Innocence panel gets push

Haridopolos seeks review of wrong verdicts

BY JOHN A. TORRES
FLORIDA TODAY

Sen. Mike Haridopolos has asked the Florida Supreme Court to form a panel to examine why people have been sent to state prison for crimes they didn't commit.

The "Innocence Commission" also would help protect more innocent people from going to jail, said the Merritt Island Republican, who in 2011 will take over as president of the Florida Senate.

The plea came in the form of a letter to Chief Justice Peggy Quince.

"Our goal should be justice," Haridopolos said. "I'm known as being tough on crime, but let's make sure the right guy is behind bars."

He said the letter is a result of his research on a special bill for William Dillon, a Satellite Beach man who spent 27 years in prison before DNA ultimately excluded him from key evidence.

Dillon, sentenced to life in prison for murder in 1981, hopes Florida lawmakers will pass the bill this spring to compensate him.

"I think this is a start in the right direction, a long time coming," Dillon said, reacting to Haridopolos' request. "There is a great need for this commission. I will help him in anyway I can. It's time to get it rolling."

Haridopolos said the commission would save the state money by weeding out frivolous lawsuits and keeping guilty inmates from "abusing the system."

It also would eliminate the need for special compensation bills in the future because it would help limit wrongful incarcerations.

Haridopolos said the commission idea had been "floating around" for a couple of years. He said Florida could use a similar project in North Carolina as a model.

"Their hard work has provided an example of how other states should react when faced with a plethora of wrongful incarcerations," he wrote.

Reached in Tallahassee Thursday, Haridopolos said the time is ripe for this to happen.

"The criminal justice system is not perfect," he said. "We need to have something established like this. It will make sure that when a person is sentenced to a life sentence, or even to the death penalty, that they are truly the guilty one."

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In 2005, Haridopolos successfully sponsored a compensation bill for Wilton Dedge, a Port St. John man who spent more than 20 years in prison for rape before DNA evidence proved his innocence.

"We need to take a thorough look at why we are in a situation where Floridians were wrongfully incarcerated for decades in certain cases, and we need a plan to prevent this from happening in the future," Haridopolos wrote in the letter to the court.

Seth Miller, executive director of the Innocence Project of Florida – the nonprofit group instrumental in both Dillon and Dedge's release applauded Haridopolos' efforts.

Miller said understanding why the innocent are being convicted in Florida courts will allow the state to update practices and "prevent such tragedies in the future."

Additional Facts
What's next
A bill supporting compensation for wrongful incarceration for William Dillon is expected to go before Florida lawmakers in March.

Death penalty decision is costly on many levels

Grodin case shows complexity of issue

By Sam Cook
scook@news-press.com

http://www.news-press.com/watchdog">Get the latest dispatches from our investigative reporters by going to the Watchdog page.

Note: Today is the first of two columns looking at the death penalty cases of Lee County murderers Justin Grodin, Fred Cooper and Kemar Johnston.

Ray LeGrande has been police officer, prosecutor and defense attorney.

If the astute Fort Myers lawyer did a stretch in prison, the Oklahoma native would cover all of his bases.

“Only as a visitor,” says LeGrande, 73, of his time spent behind bars. “Never overnight.”

A lawyer for 49 years, including the last 28 practicing with wife Barbara in Fort Myers, LeGrande is an expert on capital punishment.

“The death penalty is on the way out,” LeGrande says. “It’s too expensive. It costs $51 million more than a life sentence.”

Death to the death penalty? Say it isn’t so.

“I’ve got all the respect in the world for Ray (LeGrande),” says Randy McGruther, chief assistant state attorney. “I’m not sure the death penalty is on the way out.

“Like a lot of things involving punishment, the pendulum swings back and forth.”

Much like a noose.

If Florida punished first-degree murderers with life in prison without parole, it would save $51 million annually, according to Palm Beach Post research.

Since reinstating the death penalty in 1976, the state has carried out 44 executions at a cost of about $24 million per termination.

Excluding Texas, where executions are as regular as vitamins, what other state bucks the nationwide trend like Florida?

• Nationally, the number of prisoners under death sentences decreased for the eighth consecutive year in 2008, says the Bureau of Justice Statistics.

• In Florida, however, the number of prisoners on death row increased six of the past eight years, says the Department of Corrections.

• Locally, the state attorney’s office secured convictions against high-profile murderers Justin Grodin, Fred Cooper and Kemar Johnston in the past 12 months, but the trio dodged death with sentences of life in prison.

“No, I can’t say that bothers me,” says McGruther about the state going 0-for-3 in capital punishment cases. “Justice has been served. That is our job: to go out and get the conviction.”

McGruther, who prosecuted Cooper, says the state presents its case for the death penalty, but the rest is up to jury and judge.

Of the capital cases, the most maddening was Grodin’s, a North Fort Myers man with a history of child abuse. It took nine years to put him away.

The body of Grodin’s 11-month-old stepdaughter Gretchen was found in the woods off Kenwood Lane in south Fort Myers on May 2, 2000.

Grodin was indicted in November 2000 and charged with first-degree murder in January 2001.

Lee Circuit Judge Lynn Gerald Jr. ruled Grodin incompetent for trial in 2005, but Judge Ed Volz Jr. ruled him competent in 2007, 2008 and 2009.

Grodin, 36, was convicted June 17 last year and sentenced to life in prison Sept. 18.

He is incarcerated at Lake Correctional Institution in Clermont, 30 miles west of Orlando.

LeGrande and John Mills were his co-counsel. Grodin refused to talk to them about his case, a further impediment.

Mills’ failure to communicate with Grodin after 25 to 30 attempts inspired this characterization:

“We’re basically dealing with a pet rock.”

With these factors going against the attorneys, why didn’t Grodin, the most loathed man in Lee County, get death?

“Grodin, obviously, did not have premeditation,” LeGrande says.

“Gretchen’s death was accidental or happened as a matter of force. Grodin also had mental difficulties.”

LeGrande says the judge, who overrode a 10-2 recommendation by jurors for execution, was the key.

“Judge Volz saw much more into this case than all of us did,” he says. “He had the courage to accurately find facts and accurately apply the law.”

LeGrande says Grodin’s case was not much different than child-abuse deaths today — with one major exception.

“The unusual thing was burying the body,” he says. “If Justin and Mary simply called and reported the death, it might have been classified as an accident.”

He says Medical Examiner Dr. Rebecca Hamilton determined Gretchen’s death could have been a result of her being dropped.

“But finding a child’s body buried in a residential area is a big story,” LeGrande says. “Her foot was sticking out of the ground and being chewed on by animals.”

Grodin’s doing.

An image that makes his crime unforgettable.

Wednesday, Assistant Deputy Public Defender Bea Taquechel and defense attorney David Brener discuss the cases of Fred Cooper and Kemar Johnston.

Fla. justices order new trial in Ft. Pierce murder

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- The Florida Supreme Court has ordered a new trial for a death row inmate convicted of fatally shooting and robbing an auto repair shop owner in Fort Pierce.

