Thursday, April 06, 2017

EVENT: "The End of the Death Penalty is Within Sight"

THE END OF THE DEATH PENALTY IN FLORIDA IS WITHIN SIGHT

On Tuesday, April 11, 2017 Gainesville Citizens for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (GCADP) hosts speaker Adam Tebrugge, a criminal trial attorney with extensive death penalty experience. The event, open to the public, will be held at 7pm at the Mennonite Meeting House of Emmanuel Mennonite Church, 1236 NW 18th Ave. The title of his presentation is
“The End of the Death Penalty in Florida is Within Sight”. Refreshments will be served and additional parking is available at the next door banks.

Attending and contributing to the discussion will be UF Law School Professor Kenneth Nunn, one of 3 UF professors who recently signed a letter in support of State Attorney Aramis Ayala. Ms Ayala has decided to no longer seek the death penalty in Orange-Osceola cases as it is too costly, takes too long, trapping victim’s families in decades of uncertainty, and is not a deterrent to future murders.

Miriam Welly Elliott, GCADP Co-Coordinator notes “this is a very timely event and topic given all that has occurred in the courts and legislature in Florida over the last year. Recent events with State Attorney Ayala have prompted questions about whether her stand will help bring about an end to the death penalty. We welcome the community to come join us in assessing whether Florida needs to maintain this flawed system of justice”.

Adam Tebrugge recently wrote “Our state just finished a 40 year experiment with an unconstitutional death penalty law. Executions and trials have been on hold for over a year. Florida is now ground zero for the national death penalty debate. It is time for an honest discussion of the extraordinary costs and shameful legacy of the death penalty while we support the courageous leadership that will bring executions in our state to an end.”

Adam Tebrugge is a board certified criminal trial attorney with extensive death penalty experience. He is an adjunct professor of law at the Thomas Cooley Law School in Riverview, Florida where he teaches "Death Penalty Seminar." He is also a board member with Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty.