The State of Florida Torture System; Yes, Florida Imposes the Death Penalty

Tallahassee, FL—In June 2013, the Miami Herald published an article entitled, “Gov. Rick Scott signs bill to speed up executions in Florida.” The article by Mary Ellen Klas, states, “Governor Rick Scott signed a bill into law Friday aimed at accelerating the pace of the death penalty process in Florida that could make the governor the most active executioner in modern state history. The measure, dubbed, “the Timely Justice Act” by its proponents, requires governors to sign death warrants 30 days after the Florida Supreme Court certifies that an inmate has exhausted his legal appeals and his clemency review. Once a death warrant is signed, the new law requires the state to execute the defendant within six months. In a lengthy letter accompanying his signature, Scott aggressively countered allegations by opponents that the law will “fast track” death penalty cases and emphasized that it “discourages stalling tactics” of defense attorneys and ensures that the convicted “do not languish on death row for decades.”

Of course, We, the People of Florida, know that there are some INNOCENT people on Florida’s Death Row and in Florida’s prisons—both state prisons and for-profit prisons.

On Saturday, September 19, 2015, two years after the signing of “the Timely Justice Act,” it’s being reported by WFTV and other news media outlets that Attorney General Pam Bondi wants to hire more attorneys for her staff. We, the People of Florida, wants to know when exactly did Attorney General Pam Bondi decide that she wants six more additional senior attorneys for her criminal and capital appeals division?

For those of you who may not know, the role of Florida’s Attorney General, in part, is to serve as the chief legal officer for the State of Florida; protect consumers from various types of fraud, and represents the people of Florida when criminals appeal their convictions in state and federal courts.

Below is a list of filings with the First District Court of Appeal by the Office of Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel 1^st District Office and Attorney General Pam Bondi’s Office in the case DeShon Thomas vs. State of Florida:

On January 9, 2014, Assistant Regional Counsel Daren L. Shippy filed a Notice of Appeal on DeShon Thomas’ behalf.

On March 27, 2014, Steven L. Seliger filed a Motion to Withdraw as Counsel from DeShon Thomas’ case, and Appoint Public Defender. On March 28, 2014, the Motion was Granted.

On March 28, 2014, Designation of 2^nd Public Defender was to be assigned to represent DeShon Thomas’.

On April 22, 2014, Order from Circuit Court/Agency to appoint Conflict Counsel

On April 28, 2014, Notice of Appearance was filed by Melissa Joy Ford, with Assistant Regional Counsel. (Melissa Joy Ford works in the same office that Assistant Regional Counsel Daren L. Shippy holds the title, Director. Daren L. Shippy was DeShon Thomas attorney for the last six months prior to DeShon going to trial in October 2013. Daren L. Shippy, along with State Prosecutor Jack Campbell and former Second Circuit Judge Jackie Fulford allowed Don Odham, who Impersonated a Leon County Sheriff’s Detective in order to get a Grand Jury to return an Indictment charging 17-year-old DeShon Thomas with Two Counts of 1^st Degree Murder and Possession of a Firearm by a Juvenile Delinquent, to testify in DeShon’s trial, after having been called all throughout DeShon’s trial as “Leon County Sheriff’s Detective Don Odham”—when in fact, Don Odham NEVER worked for the Leon County Sheriff’s Office. Of course Melissa Joy Ford DARE NOT use this Argument in DeShon’s appeal.)

On April 13, 2015, Assistant Attorney General, Michael McDermott, filed a Motion for Extension of Time. This was the third Motion for Extension of Time to be filed by Attorney General Pam Bondi’s office. According to the Motion for Extension of Time, the staff of 21 attorneys within the Tallahassee Criminal Appeals division has 450 briefs or responses due in the next 90 days.

