Death row inmate Martin Grossman is scheduled to be executed by Florida authorities on February 16 for a murder he committed more than 25 years ago. The death penalty is a primitive, shameful practice that needs to be abolished in this country. In essence, it is a license for states to murder criminals who are locked-up behind bars. Research shows it has no deterrent effect. It allows extinguishing human lives based on a criminal justice system that is prone to error, inaccuracies, prejudice, and racism.But even supporters of the death penalty should strongly object to the impending execution of Mr. Grossman because of the gross injustice of this ultimate and irreversible punishment in his case. Grossman's life is now in the hands of Governor Charlie Crist, who should heed the calls of the ACLU, Amnesty, and other organizations and stay the execution, and ultimately grant him clemency.
According to the petition to save the life of Mr.Grossman, in 1984 Grossman was a 19-year-old drug-addict and high-school drop-out with a juvenile record for trespassing. He and a friend, Thanye Taylor, drove to an isolated nature reserve to fire a found handgun for fun. Meanwhile, Margaret Park, a wildlife officer, stopped them, searched their car and confiscated the gun. Martin, who is reported to have an IQ of 77 and a history of epilepsy, panicked and began pleading with the officer not to report him as he would be in violation of his probation. When she reached for her radio a struggle ensued, which resulted in the officer reaching for her own gun. Martin panicked, snatched her gun and fatally shot her.
A psychiatrist who evaluated him concluded, from his psychological and medical condition, that he could not have formed the intent to kill. The accomplice Taylor served less than three years in prison while Martin was sentenced to death. Grossman's petition argues that the death sentence meted out to him is disproportionate in the extreme and that his defense was inadequate.
The petition further argues that Martin's crime, considering the lack of premeditation, his drug addiction, his IQ level, and several other compelling factors does not qualify for the death penalty, and that the court ignored mitigating circumstances. Only four of thirty-three available defense witnesses were used in the sentencing phase. Additionally, there are allegations of prosecutorial misconduct as well. A fellow prisoner and key witness for the government swears that he lied at trial, and that he was rewarded by having his own charges dropped. Martin's appeals regarding these issues have been rejected without hearings, but they could be considered in a clemency petition. Read more about Grossman's case at the web site of Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty.
This blog unequivocally condemns the state-sponsored barbarity known as the 'death penalty' and calls for its total abolishment. But, as Professor Alan Dershowitz points out, even those who support capital punishment would limit it to recidivists or people who commit the most heinous of crimes. Martin Grossman fits neither of those categories. His crime, committed when he was a teenager, was unplanned, unpremeditated and impulsive - the product of a serious mental illness, that can now be proved by medical technology that was unavailable at the time of his sentencing.
Executing Martin Grossman is a terrible injustice. It would constitute a shameful act of violence and vengeance that serves no purpose. Help save Martin Grossman's life by asking Governor Crist (Phone: 850-488-7146 Fax: 850-487-0801) to grant clemency to Martin Grossman.
