Press Release

FLORIDIANS
                F O R  A L T E R N A T I V E S
                                TO THE DEATH PENALTY (FADP)


                        MEDIA ADVISORY

15 December 2000

CONTACT:        Abe Bonowitz
                Mobile: 561-371-5204
                Pager: 888-319-1369


PROMINENT FLORIDIANS TO CALL FOR FLORIDA MORATORIUM ON THE DEATH PENALTY

Miami event is simultaneous with United Nations presentation of 2.7 million petition signatures and special illumination of the Coliseum in Rome, Italy

WHEN:  11am, Monday, 18 December 2000
WHERE: The Chesterfield Smith Center for Equal Justice, Room 100
3000 Biscayne Blvd., Miami, FLORIDA
WHO: Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty and
PROMINENT Floridians including:

**Spanish speakers will be present**

Gerald Kogan, Retired Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice and co-chair of The Innocence Project

Reverend Fred Morris, Executive Director of the Florida Council of Churches
Sammy Diaz, representing the Florida Catholic Conference
Reverend Thomas Masters, West Palm Beach Liaison to the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition
Freddie Pitts, Board Member, National Legal Aid and Defender Association, and Florida Death Row Survivor
SueZann Bosler, Board Member, Journey of Hope ...From Violence to Healing, and member of Murder Victim's Families for Reconciliation
Fred Eisinger, Executive Director, Seagull Industries for the Disabled, and Board Member, Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty
Randy Berg, Executive Director of the Florida Justice Institute
Howard Simon, Executive Director of the Florida ACLU
Political leaders, Representatives of Florida anti-DP groups, and others


WHY: Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty will launch its new Florida Moratorium Campaign and concurrent Florida Organizing Project.  This event is being held in solidarity with global events at the United Nations in New York City and at the Coliseum in Rome, Italy, as well as other locations in the United States and around the world.  Please see the attached press release from "Moratorium 2000," the organization established by Sister Helen Prejean, CSJ, author of "Dead Man Walking."

The following participants in Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty are available for comment in the following locations:

Ft. Myers: Richard Fabbro: 941-332-3449
Gainesville: Johnny Zokovitch: 352-377-9640
Jacksonville: Bernie Welch: 904-827-9100
Miami: Len Kaminsky: 305-754-9884
Orlando: Joe DuRocher: 407-836-4806
Tallahassee: Walter Moore: 850- 877-1609
Tampa: 800-973-6548
West Palm Beach: Abe Bonowitz: 800-973-6548


****

PRESS RELEASE

CONTACT:  Robert E. Jones
Moratorium 2000
(504) 864-1071
http://www.moratorium2000.org/


OVER 2.7 MILLION PEOPLE URGE U.N SECRETARY GENERAL TO SUSPEND USE OF DEATH PENALTY WORLDWIDE

Global Campaign Led by Sister Helen Prejean To Present Kofi Annan With Petitions At United Nations Meeting

Rome to Simultaneously Illuminate Coliseum

FLORIDIANS FOR ALTERNATIVES TO THE DEATH PENALTY
TO LAUNCH STATEWIDE EFFORT

New York, December 15, 2000- On December 18th over 2.7 million of the World's citizens will make a powerful collective statement by calling for a worldwide moratorium against the use of the death penalty.  Representatives of Moratorium 2000, the international coalition of death penalty opponents, will deliver a petition containing the signatures at a private meeting with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, seeking his support for the campaign.  The contingent will be led by Sister Helen Prejean, whose book Dead Man Walking distinguished her work as a leader in the anti-death penalty movement.  Prejean will be joined by Paul Hoffman, a member of Amnesty Internationals' International Executive Committee, and Mario Marazziti of the Rome interfaith community of Sant' Egidio.  The U.N. presentation is the culmination of two years of organizing to raise awareness about the fundamental inhumanity and unfairness of state-sponsored executions.

At a simultaneous press conference in Miami, former Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Gerald Kogan will lead a group of prominent Floridians in launching a new campaign for a state-wide moratorium on executions.  The press conference is organized by Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (FADP), a secular organization linking numerous local and state groups which advocate alternatives to the death penalty.

The United Nations presentation comes at a time when the United States death penalty has become the focus of increased scrutiny in the wake of numerous studies and surveys revealing evidence of a flawed system. Over 250,000 of the signatories are Americans, with almost 10,000 from Florida.  Reports made public this year reveal that both at the state and federal level - race, class and geography play a role in who is sentenced to death.  In addition, the system is riddled with stories of incompetent or severely under-funded defense lawyers. Adding to that prosecutorial and police misconduct increasing the chances of unfair results in sentencing.  And perhaps most compelling, since the reinstatement of the death penalty in 1976, 89 innocent people have been unjustly jailed and subsequently freed from death row. 

In a protracted war, the first step towards peace is a cease-fire, said Sister Helen Peace always comes in steps and the first step is to cease and desist from killing, which, of course, is a moratorium. Prejean hopes that the UN meeting will spur diplomatic initiatives towards a global ban on executions.

Amnesty International and the international interfaith community of Sant'Egidio have pledged their support for the Moratorium 2000 platform, in addition to a number of well-known celebrities and dignitaries including Desmond Tutu, Dalai Lama, Jimmy Carter, Rosalynn Carter, Elie Wiesel, Tim Robbins, Susan Sarandon and Bruce Springsteen.  Coinciding with the scheduled meeting with the Secretary General, the Coliseum in Italy will be illuminated.  In addition, participants will hold a rally outside the UN, which will also feature a number of noted speakers.

Covering media must submit request for UN access on letterhead to Sonia Lecca, Chief, UN Media Accreditation & Liaison Unit - Fax:  (212) 963-4642; to verify receipt of fax please call (212) 963-5934/7164 .   Pass must be obtained at 45th & 1st Avenue, UNITAR building; two forms of photo ID required.  Only camerapersons and photographers are going to be allowed into Annan's conference room.

***

SENT BY:

Abraham J. Bonowitz
Director

Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (FADP)

800-973-6548    http://www.fadp.org    <fadp@fadp.org>
PMB 335, 2603 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Hwy, Tequesta, FL  33469

Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty works for restorative justice in the form of effective alternatives to the death penalty.  It does so by
  # supporting and coordinating the work of organizations and individuals
  # educating and energizing the general public and state legislators
  # supporting the many persons affected by capital crime and punishment
  # advocating specific legislative improvements

PS: For fiscal & legal purposes, FADP is a project of CUADP <http://www.cuadp.org> until FADP is incorporated as it's own entity.  We need your help to make this happen soon.  Please call 800-973-6548 or e-mail <fadp@fadp.org> to get involved.  Checkbook activism helps too!  Make checks to CUADP and send to:

        FADP
        c/o CUADP
        PMB 335
        2603 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Hwy
        Tequesta, FL  33469

CONTRIBUTIONS TO CUADP ARE NOT TAX DEDUCTIBLE

A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE [FL] DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL FREE 800-435-7352 (FL only) OR 850-413-0840.  REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION
BY THE STATE.