Latest news with #FloridaSupremeCourt
Winnipeg Free Press
39 minutes ago
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Florida has executed more people than any other state this year, with 3 set to die over next month
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — There are three executions set to take place in Florida over the next month, including a man convicted of fatally shooting three people and wounding another person, under a death warrant signed Tuesday by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. Curtis Windom, 59, is set to die by lethal injection Aug. 28 in the state with the highest number of executions this year. Experts say an uptick in executions around the country can be traced to aggressive Republican governors and attorney generals pushing to get through lengthy appeals processes and get executions done. Also, President Donald Trump signed a sweeping executive order on his first day back in office to urge prosecutors to seek the death penalty, which may have also fueled the increase, according to John Blume, the director of the Cornell Death Penalty Project. Windom is scheduled to be killed at Florida State Prison near the city of Starke. He was convicted in 1992 and sentenced to death for the murders of Johnnie Lee, Valerie Davis and Mary Lubin. Eight other executions have taken place in Florida this year, with a ninth scheduled for Thursday and a 10th scheduled for Aug. 19, all by lethal injection. Edward J. Zakrzewski, II, was convicted of killing his wife and two children in 1994 after she sought a divorce, and Kayle Bates was convicted of killing a woman after abducting her from an insurance office in 1982. According to court documents, Windom bought a .38-caliber revolver and ammunition in the Orlando area on Feb. 7, 1992. He then tracked down Lee and shot him multiple times over what Windom claimed was a $2,000 debt. Windom then went to the apartment of Davis, with whom he shared a child, and shot her, officials said. Windom shot another man, who survived, while fleeing the apartment. Davis' mother, Lubin, was driving home when Windom spotted her and shot her at a stop sign. The Florida Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court will hear final appeals before the execution. After Florida, Texas and South Carolina are tied for the highest number of executions, with four each this year. Alabama has executed three people, Oklahoma has killed two, and Arizona, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee each have killed one person.
Associated Press
40 minutes ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
Florida has executed more people than any other state this year, with 3 set to die over next month
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — There are three executions set to take place in Florida over the next month, including a man convicted of fatally shooting three people and wounding another person, under a death warrant signed Tuesday by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. Curtis Windom, 59, is set to die by lethal injection Aug. 28 in the state with the highest number of executions this year. Experts say an uptick in executions around the country can be traced to aggressive Republican governors and attorney generals pushing to get through lengthy appeals processes and get executions done. Also, President Donald Trump signed a sweeping executive order on his first day back in office to urge prosecutors to seek the death penalty, which may have also fueled the increase, according to John Blume, the director of the Cornell Death Penalty Project. Windom is scheduled to be killed at Florida State Prison near the city of Starke. He was convicted in 1992 and sentenced to death for the murders of Johnnie Lee, Valerie Davis and Mary Lubin. Eight other executions have taken place in Florida this year, with a ninth scheduled for Thursday and a 10th scheduled for Aug. 19, all by lethal injection. Edward J. Zakrzewski, II, was convicted of killing his wife and two children in 1994 after she sought a divorce, and Kayle Bates was convicted of killing a woman after abducting her from an insurance office in 1982. According to court documents, Windom bought a .38-caliber revolver and ammunition in the Orlando area on Feb. 7, 1992. He then tracked down Lee and shot him multiple times over what Windom claimed was a $2,000 debt. Windom then went to the apartment of Davis, with whom he shared a child, and shot her, officials said. Windom shot another man, who survived, while fleeing the apartment. Davis' mother, Lubin, was driving home when Windom spotted her and shot her at a stop sign. The Florida Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court will hear final appeals before the execution. After Florida, Texas and South Carolina are tied for the highest number of executions, with four each this year. Alabama has executed three people, Oklahoma has killed two, and Arizona, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee each have killed one person.
