Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

News Service Of FloridaJuly 2, 2018

The Florida Supreme Court on Friday allowed 10 members of the 1998 state Constitution Revision Commission to file a brief in a legal battle about whether Florida is meeting its constitutional duty to provide a high-quality system of public schools. Describing themselves as the “framers” of a 1998 ballot measure that put the duty in […]

Mitch PerryJune 28, 2017

When death penalty trials finally resume in Florida—including retrials of overturned old cases—the system will be pure “chaos,” a retired Florida Supreme Court justice said Tuesday. Gerald Kogan, who served on the court 1987-98, was one of several speakers who participated in a phone briefing organized by the nonpartisan Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty. […]

Scott PowersApril 21, 2017

A group of more than 40 former Florida Supreme Court justices, and judges, prosecutors and legal officials from throughout the country are filing an amicus brief supporting Orlando’s State Attorney Aramis Ayala in her power-struggle with Gov. Rick Scott, contending that the issues in their court battles are of national importance. “By seeking to remove […]

Martin DyckmanApril 18, 2017

He would put it off as long as he could, aides said, and trembled when he finally had to sign a black-bordered death warrant. Despite his profound opposition to capital punishment, LeRoy Collins sent 29 men to their doom during his six years as Florida’s governor. He was in anguish each time. To some people, […]

Scott PowersMarch 20, 2017

More than 100 current or former judges, prosecutors, law professors and other legal scholars — including two former Florida Supreme Court chief justices — have signed a letter to Gov. Rick Scott expressing their support Orlando State Attorney Aramis Ayala‘s right to decide not to pursue death penalty cases and urging the governor to back […]

Martin DyckmanJanuary 13, 2016

Nothing else that government does costs as much as the death penalty in order to accomplish so little. This ought to concern even the most conservative legislators as they cope with the U.S. Supreme Court’s 8-1 decision Tuesday, in Hurst v. Florida, that the state’s capital sentencing process is unconstitutional. The choice now is to […]

Martin DyckmanJanuary 14, 2016

Nothing else that government does costs as much as the death penalty in order to accomplish so little. That ought to concern even the most conservative legislators as they cope with the U.S. Supreme Court’s 8-1 decision Tuesday, in Hurst v. Florida, that the state’s capital sentencing process is unconstitutional. The choice now is to […]

Martin DyckmanJuly 20, 2015

None of the nine U.S. Supreme Court justices has ever had the gut-wrenching experience of looking another person in the face to say, “I sentence you to die.” They have passed on or passed up hundreds of capital appeals, but that’s far removed from having to impose a death sentence at trial. “It’s hard to […]

Associated PressMay 4, 2016

With the fate of hundreds of Florida death row inmates in limbo, a group of former top judges and legal officials called on the state Supreme Court to impose life sentences on nearly 400 people now awaiting execution. The group, which includes three former state Supreme Court justices and two former presidents of the American […]

Martin DyckmanJuly 20, 2015

None of the nine U.S. Supreme Court justices has ever had the gut-wrenching experience of looking another person in the face to say, “I sentence you to die.” They have passed on or passed up hundreds of capital appeals, but that’s far removed from having to impose a death sentence at trial. “It’s hard to […]