement official.”
The DPIC explains that, “from the 1920s to the 1940s, there was a resurgence in the use of the death penalty. There were more executions in the 1930s than in any other decade in American history, an average of 167 per year.” While the Death Penalty isn’t used nearly as much as it was in the 1930s, there are still states that choose to use capital punishment.
Leonard Pitts, Jr. is a columnist for The Miami Herald; however, the following information is from his news article that was picked up by the Chicago Tribune regarding Governor Scott’s decision on the legislation discussed previously. Pitts writes that, “There are 404 people awaiting execution in Florida. We learn from a report by my colleague, Mary Ellen Klas, that 155 of them have been there longer than 20 years, and 10 have been there longer than 35 years. The average wait: 13 years.”
Pitts explains that, “The act would require the governor to sign a death warrant within 30 days after a review by the state Supreme Court. Execution would have to take place within 180 days.” This piece of legislation is extremely controversial and it will be interesting to see how it plays out. If you need a Personal Injury Attorney in Orlando, Florida then please give Legally Pink Law a call today to schedule a consultation.