Axios
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Axios
Trump, DeSantis advocate for redistricting ahead of midterms
The Trump White House is pushing ahead with efforts to redraw congressional maps ahead of the midterms. Democrats are finding it tricky to fight back. Why it matters: The push to add Republican House seats is sparking a chain reaction as the parties fight tooth and nail over the majority. The big picture: Republicans are hoping to pick off more than a half-dozen Democratic-held seats by redrawing congressional maps ahead of 2026. Zoom in: In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis said last week that it "would be appropriate to do a redistricting in the mid-decade" and that his administration was "working through what that would look like." Earlier this month, the Florida Supreme Court upheld a congressional map DeSantis spearheaded that helped Republicans flip the U.S. House in 2022, POLITICO reported. The other side: "This is nothing more than a desperate attempt to rig the system and silence voters before the 2026 election," Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried said in a statement. Redistricting for partisan advantage is nothing new, but it's usually done after the census every ten years. The next one's scheduled for 2030. In Texas, Trump has encouraged Republicans to embark on a redistricting project that he's said could net the party as many as five seats. In Ohio, which is required by law to redraw its House map, party strategists believe they can gain two or three seats. In Missouri, Republicans believe they can pick up another seat. The intrigue: Gov. Greg Abbott and other Texas Republicans were at first hesitant to take up redistricting, the Texas Tribune reported. After Trump's call to Abbott, it appeared on the special session agenda. Democrats, led by California Gov. Gavin Newsom, have vowed to punch back by drawing roughly as many new Democratic seats. Between the lines: The White House has no bigger priority in the midterms than keeping the House.
The Hill
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
DeSantis: ‘Appropriate' to pursue redistricting in Florida
Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said on Thursday it would be 'appropriate' to pursue redistricting in Florida in the mid-decade due to population shifts and what he called 'defects' in the way congressional lines have been drawn. The governor's comment came after he scored a win last week when the Florida Supreme Court ruled upheld a congressional map that blocked a challenge to the elimination of the majority-Black congressional district in the north of the state that previously was represented by former Rep. Al Lawson (D). The area that comprised the former congressional district is now divided among three Republican lawmakers. 'Just last week the Florida Supreme Court upheld the map that all of the naysayers were saying was somehow defective,' DeSantis told reporters at a press conference in Manatee County. 'I think if you look at that Florida Supreme Court analysis, there may be more defects that need to be remedied apart from what we've already done. I also think the way the population has shifted around Florida just since the Census was done in 2020, I think the state was malapportioned. So I do think it would be appropriate to do a redistricting here in the mid decade,' he said. DeSantis went on to say he believed that his state got a 'raw deal' in the Census when Florida only gained one congressional district, arguing that the state should have garnered at least two seats due to population growth. The governor said he relayed his concerns to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick after he was sworn in earlier this year. 'They said they were going to redo the count in time for 2026,' the governor said. 'They would have to do that relatively soon because you need time to draw maps and you need time to get that done.' Florida has seen an uptick in population growth following the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. A number of Democratic-held congressional seats could be impacted if redistricting were to take place, including those held in South Florida by Reps. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-Fla.), Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) and Lois Frankel (D-Fla.). Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Fla.) in the Tampa area and Rep. Darren Soto (D-Fla.) outside of Orlando have also been floated as possible targets. Republicans and Democrats in the states have been engaged in a tit-for-tat of sorts over redistricting in recent weeks. Texas Republicans are moving ahead with redrawing district lines, while speculation has mounted that Republicans in other states like Florida could follow suit. Democrats from California to New Jersey in turn have ramped up calls to redraw their maps in an effort to blunt the GOP's efforts.
