Reveal report on Spaziano
Dublin Core
Title
Reveal report on Spaziano
Subject
Capital punishment
Chiles, Lawton, 1930-1998
Description
Governor Lawton Chiles should release a summary of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement report that he used to determine that Spaziano's murder conviction was just.
Creator
The Orlando Sentinel
Source
Orlando (FL) Sentinel. "Reveal Report on Spaziano." September 5, 1995.
Publisher
HIST 298, University of Mary Washington
Date
1995-09-05
Rights
The materials in this online collection are held by Special Collections, Simpson Library, University of Mary Washington and are available for educational use. For this purpose only, you may reproduce materials without prior permission on the condition that you provide attribution of the source.
Format
1 JPG
300 DPI
Language
English
Coverage
Orlando, FL
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
[heading]
Reveal report on Spaziano
[start of the first column]
Gov. Lawton Chiles should reveal the substance of a special state investigation of the evidence used to convict Death Row resident Joseph Spaziano.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement compiled that report at the request of Mr. Chiles as he was considering a clemency request. Mr. Spaziano's attorney, Michael Mello, says his client should not have been convicted of murder in the death 22 years ago of Laura Lynn Harberts.
Mr. Chiles has no authority to overturn Mr. Spaziano's conviction. That is the province of the court system – which, in several appeals at both the state and federal levels, has found no reason to do so.
If Mr. Chiles were to be convinced that Mr. Spaziano was wrongly convicted, though, he could reduce – or even throw out – the sentence.
Instead, after reviewing the FDLE report, Mr. Chiles was convinced that Mr. Spaziano's conviction was just. In fact, what new evidence was found supported the jury's verdict in that heinous crime.
Understandably, Mr. Mello would like to
[end of the first column]
[start of the second column]
see that FDLE report.
It's true that it was Mr. Mello's choice to seek redress through the governor, and it's true – as Mr. Mello surely must have known – that the clemency procedure affords the governor the right to keep that information private.
Mr. Chiles' concern is for the safety of those who spoke with the FDLE, several of whom did so on the condition that they not be identified. Mr Spaziano, after all, was a member of a motorcycle gang notorious for violent retribution.
Still, a man's life is at stake. If his life is to be taken in the name of the public, the public has a right to know on the strength of what information that is being done.
The best solution would be for Mr. Chiles to release a summary of the FDLE's findings that would not identify – nor potentially put into jeopardy – the source of the information but would make clear why he believes that there is no reason to grant clemency to Mr. Spaziano.
This, after all, isn't a trial. Mr. Spaziano had his trial – 20 years ago.
[end of the second column]
[end of article]
Reveal report on Spaziano
[start of the first column]
Gov. Lawton Chiles should reveal the substance of a special state investigation of the evidence used to convict Death Row resident Joseph Spaziano.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement compiled that report at the request of Mr. Chiles as he was considering a clemency request. Mr. Spaziano's attorney, Michael Mello, says his client should not have been convicted of murder in the death 22 years ago of Laura Lynn Harberts.
Mr. Chiles has no authority to overturn Mr. Spaziano's conviction. That is the province of the court system – which, in several appeals at both the state and federal levels, has found no reason to do so.
If Mr. Chiles were to be convinced that Mr. Spaziano was wrongly convicted, though, he could reduce – or even throw out – the sentence.
Instead, after reviewing the FDLE report, Mr. Chiles was convinced that Mr. Spaziano's conviction was just. In fact, what new evidence was found supported the jury's verdict in that heinous crime.
Understandably, Mr. Mello would like to
[end of the first column]
[start of the second column]
see that FDLE report.
It's true that it was Mr. Mello's choice to seek redress through the governor, and it's true – as Mr. Mello surely must have known – that the clemency procedure affords the governor the right to keep that information private.
Mr. Chiles' concern is for the safety of those who spoke with the FDLE, several of whom did so on the condition that they not be identified. Mr Spaziano, after all, was a member of a motorcycle gang notorious for violent retribution.
Still, a man's life is at stake. If his life is to be taken in the name of the public, the public has a right to know on the strength of what information that is being done.
The best solution would be for Mr. Chiles to release a summary of the FDLE's findings that would not identify – nor potentially put into jeopardy – the source of the information but would make clear why he believes that there is no reason to grant clemency to Mr. Spaziano.
This, after all, isn't a trial. Mr. Spaziano had his trial – 20 years ago.
[end of the second column]
[end of article]
Original Format
Newspaper
Contributor of the Digital Item
Snead, Andrew
Student Editor of the Digital Item
Williams, Megan
Files
Citation
The Orlando Sentinel, “Reveal report on Spaziano,” HIST299, accessed July 7, 2024, http://hist299.umwhistory.org/items/show/200.