News

Execution delayed so politician can attend fundraiser

Sept 10, 2013

At 6 p.m. on Tuesday, September 10, convicted killer Marshall Lee Gore was supposed to be put to death for the murder of two Florida women. But the execution did not take place. It was not a last-minute pardon by the state's governor, or a stay order from a court that held up this ultimate form of punishment. Instead, it was delayed so that Florida's attorney general could attend a fundraiser for her reelection campaign.

According to Florida Gov. Rick Scott, Attorney General Pam Bondi's office requested the execution be moved back to Oct. 1, "We set the date. The attorney general's office asked for the postponement, so we went along with that." Scott contends he did not know the date change request was made to help avoid conflicting with Bondi's previously planned fundraiser.

Gore's execution had been delayed two previous times due to legal challenges, including when a judge halted the former escort service owner's execution to consider whether he was mentally ill. Bondi had strongly supported the state's Timely Justice Act, a new state law which speeds up executions by limiting "frivolous" inmate appeals.

The Palm Beach Post has more on this story, including Bondi's response to criticism over the move.

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