Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty - FADP

10/12/2026

Earlier this month, Maria and Grace attended the Florida Public Defender Association’s Life Over Death Conference. Grace spoke on the complexities of interacting with victim-survivors in capital cases, and Maria received the Jim Slater award. And, of course, they spent some time with Sister Helen!

10/10/2026

Today, October 10, is World Day Against the Death Penalty. This year’s theme is humanizing the people affected by capital punishment, and recognizing the stories that are so often missing from public conversations about the death penalty.

Someone’s first step toward questioning the death penalty often begins with hearing a story they hadn’t heard before.

It might be a murder victim’s family member explaining why an ex*****on will not help her heal, or a parent describing what it means to lose a child to ex*****on. It might be someone learning about the childhood abuse, untreated mental illness, or wartime trauma that a jury never heard. It might be a legislator meeting someone who was wrongfully convicted, or a former ex*****oner speaking out about the lasting impact of participating in ex*****ons.

As the organizers of World Day Against the Death Penalty remind us, the death penalty is imposed on human beings with lives, families, hobbies, dreams, and setbacks — not abstractions.

At FADP, we believe these stories deserve to be heard. We work to bring the experiences of people facing ex*****on, murder victims’ families, death row exonerees, correctional staff, and others directly affected by capital punishment into the public conversation.

Every person has a history, relationships, and experiences that cannot be captured by a criminal conviction or a headline. On this World Day Against the Death Penalty, we remember the people whose lives have been affected, the families and communities who carry those losses, and the importance of continuing to tell their stories.

10/09/2026

"One fragment of evidence from [William Reaves'] case always struck me. A witness inside the Zippy Mart testified that after the shooting William ran in a zigzag pattern toward the tree line. No one was firing upon him. No one was around to fire upon him. His actions made no sense in context and thus proved his state of mind. Plain and simple, William thought he was back in Vietnam. Alone in the dark with no one around, his mind was in the jungle, and his body was doing what it had been trained to do when faced with the enemy."

Years ago I was a lawyer for William Reaves, who will soon be put to death in Florida.

10/08/2026

Gov. Ron DeSantis has withdrawn the death warrant for William Lee Thompson, previously scheduled for ex*****on on Tuesday, October 13 at 6:00 p.m.

Thompson’s attorneys challenged his competency to be executed, and he underwent an evaluation last week. Officials never released the results. Attorneys also filed a federal lawsuit seeking care for his life-threatening medical conditions. More than 120 medical professionals publicly condemned his treatment, adding to mounting public pressure ahead of the withdrawal. In a letter to the warden of Florida State Prison, Gov. DeSantis offered no explanation for his decision.

Grace Hanna, executive director of Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty said, “Withdrawing the death warrant for William Thompson was the correct decision. Mr. Thompson is gravely ill, not competent, and intellectually disabled. His ex*****on would have been an abject violation of the Eighth Amendment and an affront to human dignity.”

James Robertson, sentenced to death for the 2008 murder of Frank Hart, is still scheduled for ex*****on at 12:00pm on Tuesday, October 13.

10/08/2026

Have you heard today's episode of The Daily? Don't miss a recap of Tennessee's failed ex*****on of Christa Pike, the falling national support for the death penalty, and Florida's ongoing ex*****on spree.

Listen here, or on your favorite podcast app:

Tennessee paused ex*****ons after Christa Pike survived two doses of a lethal injection.

10/06/2026

“The types of failures that went into this botch happen all the time,” said Robert Dunham, director of the Death Penalty Policy Project. “There is nothing in the ex*****on process that states are incapable of getting wrong.”

The complications behind Tennessee’s failed ex*****on of Christa Pike aren’t uncommon — and show how easily another botched ex*****on could occur, even as others are planned soon in Texas and Florida.

10/06/2026

📍 Orange Park + Jacksonville: We’re coming your way!

Our series of collaborations with Diocese of St. Augustine is wrapping up, but you still have two more chances to see The Window on Death Row and hear directly from Joaquín José Martínez, the death row exoneree whose incredible story is featured in the film.

🎬 October 7 — St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church
🎬 October 21 — Bishop Snyder High School

After each screening, Joaquín will join us for a live Q&A about his wrongful conviction, his years on Florida’s death row, and his journey to freedom.

Mark your calendars, bring a friend, and come spend an evening with us. We’d love to see you there!

10/05/2026

BREAKING: Gov. DeSantis has signed a death warrant for Jesse Guardado, setting the ex*****on for Thursday, November 5 at 6pm. Mr. Guardado, a survivor of Florida’s infamous Dozier school for boys, was sentenced to death for the 2004 murder of Jackie Malone.

Sign the Petition: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/8cd7306b7070912c4d1eb4b29e1b00c53338faa3?source=direct_link&

10/04/2026

“Thompson’s medical conditions raise serious concerns about what could happen during an attempted lethal injection,” she [FADP legal and policy director Maria DeLiberato] said Thursday in a written statement. “The spectacle we have now seen in Tennessee could repeat in Florida. We have been warned, and there is still time to prevent it.”

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a death warrant Thursday, scheduling James Robertson’s ex*****on for Oct. 13, the same day his administration plans to execute William Lee Thompson. They would be the 17th and 18th ex*****ons this year and the second time this year that Florida would execute two inmates on...

10/04/2026

“The Supreme Court has ruled that the Constitution does not guarantee a painless ex*****on, a decision states such as Tennessee cite to defend their lethal injection protocols. Very well. Then states should stop telling the public that lethal injection is clinical and not cruel.”

Gift article, but free account required:

Lethal injection failures are not glitches; they are features of the process.