Conservative Group Forms To Fight Florida's Death Penalty
Follow CBSMIAMI.COM: Facebook | Twitter
ORLANDO (CBSMiami/AP) — Citing the morality of taking another life and the expense, a new conservative group has formed to try and end Florida's death penalty.
Nine members of Conservatives Concerned About the Death Penalty announced its formation Wednesday in Orlando.
Florida's previous method for imposing the death penalty — giving a judge the final decision after a jury's recommendation — was ruled unconstitutional in 2016, leaving hundreds of capital punishment cases in limbo.
Many of those cases are now being resentenced under a new law that requires a unanimous jury recommendation for death.
The group held its news conference in front of embattled State Attorney Aramis Ayala's office but claimed no connection to the Democrat. Ayala announced in March she would no longer seek the death penalty, and Republican Gov. Rick Scott responded by transferring almost two dozen cases to another prosecutor.
(© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
