Florida Surpasses Execution Records as Leonard Smithers is Put to Death
Florida has dramatically increased its use of the death penalty in 2023, executing Leonard Smithers Tuesday evening - marking the state’s 14th execution of the year. This surpasses the previous annual record of eight executions set in 2014. Florida now leads the nation in executions, with Texas following at five.
Smithers, 68, was convicted in 1999 of the first-degree murders of Christy Cowan and Denise Roach. His case, and the surge in Florida executions, raises critical questions about capital punishment and its submission.
The Smithers Case: A Brutal Crime uncovered
In May 1996, Smithers met Cowan and Roach separately at a Tampa motel, offering payment for sexual acts. At the time, he was employed as a landscape worker on a 27-acre property near plant City, florida.
The property owner, a member of the same church as Smithers where he served as a Baptist deacon, discovered a disturbing scene on May 28th. Smithers was observed cleaning an ax, claiming he’d been trimming tree limbs.However, a pool of blood was present in the carport. He falsely stated someone had killed a small animal.
The property owner alerted law enforcement. A sheriff’s deputy found drag marks leading to one of the ponds on the property. Tragically, the bodies of Cowan and Roach were discovered there, having been severely beaten, strangled, and left to die.
Legal Challenges and Supreme Court Rulings
Smithers’ legal team argued his age should exempt him from execution, citing the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. They contended that executing an elderly individual is unconstitutional. However, both the Florida Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court rejected these appeals, ruling that age alone does not preclude the death penalty.
A Surge in executions Nationwide
Prior to Smithers’ execution, 35 individuals had been executed by court order in the U.S. this year. Florida’s rapid pace is considerably contributing to this number.
Looking ahead, Florida has two more executions scheduled:
* Norman Mearle Grim Jr., 65, is set to be executed on October 28th for the 1998 rape and murder of his neighbor, whose body was found near the Pensacola Bay Bridge.
* Bryan Fredrick Jennings, 66, faces execution on November 13th for the 1979 abduction, rape, and murder of a 6-year-old girl from central Florida.
Florida’s Lethal Injection protocol
Florida carries out executions using a three-drug protocol. This includes a sedative,a paralytic agent,and a drug to stop the heart. The state Department of Corrections oversees the process.
What This Means for You
The increasing number of executions in Florida, and the legal challenges surrounding them, highlight the ongoing debate surrounding capital punishment. You may find yourself considering the ethical,legal,and moral implications of the death penalty,especially as states like Florida revisit its application. Staying informed about these cases and the broader context of capital punishment is crucial for understanding this complex issue.
Sources:
* https://apnews.com/article/florida-lethal-execution-date-set-56d8d1f957c3cbf7ba621ea66d8e3435
* https://apnews.com/article/missouri-execution-lance-shockley-65034ffbd169154ecc1b593a072b7dd2
* [https://apnewscom/article/us-executions-20[https://apnewscom/article/us-executions-20[https://apnewscom/article/us-executions-20[https://apnewscom/article/us-executions-20
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