A letter to the editor of The Washington Lawyer in response to an article titled "The Last Defense" by John Greenya which critiqued the stance of the article in relation to criminal justice, specifically referring death penalty cases.
The article is a short account of a "outlaw." Clarence Smith was a convicted felon and spent nine years on death row. His story draws many parallels to Joseph Spaziano's according to Spaziano's lawyer. The article continues to briefly talk on…
Governor L. Douglas Wilder commuted Joseph M. Giarratano's death sentence. Giarratano's sentence was reduced to life imprisonment with the possibility of parole in 13 years.
Joseph Spaziano was convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of Laura Lynn Harberts in 1973. Prior to his execution a stay was granted due to media reports casting doubt on Tony Dilisio's testimony. While the FDLE is continuing to investigate…
This newspaper clipping is an article detailing how the undecided nature of the Supreme Court case, Lockhart v. McCree, has allowed Mello to successfully appeal for stays of execution for two of his clients on death row.
Joseph Green Brown alias "Shabaka," a wrongly convicted rapist and murder on death row for 14 years, released in 1987, now struggles to enjoy his freedom while he lives in a society that he believes is a failed justice system that has prejudice…
With new evidence, a man on death row may be released. He was convicted of the murder and rape of two women, confessed, and has withdrawn his confession to pursue his innocence.
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.
This newspaper article discusses Joseph Spaziano's appeal to the Florida Supreme Court that was schedule the day of the newspaper article's release. The article also describes the flaws in the case against Joseph Spaziano.
The Florida Supreme Court refuses to stay the execution of Joseph Spaziano, but orders a lower court to hold hearing. In a 4-3 split, the minority opinion believed that Spaziano deserved an indefinite stay of execution.
Michael Mello, professor of law in Vermont, helped the attorneys representing the Unabomber. Coincidentally, one of the bombs sent by Kaczynski killed this same law professor's mentor, Judge Robert S. Vance of Birmingham, Alabama.
The judge for Joe Spaziano case gave Joe a delay his execution because of his lawyer did want to cooperate with the state attorney. Joe Spaziano was supposed to be executed for the murder of Laura Lynn Harberts who was 18 on August 1973 who was found…
This newspaper article discusses Joe Spaziano's last minute appeal to the courts to stay his execution, scheduled for September 21, 1995, thirteen days after the article's publishing.