Black America Web
6 days ago
- Politics
- Black America Web
Florida Supreme Court Backs DeSantis In Diluting Black Voter Power
Source: ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / Getty Long before Texas officials scrambled for a special session to attack Black voter power in the Lone Star state, Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis was already stacking the deck in his party's favor. Now, four years after redistricting began, the Florida Supreme Court upheld maps backed by DeSantis diluting Black voter power. Embracing a reverse racism style argument, the Florida Supreme Court claimed that allowing a majority Black district to remain would violate the 14th Amendment's Equal Protection Clause. Led by Black Voters Matter Capacity Building Institute and the League of Women Voters of Florida, voting rights groups maintain the maps violated the 2010 Fair Districts Amendment. They further argue that the maps diluted Black voter power and were an assault on Black representation. According to Democracy Docket, the maps commissioned by DeSantis split Black voters formerly in the state's 5th Congressional district 'across four separate districts, reducing their ability to choose a candidate that best represents them in North Florida.' DeSantis pointing to multiple courts upholding his allegedly 'constitutionally correct map' does not mean the maps are accurate or fair. It only means that the courts have swung far enough to the right that the interpretation of accuracy and fairness is willing to overlook the true meaning of equal protection and fair representation. The Democracy Docket specifically called attention to the 'non-diminishment' clause in Florida's Fair Districts Amendment, which prohibits the state from creating districts that prevent racial or language minorities from having 'equal opportunity to participate in the political process and elect representatives of their choice.' It's all states' rights, and states can decide until a state law actually benefits Black people. As reported by the Tallahassee Democrat, there is still a challenge pending regarding Congressional District 26. This case is also separate from a challenge to Florida Senate District 16 involving Black voters in Tampa and St. Petersburg. But the 5th Congressional District case underscores the importance of federal oversight and protection to ensure that states do not disenfranchise or disempower Black voters. As outlined by the Legal Defense Fund, Florida has passed several anti-voter laws and targeted fairness and transparency in the democratic process. DeSantis and his cronies have no interest in upholding equal protection or ensuring free and fair elections. Retaining power by any and all means is the name of their game. Source: ninitta / Getty 'Conditions that can foster voting discrimination — such as unfairly drawn districts that weaken the voting power of Black voters and other voters of color, inaccessible polling locations, insufficient language assistance for voters who don't speak English comfortably, and outright voter intimidation — endure throughout Florida,' wrote the LDF. 'And many of Florida's counties and cities use at-large election structures or district maps that impair the ability of voters of color to elect candidates of their choice or influence the outcome of elections.' Despite claims that the DeSantis maps are racially neutral and did not intentionally discriminate against Black voters, modern era segregationists know they need to make it look accidental to pass judicial scrutiny. Trying to prove racist intent is no longer as simple as it was 60 years ago. The battle over maps in Florida is one of many ongoing challenges to Black voter power. But limiting Black political power and, in turn, full political participation is not new. Even before the passage of the 14th and 15th Amendments, the powers that be fought hard to minimize Black voting rights. And now, their descendants are colonizing the same laws passed to protect Black voters against us. Despite the extensive legislative history and record around the Reconstruction Era Amendments and numerous civil rights laws, including the Voting Rights Act, these people follow the far-right SCOTUS majority's intellectual dishonesty. There is nothing fair in what DeSantis and his cronies are doing. And yet, Black voters and the candidates who seek to represent their interests are left scrambling to out organize an increasingly hostile state and federal government. These contemporary voting rights challenges also show the enduring importance and need for the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Since the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Shelby County v. Holder eroded key sections of the Voting Rights Act, voting rights advocates have pushed for legislation to restore and strengthen voting rights protections. Choosing our representatives and free access to the ballot are two of the most significant pathways to improving conditions for our families and communities. Protecting and expanding voting rights requires sustained organizing and lobbying leading to new safeguards at the state level like state voting acts and other pro-democracy legislation. SEE ALSO: Federal Judges Rule Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' 'Race-Neutral' Congressional Map Is Constitutional Redistricting: Majority Black Voting Maps Rejected In Louisiana SEE ALSO Florida Supreme Court Backs DeSantis In Diluting Black Voter Power was originally published on
