FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida — The death penalty in Florida may not be as swift or effective as intended, as many inmates on death row outlive the judges who sentenced them. Last year, Florida executed six inmates, but four of them lived longer than the judges who condemned them.
One example is Duane Owen, who was sentenced to death in 1986 for the murders of a 14-year-old babysitter and a 38-year-old mother in separate attacks. Owen was 62 when he was executed last June, four years after the death of Palm Beach Judge Richard Burk, who sentenced him at the age of 87.
Death penalty cases in Florida often face delays, investigations, appeals, and changes in state leadership, casting doubts on the potential effectiveness of capital punishment as a deterrent. According to Maria DeLiberato, executive director of Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, these cases involve experienced judges who are qualified to preside over such matters.
DeLiberato emphasizes the importance of the appeals process, stating that Florida often gets it wrong, and therefore, it cannot be eliminated. The appeals process takes time because it is necessary to ensure a fair and thorough review.
According to the Death Penalty Information Center, Florida has seen 30 exonerations from death row. In fact, inmates sentenced to death in Florida are eight times more likely to have their sentences overturned than to be executed.
The average age of an inmate at the time of sentencing in Florida is 27.4 years, while the average age at execution is 44.9 years. However, these figures span nearly five decades since the reinstatement of the death penalty in Florida, and many inmates have been on death row since the 1980s and 1990s.
One of the longest-serving death row inmates in the state is William “Tommy” Zeigler, who was convicted in 1976. His sentencing judge, Maurice M. Paul, died in 2016 at the age of 84. Zeigler, now 78, maintains his innocence.
Similar patterns can be seen in other cases. James Rose, South Florida’s longest-serving death row inmate, was sentenced in 1977 by Broward Circuit Judge M. Daniel Futch Jr. for the kidnapping and murder of an 8-year-old girl. Futch died in 2009 at the age of 75.
These examples raise questions about the effectiveness and efficiency of the death penalty in Florida. Former Broward Circuit Judge Paul Backman, who sentenced several convicted killers to death during his tenure, believes that in practice, the death penalty has proven to be a waste of time. He does not anticipate living long enough to see the sentences of those awaiting execution carried out.
The expiration of judges before the execution of inmates demonstrates the lengthy processes and complexities involved in capital punishment cases. As the debate surrounding the death penalty continues, these cases highlight the challenges faced by Florida’s system of capital punishment.
— [Author Name], [Publication Name] (TNS)