The 5-2 unsigned opinion Thursday reversed the conviction of Alwin C. Tumblin because a St. Lucie County sheriff's deputy told the jury he believed the testimony of a co-defendant who said Tumblin pulled the trigger.

In dissent, Justice Charles Canady wrote that other evidence was sufficient to overcome bias caused by the deputy's testimony. Justice Ricky Polston joined in the dissent.

Tumblin was charged in the May 2004 murder of Jimmy Johns at his shop. Co-defendant Anthony Mayes was the only eyewitness. He got a plea deal and 20-year prison term.

Innocence Commission is Cooking with Gas

Seth — February 14, 2010 @ 9:00 AM

As you can see from our Press Release below, IPF’s efforts to create an Actual Innocence Commission in Florida have just been buoyed by one of, if not the most conservative members of the Florida Senate, Mike Haridopolos (R-Brevard). It is not insiginificant that he also happens to be the next President of the Florida Senate. He sent a letter this week to Chief Justice fo the Florida Supreme Court, Peggy Quince, supporting and offering legislative assistance in the creation of the Innocence Commission, the creation of which is being considered currently being considered by the court.

The Commission would not determine claims of innocence, which is the primary function of IPF, prosecutors and courts in innocence-based litigation. However, it would look at those cases where innocence has been determined and find out why those wrongful convictions occurred so it can make recommendations for policy reforms that will prevent wrongful convictions going forward.

Senator Haridopolos has cut his teeth on wrongful conviction issues by being the Senate sponsor on claims bills to compensate Florida DNA exoneress Wilton Dedge and, now, Bill Dillon. John Torres from Florida Today reports:

“Our goal should be justice,” Haridopolos said. “I’m known as being tough on crime, but let’s make sure the right guy is behind bars.” He said the letter is a result of his research on a special bill for William Dillon, a Satellite Beach man who spent 27 years in prison before DNA ultimately excluded him from key evidence.Haridopolos said the commission would save the state money by weeding out frivolous lawsuits and keeping guilty inmates from “abusing the system.” It also would eliminate the need for special compensation bills in the future because it would help limit wrongful incarcerations.

Haridopolos said the commission idea had been “floating around” for a couple of years. He said Florida could use a similar project in North Carolina as a model. “Their hard work has provided an example of how other states should react when faced with a plethora of wrongful incarcerations,” he wrote.

Reached in Tallahassee Thursday, Haridopolos said the time is ripe for this to happen. “The criminal justice system is not perfect,” he said. “We need to have something established like this. It will make sure that when a person is sentenced to a life sentence, or even to the death penalty, that they are truly the guilty one.”

This is just more proof that the “Innocence” issue must not be an issue where lines are drawn by party affiliation or political persuasion. With the support of the legislature and the recent unanimous support of the Florida Bar Board of Governors, the chances of creating this Innocence Commission have dramatically improved.

Press Release: Innocent Man Accepts Compensation For Wrongful Incarceration

Seth — February 15, 2010 @ 1:00 PM

Innocent Man Accepts Compensation For Wrongful Incarceration

Leroy McGee Holds Press Conference; Vows to Fight for Reform of State Compensation Law

Ft. Lauderdale, Florida—On Tuesday February 16, 2010, Leroy McGee will hold a press conference to accept $179,000 in compensation from the State of Florida for his wrongful conviction for a 1990 robbery after refusing to sign the acceptance paperwork over disagreements with unfair provisions in the compensation law. He spent three years and seven months wrongfully incarcerated until Judge Paul Backman ruled McGee had not committed the robbery and that his defense attorney at trial gave the “absolutely the worst performance in the courtroom I’ve ever seen.” Mr. McGee is Florida’s first innocent individual to be eligible and receive compensation under the Victims of Wrongful Incarceration Compensation Act.

Leroy McGee was convicted in 1991 for an armed robbery he did not commit. During his incarceration, he continuously proclaimed his innocence. He pleaded with authorities and wrote numerous letters to judges. Finally, a special attorney, Mark Wrubel, was appointed to review his case. After several court filings, Judge Paul Backman ordered his conviction vacated. Judge Backman determined that Mr. McGee had simply been railroaded by an incompetent defense attorney who overlooked, or just failed to introduce, clear evidence of Mr. McGee’s innocence—Mr. McGee did not match the initial descriptions of the robbery suspect, none of the fingerprints found at the scene matched his, his car was inoperable at the time of the crime, and his employee time card showed that he was, in fact, at work when the armed robbery took place.

As part of this claim process Mr. McGee had to establish also that he has never been guilty of committing any crime. And this has to be certified by the FBI.

“I delayed taking this compensation to let the public know that there are a number of ways to improve the wrongful incarceration compensation statute. With the economy like it is, it was time to accept the compensation and continue this fight,” said Mr. McGee.

Specifically, the Victims of Wrongful Incarceration Compensation Act does not allow someone who has been convicted of a felony prior to or during his wrongful incarceration to seek compensation. Thus, a very minor felony can trigger this “Clean Hands” provision to prevent someone from being compensated for a subsequent wrongful incarceration. Additionally, the law does not allow for attorneys fees for the legal work provided to obtain the compensation. Because the law will require in some instances a mini-trial where the innocent individual will again have to prove their innocence, it may shut out a financially poor exoneree from the compensation process.

“Mr. McGee has been absolutely courageous in foregoing this compensation for the last eight months so that he could shed light on some of the problems with the compensation statute,” said David Comras, McGee’s pro bono attorney.

After Mr. McGee, with the help of his attorney, had fulfilled all of the legal and evidentiary requirements imposed by Florida’s Victims of Wrongful Incarceration Compensation Act, the Attorney Generals Office offered to pay Mr. McGee in the form of an annuity that is worth approximately $179,000, and which is to be paid to him over a ten year plus period. Apparently, there is no provision in the Act to allow for his substantial costs and legal fees incurred obtaining this compensation, despite the complex legal and heavy evidentiary burdens he had to overcome. “If you are out of prison, you are going to be struggling out there, trying to get a job,” McGee said. “Who has the money to pay lawyers up front? Any decision I make now (the State) will bring up to the rest of the guys (who apply).”

“Most exonerees come out of prison with limited resources or no resources at all. It is one of the reasons why they were convicted in the first place and were unable to effectively prove their innocence for so many years. Without providing a modest fee in the statute to allow them to hire a compensation attorney, it may prevent them from claiming compensation they deserve simply because they are poor and can’t afford an attorney,” said Seth Miller, Executive Director of the Innocence Project of Florida.

“Even though Mr. McGee didn’t have to pay for my help to get his compensation, he is standing up for those exonerees who can’t afford an attorney or can’t find a free one in these tough economic times,” Comras continued. “Few, if any, of those wrongfully incarcerated would be willing or able to bear such costs, risks and complications on their own account. And even when successful, they would remain substantially out of pocket for a great number of years concerning these costs,” Comras wrote the State in a Sept. 15, 2009 letter.

