Federal Judge Rules Miami’s City District Maps Unconstitutional, Casting Doubt on Future Elections

Miami, Florida – A federal judge in Miami, Florida has invalidated the city’s district maps, ruling that they were racially gerrymandered for several decades, causing uncertainty for the city’s electoral future. The decision came in response to a lawsuit filed by civil rights groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and NAACP, who alleged that Miami’s council districts were illegally segregated based on ethnic makeup. Judge Michael Moore issued the ruling, affirming the claims made by the plaintiffs. In his decision, Moore stated that by categorizing citizens by race, the city violated the equal … Read more

Florida Death Row Inmates Outlive Sentencing Judges, Casting Doubt on Death Penalty’s Effectiveness

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 … Read more