According to DeShon Thomas’ DCA Docket, on Monday, April 13, 2015, Assistant Attorney General, Michael McDermott, filed a Motion for Extension of Time to file Answer Brief. And then on Tuesday, April 14, 2015, Assistant Attorney General, Michael McDermott, filed Appellee’s Answer Brief, and also on Tuesday, April 14, 2015, Assistant Attorney General, Michael McDermott, filed Motion to File Enlarged Brief. Two days later, on Friday, April 17, 2015, Appellee’s Third Motion for Extension of Time was Granted by the DCA. Also on Friday, April 17, 2015, the court noted the filings of the Motion for leave to File an Answer Brief and the Answer Brief. (So, here, you have Attorney General Pam Bondi’s Office filing a third Motion for Extension of Time for Brief with detailed reasons and then filing the Brief on the same day. As well as, filing the Brief before the court can return an Answer on the Motion for Extension of Time for Brief.

In mid-July 2015, DeShon Thomas received the Opinion filed dated July 15, 2015 stating Per Curiam Affirmed by Roberts, C.J. Benton and Lewis, JJ. For those of you who may not know, Per Curiam Affirmed means the appellate court did not agree with Assistant Regional Counsel Melissa Joy Ford’s initial Argument on DeShon’s behalf, thus, DENYING, DeShon’s appeal.

(Both Daren L. Shippy and Melissa Joy Ford are attorneys for Jeffery E. Lewis, General Counsel for the Office of Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel, District One. The Office of Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel’s Office refused to use a private investigator on DeShon’s case—and then refused to allow DeShon’s mother to hire a private investigator to assist on the case—so really, the Office of Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel’s Office NEVER set out to protect DeShon Thomas’ United States Constitutional Rights. The Office of Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel’s Office showed the same consistency in DeShon Thomas’ appeal as they showed in DeShon’s trial—do not present exculpatory evidence. In comparison to other criminal cases in the DCA documents in DeShon Thomas’ case is the only case where documents are Sealed. DeShon Thomas’ AT&T cell phone records that were said to place him at the crime scene were Ordered and Sealed prior to DeShon Thomas being charged with the murders. And then remained Sealed without ever being provided to DeShon or the public.) Please click on the link to view a screenshot of DeShon Thomas’ DCA Docket.

DT Appeal Doc

When did Attorney General Pamela Jo Bondi decide that she wanted six more additional senior attorneys for her criminal and capital appeals division at the cost of $650,000?

With Attorney General Pamela Jo Bondi’s Office being backlogged—with a staff of 21 being pressured to produce 450 briefs or responses within 90 days, to whose surprise is it for the First District Court of Appeal to “Per Curiam Affirmed” in DeShon’s case almost on the mark of 90 days. With Pamela Jo Bondi’s Tallahassee office being backlogged 450 briefs and responses, would it not be the same for the DCA to be backlogged as well? Is it a matter of job security for those working at the First District Court of Appeal “Tallahassee’s Taj Mahal?” Seriously, how many people are watching what’s going on at the DCA? Are the number of inmates released from prison based on winning their appeal and the number of inmates exonerated from Death Row since Attorney General Pamela Jo Bondi took office in 2011 a SUFFICIENT number?

The article by Mary Ellen Klas with the Miami Herald in regards to “the Timely Justice Act,” goes on to state, “The bill passed the House 84-34 and was approved by the Senate 28-10, allows the governor to control the execution schedule slightly because it requires him to sign a death warrant after the required clemency review is completed and only the governor may order the clemency investigation.”

There are many states that have issues within their local government, but We, the People of Florida, live in a state where Governor Rick Scott and Attorney General Pamela Jo Bondi ignores the cries of parents and their children when injustice lands in their backyards. We, the People of Florida, live in a state where our two top elected officials, Governor Rick Scott and Pamela Jo Bondi, violated the Sunshine State’s Public Records laws—put up a fight for years denying the accusations—then settled with the complainant—now wants us to pay over a million dollars for their legal fees—while FIGHTING against ObamaCare. We, the People of Florida, live in a state where Legislators cannot agree on drawing a new Congressional District map, but can pass a bill with flying colors to “fast track” people to their demise during a time when prison inmates are being exonerated and prosecutors are being charged with prosecutorial misconduct for withholding exculpatory evidence. If 21^st Century Criminal Justice Reform bypasses Florida…

LORD HAVE MERCY ON US!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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