While there is a bill filed (SB 654) in the Florida Senate to remove the clean hands provision from the compensation law, the bill does not include a modest attorney fees provision. The bill also does not have a sponsor in the Florida House of Representatives. Without a companion bill in the House, it is unlikely that any positive changes will be made to the law this year. Members of the House have until Tuesday March, 2, 2010, the first day of the legislative session, to file bills.

Please join Mr. McGee and his attorney David Comras for a press conference to announce the acceptance of his compensation for wrongful incarceration and explain Mr. McGee’s strong stance against the shortcomings in the Victims of Wrongful Incarceration Compensation Act. The event will be held at 2:00 PM at the Broward County Public Defender’s Office located at the main courthouse — 3rd Floor, North Wing, 201 SE 6th Street, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301.


The Innocence Project of Florida (IPF) is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to finding and freeing innocent people in Florida prisons. IPF has worked on exoneree compensation issues for five years. IPF’s website is www.FloridaInnocence.org.

# # #

Agudah expresses ‘anguish’ after Grossman execution

http://jta.org/news/article/2010/02/16/1010669/aguda-expresses-anguish-after-grossman-execution

Agudah expresses ‘anguish’ after Grossman execution

By Ron Kampeas · February 16, 2010

WASHINGTON (JTA) -- Agudath Israel of America expressed "deep anguish" after the execution in Florida of a murderer whose case drew Orthodox pleas for clemency.

Martin Grossman, 45, died at 6:17 p.m. Eastern time in Starke, Fla., on Tuesday by lethal injection, the Tampa Tribune reported. His last words were an expression of "heartfelt remorse" to the family of his victim, Peggy Park, an acceptance of responsibility for the crime and the Shema prayer.

"The tragic news out of Florida leaves us feeling deep anguish and sorrow," Rabbi David Zwiebel, Agudath Israel of America's executive vice president, said in a statement. "Mr. Grossman's execution has hit our community very hard. He was a fellow Jew and so we saw him as a brother."

An array of Orthodox Jewish organizations had pleaded to no avail with Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, who is in a tough primary fight for the Republication nomination in this year's U.S. Senate election. The Vatican also pleaded on Grossman's behalf after a request from Orthodox Jews.

"Countless members of our community had telephoned, e-mailed and faxed the governor's office pleading that Mr. Grossman's sentence be commuted to life in prison," Zwiebel said. "Unfortunately, our hopes were dashed."

Grossman killed Park, a state wildlife officer, on Dec. 13, 1984. Grossman was 19 when Park tried to arrest him for shooting a stolen gun in an undeveloped area. He and a companion beat Park before shooting her with her own gun. At the time Grossman was on probation for grand theft and breaking and entering.

Grossman's intercessors argued that the crime was not premeditated, that he had expressed remorse and that he had diminished mental capacity. The U.S. Supreme Court turned away their final appeal on Tuesday.

Present at the execution were Park's brother, sister and mother. Grossman spent his final day with his rabbi, an aunt and two friends.

Click to login and write a letter to the editor or register for a new account.

Ron Kampeas is JTA's Washington bureau chief.

The last goodbye

JUST IN: Martin Grossman Executed Moments A

JUST IN: Martin Grossman Executed Moments Ago

http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/General+News/48603/JUST+IN:+Martin+Grossman+Executed+Moments+Ago.html

February 16, 2010

YWN regrets to inform our readership that Michoel Yechiel ben Miriam Sorah, Martin Grossman (a bal Teshuva who put on tefillin and davened 3 times a day), was R”L executed by lethal injection just moments ago by at Florida State Prison.

A source at the Florida State Prison tells YWN that a Chabad Shliach was with Martin Grossman just prior to his execution, and recited Viduy and other Tefillos with him.

He was convicted of first-degree murder in the death of 26-year-old Margaret “Peggy” Park, who was killed on Dec. 13, 1984.

Tens of thousand of Religious Jews had signed petitions, close to 10,000 phone calls were recorded at the Governors Office, thousands of emails were sent, and Tehiilim gatherings were held, all begging Florida Governor Charlie Crist for a 60 day stay of execution for Martin Grossman.

Sadly, the Governor refused to grant even a short meeting to the leaders of major Jewish organizations who were heavily involved in the issue (to hear their plea):

Rabbi Pesach Lerner- Young Israel
Rabbi David Zwiebel- Agudath Israel
Rabbi Steven Weil- OU
Rabbi Dovid Niederman- UJO (Satmar)
Rabbi Moshe Visel- UJCare (Satmar)
Rabbi Basil Herring- RCA
Rabbi Aaron Lipskar- Aleph Institute

Governor Crist even ignored a call for mercy by the Pope……

Arrangements are currently underway to have the body released so a proper Jewish burial can be given to him.

FURTHER DETAILS TO FOLLOW.

(Dov Gordon – YWN)

Florida kills

With my deepest gratitude and love

Aisav Ben Yakov Leib My friends,

It looks as if we have done all we can possibly do and that Holy One has other plans for Martin. We came together over such an amazing short period of time to make short work of a monumental task. However, in the end, we could not avert the unspeakable.

Thank you all, for your vigilance, hard work and your s...upport. It has been a marvel to watch so many come forward for one single life.

My last request is for you take a moment this evening and pause for a moment of silence and reflection. I know Martin would want you to think about how you could serve the Creator and humanity. So please, if you can, put your life on pause for a moment, for Martin.
It has been an honor working with you all. God bless you all!

With my deepest gratitude and love,
Aisav ben Yakov Leib

Martin - we still love you.

Gov Crist Responds To Emails About Grossman – 30 Minutes Before Execution

http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/General+News/48607/Gov+Crist+Responds+To+Emails+About+Grossman+-+30+Minutes+Before+Execution.html

Gov Crist Responds To Emails About Grossman – 30 Minutes Before Execution

February 16, 2010

5:30PM EST: Thousands of people have been emailing Florida Governor Crist about Martin Grossman for the past week. A response has just been emailed out by the Governor – just 30 minutes before the scheduled execution. YWN has received hundreds of emails from readers who have just received the response posted below:

Thank you for contacting me and sharing your concerns about the execution of Martin Grossman.

On December 13, 1984, Mr. Grossman violated the terms of his probation by leaving Pasco County and having a stolen firearm in his possession. In a routine stop, Florida Fish and Wildlife Officer Margaret Park found the weapon. When she reached for the radio in her patrol car to report him, Mr. Grossman attacked her with her own large flashlight, beating her over the head and shoulders 20 to 30 times. When Officer Park tried to fight back, Mr. Grossman took her .357 Magnum revolver and shot her in the back of the head, killing her.

Mr. Grossman took several carefully planned steps to cover up this horrible crime. The weapon was buried, and Mr. Grossman attempted to burn his clothes and shoes, which were later disposed of in a nearby lake. The following day, Mr. Grossman thoroughly cleaned the van and changed its tires to mislead law enforcement.

