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FLORIDA (USA): GOV. RICK SCOTT SIGNS BILL TO SPEED UP EXECUTIONS
June 14, 2013: Gov. Rick Scott signed bill HB 7083 into law. The measure, dubbed "the Timely Justice Act" by its proponents, is aimed at accelerating the pace of the death penalty process in Florida.
It 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 6 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." The bill passed the House 84-34 and was approved by the Senate 28-10.
There are currently 405 inmates on death row. (Sources: Miami Herald, 14/06/2013)
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