Online petition to execute Fl. death row inmate

[msgatorslayer]

BARTOW - Sentenced to die for the killings of three men including a Polk County sheriff's deputy, Paul Beasley Johnson requested new trials and filed multiple motions delaying his execution for 28 years.

Justice, Sheriff Grady Judd said, has waited long enough.

In a move that legal professionals have called unusual, odd and unheard of, the sheriff's office launched an online petition Wednesday requesting Gov. Charlie Crist sign Johnson's death warrant.

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/oct/02/021744/polk-sheriffs-office-launches-petition-requesting-/

Petition

http://gopetition.com/petitions/execute-florida-death-row-inmate-paul-beasley-johnson.html

Bizarre move, yeah, but I agree with the Sheriff. 28 years of appeals is double the average stay of a death row inmate. Get on with it!! Was the guy sentenced to death, or not?

[True2Blues]

Sometimes I wonder why they don't add, "from old age, while awaiting an execution that will never come."

I say 28 years is more than enough time to cover all the issues, they should get on with ti!

[gnm109]

While I agree with the sentiment, I doubt the value of a petition under the circumstances.

Assuming for the sake of argument that there are any possibilities of furher appeal, then there is no precedent for executing someone based on present public opinion.

One of the death penalty prisoners died in Florida last week, Not to worry. That which the state can't do, will happen sooner or later by natural causes.

[msgatorslayer]

Crist signs death warrant for Polk deputy's killer

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/oct/07/crist-signs-death-warrant-polk-deputys-killer/news-metro/

[gnm109]

Crist signs death warrant for Polk deputy's killer

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/oct/07/crist-signs-death-warrant-polk-deputys-killer/news-metro/

Nice, but I predict he will get a stay since, according to your link, he hasn't been through the federal appeals process yet. Granted, that seldom works but it cold take another three or four years.

[cherylt]

Crist signs death warrant for Polk deputy's killer

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/oct/07/crist-signs-death-warrant-polk-deputys-killer/news-metro/


Hmm, let's see if it really happens on 11/04 at 6 pm. This excerpt is quite a "tactic."

The signing of the warrant surprised Johnson's attorney, Terri Backhus, who said that her client has an appeal pending in the state Supreme Court. Backhus said she will file an appeal in federal court as well as motions to stay Johnson's execution.

"He has never even been through the federal process yet," she said, adding the governor usually only signs death warrants on inmates who have exhausted their state and federal appeals.

They are telling us that in TWENTY EIGHT YEARS, they NEVER filed their federal appeals?! What a way to stall! What's to stop all DP prisoners from doing the same thing. Just sit & wait and wait some more until they do come up w/ a date and THEN file your next appeals??

:angry:

They should not be allowed to do that! There should be some kind of time limit on appeals. I can't believe he got away w/ just never bothering to file new motions so he could later claim he is still in appeals process.

Wow - just wow. I hope Florida (& other DP states) take a look at the status of their DP inmates and to ensure the process is still going along, even if it still a lot longer than it should be...

[msgatorslayer]

ITA with ya, Cherylt.

I knew the appeals process was insane and that it drags on for decades but this is crazy. Why hasn't the federal appeal been made? Shouldn't there be a time limit on when this has to be done? It's just crazy!!

The Polk County Sheriff has opened up a whole box of worms with the online petition. The family of another victim has started their own petition.

Bay area family pushes petition for execution of FHP trooper killer

http://www.wtsp.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=115183&catid=8

[Chica]

ITA with ya, Cherylt.

I knew the appeals process was insane and that it drags on for decades but this is crazy. Why hasn't the federal appeal been made? Shouldn't there be a time limit on when this has to be done? It's just crazy!!

The Polk County Sheriff has opened up a whole box of worms with the online petition. The family of another victim has started their own petition.

Bay area family pushes petition for execution of FHP trooper killer

http://www.wtsp.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=115183&catid=8

Obviously there is no time limit and if these appeals were not legal, he would not be able to delay his execution. To me he is using the system as it was set up to be used. To have a petition sounds bloodthirsty to me, too. The law is the law and a petition has no place here.