Officer Park’s autopsy revealed lacerations on top of her head, hemorrhaging inside the scalp and extensive fracturing of the skull. All of these injuries resulted from Mr. Grossman’s attack. The facts of this crime clearly meet the definition of heinous, atrocious and cruel, and his actions afterward demonstrate his well-reasoned attempts to cover it up.

The courts have fully reviewed Mr. Grossman’s legal claims, and his conviction and sentence have been affirmed by both the Florida Supreme Court and the United States Supreme Court. Based on the facts and exhaustion of legal proceedings, and in accordance with Florida law, I signed his death warrant on January 12, 2010.

Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.

Charlie.Crist@eog.myflorida.com Charlie.Crist@eog.myflorida.com>
Sent: Tue, February 16, 2010 5:12:12 PM
Subject: A Message from Governor Charlie Crist regarding Martin Grossman

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

SHAME ON GOVERNOR CRIST!

SHAME ON GOVERNOR CRIST!

32714 signatures for Florida to save Martin`s life

Signatures on the petition are increasing every minute.

32714 persons have now signed to save the life of Martin today.

Keep on signing the petition

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/petition/584394380

Dershowitz to address prayer service

Dershowitz to address prayer service

Alan Dershowitz will attend and address a mass prayer ceremony for death row inmate Martin Grossman whose execution is scheduled for 6pm, today. Dershowitz, the 70-year-old word renowned professor of law, humanitarian, civil-rights activist and strong supporter of Israel's right to exist and defend itself, has expressed his displeasure at the state's decision to execute Grossman.

Chabad Info and Matzav

2 Adar 5770 (16.02.2010)

The public is invited to a prayer gathering at 11 a.m. today in Surfside, Miami Beach, in opposition to scheduled execution of Florida Death Row inmate Martin Grossman. Attorney and Harvard professor Alan Dershowitz is the keynote speaker. The event will be held at The Shul of Bal Harbour synagogue, located at 9540 Collins Avenue. Dershowitz has explained his opposition to the immediate execution because it was Grossman's sole offense and he has since been reported to have changed. Moreover, his actions then were a result of his mental state, perhaps also the influence of substance abuse. Therefore, he asserts, Grossman should be given time to prove his case and perhaps not be executed altogether.

Grossman’s execution is scheduled for 6 p.m. today.

Leading Jewish organizations are calling upon Florida Gov. Charlie Crist to delay for 60 days the death warrant he signed for Grossman so his supporters can marshal existing evidence and present his case for clemency.

The prayer gathering is part of an extensive effort that to date has garnered more than 25,000 signatures in opposition to Grossman’s execution.

To learn more and sign the petition, visit www.thepetitionsite.com/2/save-martin-grossman.

30446 signatures on the petition to save Martin Grossman

Florida will find 30446 signatures on the petition to save Martin Grossman this minute.

Please go here and sign now and spread the petition to the rest of Florida.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/petition/584394380

Pope calls for mercy for killer Martin Grossman as execution nears

By Jamal Thalji, Times Staff Writer
Posted: Feb 16, 2010 10:33 AM

http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/crime/pope-calls-for-mercy-for-killer-martin-grossman-as-execution-nears/1073587

STARKE — The Vatican is calling for mercy for a man scheduled to be executed Tuesday evening for killing a young Florida wildlife officer 25 years ago.

But even the pope doesn't argue that Martin Edward Grossman is innocent.

Grossman, 45, who shot and killed Margaret "Peggy'' Park on Dec. 13, 1984, "has repented and is now a changed person, having become a man of faith,'' wrote Archbishop Fernando Filoni on behalf of Pope Benedict XVI. He asked for "whatever steps may be possible to save the life of Mr. Grossman.''

Filoni wrote the letter at the behest of the chief rabbi of Israel, Shear-Yashuv Cohen.

Grossman's lawyers plan to make a last-minute appeal the U.S. Supreme Court today to stay the execution. Grossman, meanwhile, has declined the traditional last meal. Instead, he will have banana cream and peanut butter cookies, canned fruit punch and a chicken sandwich he bought himself from the inmate canteen, according to the Department of Corrections.

His last visitors will be his aunt and two friends.

Activists against the death penalty took up Grossman's case, including several Jewish organizations that pleaded for clemency, asking Gov. Charlie

Crist to commute his sentence to life in prison.

Amnesty International said it had "serious questions about the quality of his legal representation and compelling mental health evidence that was never presented to a jury."

More than 26,000 people signed an online petition asking that Grossman's life be spared. Nobel prize winner and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel also weighed in on his behalf.

Rabbis from groups including the Rabbinical Council of America, the Aleph Institute and the National Council of Young Israel wrote to Crist on Feb. 9 asking him to spare Grossman's life because he "has shown profound remorse and regret" for the officer's murder.

"He acted under the influence of drugs and alcohol. His fatal shooting of Ms. Parks was not an act of premeditation but of panic," the letter said. "He has transformed himself from a deeply troubled teenager into a gentle and simple man, a proud practitioner of his faith and a humble servant of God."

A spokesman for the governor said that by Friday night the office had received more than 9,443 e-mails and more than 7,849 phone calls about the Grossman case.

"Signing a death warrant is a responsibility that Governor Crist takes very seriously," spokesman Sterling Ivey wrote in an e-mail to the St. Petersburg Times, "and the warrant for Martin Grossman was signed after a careful review …"

Grossman would be the first inmate Florida has put to death for killing a law enforcement officer since the September 2006 execution of Clarence Hill. The Alabama man was executed at the age of 48 for ambushing two Pensacola police officers after a bank robbery on Oct. 19, 1982. He shot and killed Officer Stephen Taylor and wounded Officer Larry Bailly as they tried to arrest Hill's accomplice.

Grossman, of Pasco County, was 19 when he killed Park as she tried to arrest him and 17-year-old Thayne Nathan Taylor in what is now the Brooker Creek Preserve in Tarpon Springs.

Grossman has spent the latter half of his life in prison for the murder. He is scheduled to die at 6 p.m., the first Florida execution of 2010 and the 69th since the death penalty was restored in 1976.

Park, a Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission officer, found a stolen Luger pistol in the van Grossman and Taylor were in and tried to report it.

But Grossman, fearing that the offense would violate his probation and land him back in prison, attacked the officer with her own flashlight as she used her radio.

"I'm hit," Park yelled over the radio.

Grossman called for Taylor to help him subdue the officer. Park managed to draw her .357 Magnum and fire off a wild shot inside her patrol vehicle. Then she kicked Taylor in the groin.

But Grossman, 6 feet 4 and 225 pounds, overpowered the 5-foot-5, 115-pound officer. He broke her fingers wrenching the .357 away from Park and shot her in the back of the head.

The two men escaped but were arrested 11 days later. Grossman was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death a year to the day of the murder. Taylor was convicted of third-degree murder and served two years of his seven-year sentence.

Park grew up in Columbus, Ohio, and quickly developed an affinity for the outdoors. She camped with park rangers in Ontario and especially enjoyed the sounds of wolves howling.

She graduated from Ohio State University and came to Florida to become a wildlife officer. She quickly took to the law enforcement side of her new post, though it often required her to patrol alone.

"I decided when I was 12 that I wanted to be a park ranger," she told the St. Petersburg Times in an interview before her death. "It will never be a job."

After her service, Park's ashes were scattered by helicopter over the eagles' nests she helped care for as a wildlife officer.

In 2007, a stone marker was placed in John Chesnut Park in Palm Harbor to honor "an officer fallen in the cause of conservation."

Park's brother, sister and mother, Peggy, 79, planned to attend the execution. The mother came from Ohio despite a cardiologist's order not to travel.

Urgent Update From The Committee To Save Martin Grossman

Urgent Update From The Committee To Save Martin Grossman

http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/General+News/48517/Urgent+Update+From+The+Committee+To+Save+Martin+Grossman.html

February 16, 2010

8:20AM EST: At 9:00AM EST this morning a team of top attorneys will make a final case for a stay of execution on behalf of Martin Grossman to the US Supreme court in Washington DC.

Please pray for their success and for Michoel Yechiel ben Miriam Sorah.

The effort to persuade Florida Governor Charlie Crist to stay the execution and grant him a new clemency hearing also continues on a variety of fronts.

Our Gedolei Yisroel have asked us to do whatever we can to help save our brother’s life.

Therefore, at this moment of ne’ilas she’arim, let us continue to let the Governor know how strongly we feel about this matter.

Please, even if you have already contacted his office, call him today 850-488-5603 to respectfully request that Martin Grossman’s life be spared.

(Note: This is a different number than the one we circulated last week; we are told that the other number, 850-488-7146, may not be operative at this time.)

Please email the governor
charlie.crist@myflorida.com

Sample letter below

Governor Crist.

My family and I respectfully request that you grant Martin Grossman a 60-Day Stay, in order for a Clemency Petition to be prepared.

You are a humanitarian and have been an excellent leader and have deftly handled difficult issues. We hope you do the right thing in Mr. Grossman’s case.

Respectfully yours,
Who will live….
Save Martin’s life

(YWN Desk – NYC)

Petition to save Martin Grossman`s life

The petition to save Martin Grossman has reached 28517 signatures this morning
and it is obvious to anyone what the people are saying.

Please continue to sign and spread the petition.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/petition/584394380

Jewish leaders urge stay of execution for 1984 murder

By Nathan Crabbe
Staff writer

Published: Monday, February 15, 2010 at 3:30 p.m.
Last Modified: Monday, February 15, 2010 at 3:30 p.m.

http://www.gainesville.com/article/20100215/ARTICLES/100219658/-1/ENTERTAINMENT?p=1&tc=pg

Jewish leaders are calling for an execution scheduled for Tuesday to be delayed, while the mother of the victim says it is long overdue.

Martin Grossman was 19 years old when he shot to death wildlife officer Margaret "Peggy" Park in Pinellas County in December 1984. More than 110 rabbis have signed a letter to Gov. Charlie Crist asking for a 60-day stay of execution for a clemency hearing, arguing that Grossman did not premeditate the crime and has been a a model prisoner.

"This should not have been a death penalty case," said Rabbi Menachem Katz, who has been Grossman's spiritual adviser in prison.

Park was 26, just three years out of college, when she found Grossman with a stolen handgun in the woods. Grossman, who was on probation, pleaded with her to let him go because he would be returned to prison. After she refused, the much larger Grossman beat her with her flashlight before taking her gun and shooting her in the back of the head.

Park's mother, also named Margaret, said the long delay between Grossman's conviction and possible execution has been difficult. The 79-year-old Ohio resident said she'll be a witness at the execution in part as a promise to her husband, who died in 2000.

"I promised my husband I would stay with this until the end," she said.

Grossman, now 45, is set to be executed by lethal injection at 6 p.m. at Florida State Prison near Starke. He would be the 69th prisoner executed since the state reinstated the death penalty in 1976 and the first in 2010. Crist signed Grossman's death warrant Jan. 12.

One death penalty opponent took issue with the timing of warrant, which came a day after a U.S. Senate straw poll in Pinellas County. Republicans in the poll favored Crist's primary opponent, former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio, in a vote seen as significant because it came in the governor's home base.

"The decision to kill Martin Grossman was 100 percent political," said Mark Elliott of of Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty.

Crist spokesman Sterling Ivey said in an e-mail that the governor’s legal team reviews criteria that include the cruelty of the crime, amount of time that the inmate has spent on death row and issues raised in appeals process before signing a death warrant.

"Signing a death warrant is a responsibility that Governor Crist takes very seriously and the warrant for Martin Grossman was signed after a careful review of the above stated criteria," he wrote.

Park said justice has been delayed long enough. The average inmate stays on Death Row for 12.5 years prior to execution, according to the Florida Department of Corrections. Park said the even longer wait for Grossman's execution has meant repeatedly reliving the pain.

"It's just like a big wave coming over you, that smacks you back down again," she said.

Her daughter had graduated from Ohio State University with a natural resources degree before moving to Florida for the job. She didn't want to sit at a desk, according to her mother, and embraced the idea of working with wildlife.

"She was well known in the community and was more than well liked -- she was beloved," said Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokesman Gary Morse, who worked with Park in hunter education courses.

Click to enlarge

Martin Grossman

Martin Grossman was 19 years old when he shot to death wildlife officer Margaret "Peggy" Park in Pinellas County in December 1984. More than 110 rabbis have signed a letter to Gov. Charlie Crist asking for a 60-day stay of execution for a clemency hearing, arguing that Grossman did not premeditate the crime and has been a a model prisoner.

"This should not have been a death penalty case," said Rabbi Menachem Katz, who has been Grossman's spiritual adviser in prison.

Park was 26, just three years out of college, when she found Grossman with a stolen handgun in the woods. Grossman, who was on probation, pleaded with her to let him go because he would be returned to prison. After she refused, the much larger Grossman beat her with her flashlight before taking her gun and shooting her in the back of the head.

Park's mother, also named Margaret, said the long delay between Grossman's conviction and possible execution has been difficult. The 79-year-old Ohio resident said she'll be a witness at the execution in part as a promise to her husband, who died in 2000.

"I promised my husband I would stay with this until the end," she said.

Grossman, now 45, is set to be executed by lethal injection at 6 p.m. at Florida State Prison near Starke. He would be the 69th prisoner executed since the state reinstated the death penalty in 1976 and the first in 2010. Crist signed Grossman's death warrant Jan. 12.

One death penalty opponent took issue with the timing of warrant, which came a day after a U.S. Senate straw poll in Pinellas County. Republicans in the poll favored Crist's primary opponent, former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio, in a vote seen as significant because it came in the governor's home base.

"The decision to kill Martin Grossman was 100 percent political," said Mark Elliott of of Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty.

Crist spokesman Sterling Ivey said in an e-mail that the governor’s legal team reviews criteria that include the cruelty of the crime, amount of time that the inmate has spent on death row and issues raised in appeals process before signing a death warrant.

"Signing a death warrant is a responsibility that Governor Crist takes very seriously and the warrant for Martin Grossman was signed after a careful review of the above stated criteria," he wrote.

Park said justice has been delayed long enough. The average inmate stays on Death Row for 12.5 years prior to execution, according to the Florida Department of Corrections. Park said the even longer wait for Grossman's execution has meant repeatedly reliving the pain.

"It's just like a big wave coming over you, that smacks you back down again," she said.

Her daughter had graduated from Ohio State University with a natural resources degree before moving to Florida for the job. She didn't want to sit at a desk, according to her mother, and embraced the idea of working with wildlife.

"She was well known in the community and was more than well liked -- she was beloved," said Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokesman Gary Morse, who worked with Park in hunter education courses.

Grossman lived in Pasco County at the time of the murder but had driven to Pinellas County, a parole violation in itself, with a 17-year-old companion As Park was using her radio to call the sheriff's office to report him, Grossman took her flashlight and hit her repeatedly on the head and shoulders, according to court records.

She managed to draw her handgun and fire a wild shot before Grossman -- who was 100 pounds heavier and a foot taller -- wrestled away the gun and shot her. Park's mother said Grossman made a choice to kill her and should have to pay the consequences.

"There is a point in time when you have to take responsibility for your actions and he did not," she said.

The rabbis' letter contends that Grossman was "drug-addicted, intellectually slow and emotionally immature youth" with an IQ of 77 and was high at the time of crime. He has since shown remorse and should be given life in prison without parole, they argued in the letter.

"If you look at all the people executed in the country in the last two years, you will not find a case resembling this case," said Katz, who directs prison outreach for the Surfside-based Aleph Institute.

The case is also different than most in attracting the attention of Jewish leaders. The Aleph Institute set up an online petition that has received more than 24,000 signatures. Holocaust survivor and human rights activist Elie Wiesel sent a letter to Crist asking him to spare Grossman's life.

Park said she'll be attending the execution with her son and daughter. She said Grossman has never apoligized to her for the killing, but she's not focused on whether he will do so before the execution.

"I do not feel any anger or hatred toward the man after this many years," she said. "I am not going to let him take away my peace of mind."

Contact Nathan Crabbe at 338-3176 or nathan.crabbe@gvillesun.com.

Call Governor Crist now to save Martin Grossman

New number for governor that is being answered and they are still counting calls 850 488 5603

BREAKING NEWS: Chief Rabbi of Israel Metzger To FL Gov: Don’t Rush To Execute Grossman!

BREAKING NEWS: Chief Rabbi of Israel Metzger To FL Gov: Don’t Rush To Execute Grossman!

http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/General+News/48454/BREAKING+NEWS:+Chief+Rabbi+of+Israel+Metzger+To+FL+Gov:+Don%27t+Rush+To+Execute+Grossman!.html

February 15, 2010

Chief Rabbi of Israel Rabbi Yonah Metzger has written a letter to Florida Governor Charlie Crist asking him for a 60 day stay of execution for Martin Grossman.

(FULL TEXT FOLLOWS ARTICLE)

Rav Metzger writes, “It has come to my attention that new evidence has surfaced in this case and changes in the law have taken place that merit consideration of clemency. I am convinced that there is sufficient cause to at least delay this execution until all evidence and legal arguments are presented.”

Grossman on death row for over 25 years is scheduled to be executed this Tuesday night 6:00PM EST.

This letter comes on the heels of a historic letter to the Florida Governor written and signed by the leaders of seven major American orthodox organizations representing hundreds of thousands of Jews, including:
Agudath Israel of America, National Council of Young Israel, Orthodox Union,, Satmar (UJO- UJC) RCA and Chabad urging the Governor to grant clemency to Mr. Grossman. A personal request by Rabbinical leaders to meet has so far been ignored by the Governor.

Leading Askonim feel that all possible efforts, both political and financial, must be brought to bear on Governor Crist. But they acknowledge that the greatest chance for success in saving Grossman’s life lies with the grass roots. “Every call, email and fax to the Governor can make the difference. Don’t wait until its too late, contact the Governor now” said a leader of the campaign to save Grossman.

The following update and message from the committee to save Martin Grossman was sent to YWN:

Less than 30 hours are all we have left to reverse this bitter decree. Yes, it is a fact that the Governor has been overwhelmed with pressure but it has not been nearly enough. Every possible avenue is being exhausted. Political and financial pressure from the top down and the bottom up is being exerted but-

WE ARE RUNNING OUT OF TIME!!!

CONTACT THE GOVERNOR – NOW!

Contact Gov. Charlie Crist:
Charlie.Crist@eog.myflorida.com ,

Or
Charlie.Crist@MyFlorida.com
Phone- (850) 488-7146
Fax -850-487-0801

Ask the Governor for a 60 day stay for martin Grossman.

Sign the petition to Governor Crist http://www.thepetitionsite.com/2/save-martin-grossman

Who will live….and who will die…..
Please pray for Martin Grossman
Michoel Yechiel ben Miriam Sorah

TEXT OF LETTER FROM RABBI METZGER:

[CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE]

The Honorable Charles Crist
Governor of Florida
U.S.A.

Dear Governor Crist:

Thank you for your steadfast support of the State of Israel and of the Jewish people!

I am respectfully writing to you in the name of the Jewish people here in Israel and around the world concerning the case of Martin Grossman.

As you no doubt are aware, the American system of jurisprudence is rooted in the Biblical and Talmudic code of law. The Biblical tradition teaches that although capital punishment is permissible; it is only permissible under very circumscribed circumstances, and only when every reasonable opportunity has been given to review new evidence and testimony.

It has come to my attention that new evidence has surfaced in this case and changes in the law have taken place that merit consideration of clemency. I am convinced that there is sufficient cause to at least delay this execution until all evidence and legal arguments are presented.

Biblical tradition, which has become the common heritage of most of the world. Is known for its pursuit of justice. But Biblical tradition also emphasizes that justice must be tempered with mercy, and justice must be scrupulously administered to avoid any possible miscarriage. This is particularly true in the case of capital punishment.

Thank you for considering my plea for a stay of execution until all of the relevant evidence and legal arguments are presented.

Sincerely,

Yona Metzger
Chief Rabbi Of Israel

(Dov Gordon – YWN)

Petition to Support a Grant of Time to Present a Petition for Commutation in the Case of Martin Grossman

http://www.martingrossman.com

Here is the letter that is being organized by Rabbi Zvi Boyarski at the Aleph Institute. Individuals and organizations who can sign on should do so by e-mailing their letter to zvi@aleph-institute.org as soon as possible.

A first use of this petition is scheduled for Monday evening (Feb. 1), but signatures may be added even after that time. Thank you for anything you can do to push this along to those who would want to assist.

Petition to Support a Grant of Time to Present a Petition for Commutation

in the Case of Martin Grossman

To: The Honorable Charles Crist, Governor, State of Florida

We write to request a 60-day stay of execution to enable a concerned community to pre­pare a clemency petition to the Executive Clemency Board of the State of Florida asking for commutation of sentence, from death to life without parole, in the case of Martin Grossman. We feel conscience-driven to do this because the Grossman case is so differ­ent from other death sentence cases that we feel you may agree with us that Martin Grossman does not deserve to die for his crime.

Martin was a troubled youth suffering from incipient paranoia, adjustment problems, lack of judgment, drug addiction, and panic attacks when, as a 19-year-old, he was startled and stopped by a park security officer, Margaret Parks, whom he killed in a hand-to-hand struggle. Although he was mentally disturbed and out of control at the time, his trial went awry because the crime fit the technical definition of “premeditated murder” for the simple reason that Martin was on probation from a youth facility (for burglary) at that time. His probation violation being a “crime,” he was considered to have killed the offi­cer while committing another crime, and thus, premeditation. This tech­nical definition made Martin eligible for the death penalty. Martin’s father was a military man who had been disabled and then died. The family was without funds for a vigorous defense. In addition, this death sentence case is different from others because:

1. Martin shot while in a state of “frenzy and panic,” and he did not plan to kill her (or anyone else) at the time.
2. Martin’s sentence was extremely disproportionate to other criminals who receive the death sentence, and was not worse than many, many other criminals who receive considerably less punishment. His co-defendant got only three years.
3. Martin has an IQ of 77, and at the time of the crime was uneducated, unsocialized, and suffered from a seizure disorder and possible organic brain dysfunction since earliest childhood. He probably misunderstood the nature of his crime and surely was not able to cooperate in his own defense to the degree needed.
4. Martin’s tragic childhood and adolescence was never adequately presented to jury, judge or appeals courts. In the sentencing phase, 30 out of 33 of the wit­nesses he wanted were not called, and the terrible result was the ultimate penalty.
5. Martin has an intact and humane conscience, and has suffered constantly from remorse and contrition for his crime. He is not a manipulative or cagey person with the ability to “fake good” – his intellectual limitations make it clear that his emotional presentation is honest and uncontrived.
6. There were many irregularities both with Martin’s trial and with the appeals and post-conviction actions. Many of the errors were admitted by one court or another but characterized as “harmless errors.” The cumulative effect of these errors, however, was to make it much harder for the unfortunate genuine fact situation to be clearly seen. That fact situation would not lead a jury, in this time and place, to conclude that Martin Grossman should be put to death.

In the event that Governor Crist will not grant that commutation outright, we the undersigned beseech the Governor to mercifully grant a 60 day stay which will allow for a comprehensive clemency petition to be assembled, presented and considered. We strongly allowing for a consideration of the issues presented are in the interest of the State of Florida in tempering justice with mercy.

Name Address Signature

The petition to save Martin Grossman

The petition to save Martin Grossman has now gained 21949 signatures.

The petition is being signed every minute of newcomers

Please go here and sign too :


http://www.thepetitionsite.com/petition/584394380

Audio on Martin Grossman case

Audio on Martin Grossman case :

http://s3.amazonaws.com/wmnf/news_story_soundclips/3121/Grossman_Final.mp3

Key Senator Expresses Support for Formation of Important Innocence Commission

From the blog Plain Error :

Key Senator Expresses Support for Formation of Important Innocence Commission

Key Senator Expresses Support for Formation of Important Innocence Commission

Senator Mike Haridopolos Sends Letter to Florida Supreme Court Pledging Legislative Assistance

Tallahassee, Florida —The Petitioners seeking the establishment of an Innocence Commission in Florida have received several signifiant indications of support in recent days. On February 3, 2010, Senator Mike Haridopolos (R-Brevard County), President designate of the Senate, sent a letter to Chief Justice Peggy Quince expressing support for the formation of an actual innocence commission in Florida that will study the known cases of innocents being wrongfully convicted and incarcerated and use the results of this study to update practices to prevent wrongful convictions in the future. Senator Haridopolos pledged, “I am confident the Florida Legislature will do all it can to assist in the creation of an Innocence Commission.”

Sen. Haridopolos’ letter follows the action by the Florida Bar Board of Governors adopting a resolution of support by unanimous vote at its last meeting. Additionally, the Petition has been joined by additional lawyers, including former Attorney General Janet Reno. In a supplemental petition, the Petitioners also brought to the attention of the court the resolution adopted by the national Conference of Chief Justices in 2005 that speaks in support of efforts such as those proposed by the petition.

For more information on the effort to create an Actual Innocence Commission in Florida please see the following:

• Petition in the Florida Supreme Court to Create the Innocence Commission
• Supplement to Petition
• Haridopolos Letter to Chief Justice Quince

The Innocence Project of Florida (IPF) is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to finding and freeing innocent people in Florida prisons.

Related posts:

1. The Florida Actual Innocence Commission This sounds like something every state should have but most states, including Florida, do absolutely nothing to study the cases...
2. FL Supreme Court Stays Execution of Paul Beasley Johnson Johnson was convicted for the 1981 murders of three individuals including a Lakeland deputy. Governor Crist recently signed Johnson’s death...
3. Illinois Supreme Court Decides Important Confession Case Bearing in mind that coerced confessions are one of the leading causes of wrongful convictions, I thought a recent case...
4. IPF Signs Onto Amicus Curiae Brief in Important U.S. Supreme Court Case Last night, an amicus curiae (friend of the court) brief was filed by the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers...
5. Great opinion piece on obtaining post-conviction DNA testing I ran across this wonderful opinion piece on the Criminal Justice blog. It says everything that needs to be said...
6. Innocence Project of Florida Asks State Attorney to Test DNA in Case of Wayne Tompkins Innocence Project of Florida Asks State Attorney to Test DNA in Case of Wayne Tompkins Serious Doubts Remain About the...

The Fight to Save Martin Continues

http://www.chabad.info/index.php?url=article_en&id=17436

The Fight to Save Martin Continues

US Supreme Court denies the stay for Martin Grossman- But….Sources inside the Governors mansion have revealed that the intense pressure and media campaign to grant Martin Grossman a sixty- day stay of execution have caught the eye of the current Governor and those that wish to succeed him.

Chabad.info Editorial Staff

30 Shvat 5770 (14.02.2010)

Because of YOUR calls, emails and faxes the clemency issue of Martin Grossman has been brought to the very top of the Governors list. The fight to save Martin continues with renewed hope.

New verified information just received indicates that members of the Florida Clemency board must now be contacted with the full force of our campaign.

The Clemency Board comprises of four people (one of them the Governor). The other three will need to sign off on anything that Mr. Crist can or would want to do, and believe it or not two of them are running for Governor!

We are pleading with all who are concerned about the life of Martin Grossman to contact ALL of the following individuals immediately.

Sources sympathetic to our cause from inside the Statehouse are urging the immediate outreach to the following individuals.

*Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum Republican candidate for Governor

(Now of the MOST important people to contact)
Main office Switchboard: 850-414-3300
Florida Toll Free: 1-866-966-7226
Fax Numbers

Capital Appeals – Tallahassee Office 850-487-0997
Civil Appeals Section – Tallahassee Office 850-488-4872
ADA Coordinator – Tallahassee Office 850-488-5106
Administrative Law – Tallahassee Office: 850-922-6425
Bill McCollum Campaign HQ:
Phone: (850) 241-1885
info@BillMcCollum.com

*Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink. Democratic candidate for Governor

Phone: 850-413-3100
Fax: 850-413-4993
Email cfo@dfs.state.fl.us
Campaign HQ:
813-374-9175
Info@AlexSinkFlorida

*Charles Branson – Commissioner of Agriculture
Phone: (850) 488 – 3022
E-mail: commissioner@doacs.state.fl.us
The Office of Executive Clemency
Toll Free: 1-800-435-8286
Phone: 850-488-2952
Fax: 850-488-0695
Email: ClemencyWeb@fpc.state.fl.us

The clock is ticking….

The above listed are the other three members of the Florida clemency board that will need to sign off on everything that Mr. Crist wants to do. Remember that the Execution Date is set for Feb. 16, 6:00 PM EST this TUESDAY! therefore get to your computers, phones, faxes, especially those living in Florida, and calmly and respectfully make your plea.

Florida residents or those who spend significant time in Florida are asked to emphasize their Florida affiliation in their calls/emails.

We continue to remind you that all letters and calls should be polite pleas to the officials to take into account Mr. Grossman’s youth and impairment at the time of the crime and his good behavior and remorse in the years since. This is a humanitarian plea to save Martin’s life.

The request should be that Mr. Grossman be permitted to serve his debt to society by serving the rest of his life in prison.

Sign the petition to Governor Cristhttp://www.thepetitionsite.com/m/sign/584394380
Quote from attorney Alan M. Dershowitz
“Even those who strongly support capital punishment would limit it to recidivists or people who ‎commit the most heinous of crimes. Martin Grossman fits neither of those categories. He does ‎not belong on death row. His crime, committed when he was a teenager, was unplanned, ‎unpremeditated and impulsive—the product of a serious mental illness, that can now be proved ‎by medical technology that was unavailable at the time of his sentencing. He has been in prison ‎for more than a quarter of a century, during which time he has been a model prisoner who has ‎shown great remorse for what he did.

All that he is seeking now is a 60 day postponement of his ‎execution, so that his supporters can martial the evidence and present his case for clemency. No ‎one should be rushed to execution while doubts remain unresolved. Justice demands that he be ‎given the 60 days to prove that he does not deserve to die at the hands of the state.” ‎

Alan M. Dershowitz

Who will live….and who will die…..
Please continue to pray for
Martin Grossman
Michoel Yechiel ben Miriam Sorah

SUNDAY NIGHT URGENT TEHILLIM TELECONFERANCE CALL FOR Michoel Yechiel ben Miriam Sora

Saturday, February 13, 2010

SUNDAY NIGHT URGENT TEHILLIM TELECONFERANCE CALL FOR Michoel Yechiel ben Miriam Sorah,

Pikuach Nefesh!
http://yaakovsinfo.blogspot.com/2010/02/sunday-night-urgent-tehillim.html

Please join us this SUNDAY,
Rosh Chodesh Adar, for

Urgent Tehilim
On a
Teleconference call

For Michoel Yechiel ben Miriam Sorah,
Martin Grossman

(A bal Teshuva who puts on tefilin and davens 3 times a day)
Scheduled to be executed R"L this coming Tuesday at 6PM
by the State of Florida as well as saying Tehilim
for other Jews held in captivity.

Call the Chazak Inspiration Line at 718-258-2008
Press 9, and then 9 to enter the conference call
At 7:00PM also It is extremely important to contact Governor Charlie Crist at Charlie.Crist@myflorida.com

Or Call 850 488-7146

Or Fax 850-487-0801

Commute the Death Sentence of Martin Grossman So That This Case Does Not Make a Mockery of Capital Punishment

Commute the Death Sentence of Martin Grossman So That This Case Does Not Make a Mockery of Capital Punishment

Go here to read a republican pro DP view :

http://mythdebunker.blogspot.com/2010/02/commute-death-sentence-of-martin.html

Help Save A Life

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Help Save A Life

http://pcjcn.blogspot.com/2010/02/help-save-life.html

From YWN

An Open Plea To The Jewish Nation: A National Call To Action

As you may know, a Jewish man is slated for execution - in Florida this coming Tuesday.

Martin Grossman was convicted of killing Margaret Parks, a Florida Wildlife Officer, in 1984, when he was 19 years old.

He did so while under the influence of drugs and alcohol, and in an act of panic, not premeditation.

He has conducted himself as a model prisoner since his incarceration some 25 years ago and has shown profound remorse and regret for his actions.

A united coalition of Jewish groups and non- Jewish groups including: Agudath Israel, Young Israel, Orthodox Union, Chabad/Lubavitch, Satmar, RCA, Aleph Institute, and many others are asking Florida Governor Charlie Crist to grant clemency to Mr. Grossman, and have also requested a meeting in person with Governor Crist to discuss the matter.

It is urgently important that the Governor hear from the grassroots as well - certainly from people who live or spend significant time in Florida, but even from non-Floridians.

His e-mail address is
Charlie.Crist@eog.myflorida.com ,
Or
Charlie.Crist@MyFlorida.com
Phone- (850) 488-7146
Fax -850-487-0801.

Letters and calls should be polite pleas to the Governor to take into account Mr. Grossman's youth and impairment at the time of the crime and his good behavior and remorse in the years since.

And the request should be that Mr. Grossman be permitted to serve his debt to society by serving the rest of his life in prison.

May we have happier occasions to demonstrate our achdus and ahavas Yisroel.

And may our action here merit us such times.

Please pray for Martin Grossman, Michoel Yechiel ben Miriam Sorah.

Rabbi Pesach Lerner- Young Israel
Rabbi David Zwiebel- Agudath Israel
Rabbi Steven Weil- OU
Rabbi Dovid Niederman- UJO
Rabbi Moshe Visel- UJ Care
Rabbi Basil Herring- RCA
Rabbi Aaron Lipskar- Aleph Institute

Sign the petition to Governor Crist http://www.thepetitionsite.com/m/sign/584394380

Quote from attorney Alan M. Dershowitz:

"Even those who strongly support capital punishment would limit it to recidivists or people who commit the most heinous of crimes. Martin Grossman fits neither of those categories. He does not belong on death row. His crime, committed when he was a teenager, was unplanned, unpremeditated and impulsive the product of a serious mental illness, that can now be proved by medical technology that was unavailable at the time of his sentencing. He has been in prison for more than a quarter of a century, during which time he has been a model prisoner who has shown great remorse for what he did. All that he is seeking now is a 60 day postponement of his execution, so that his supporters can martial the evidence and present his case for clemency. No one should be rushed to execution while doubts remain unresolved. Justice demands that he be given the 60 days to prove that he does not deserve to die at the hands of the state."

Alan M. Dershowitz