Home » About » Newsletters » August 1996
The 1996 Nelson Poynter Award
By Development Director CJ Fragola
The ACLU Foundation of Florida sponsors an annual dinner to celebrate the Bill of Rights and thank the dedicated volunteers who are the backbone of the defense of civil liberties in Florida. The highlight of the evening is the awarding of the Nelson Poynter Award to a person or persons to recognize outstanding dedication to the cause of individual rights.
This year's dinner will be held Saturday, November 23 at the Westin Hotel, Cypress Creek, in Fort Lauderdale. A cocktail reception will begin at 7:00 pm and the dinner will start at 8:00 pm.
We are very pleased to announce that Mr. Stephen F. Hanlon has been selected by the Board of Directors as this year's Nelson Poynter Award recipient. This award is named in tribute to Nelson Poynter, the crusading editor of the St. Petersburg Times.
In nominating Mr. Hanlon, Board Member Allan Terl noted his career "has been spent in the defense of the rights of women (including pregnant women), lesbians and gay men, racial minorities, migrant workers, students, the disabled, those sentenced by the state to death, those whose free speech rights have been denied and those without the means to pursue their rights. He has devoted his career to not just the rights of individuals and even groups, but to improvement of the legal process as well."
Mr. Hanlon has distinguished himself both in his profession and in his community. He manages Holland & Knight's Community Services Team which provides legal representation to people, groups, and causes that would otherwise not be able to afford it. He is presently Chair of the Civil Rights and Equal Opportunity Committee of the Individual Rights and Responsibilities Section of the American Bar Association and is a pastChairman of the Public Interest Law Section of the Florida Bar. He is a member of the Board of Directors of The Florida Bar Foundation and is President of Florida Legal Services.
Mr. Hanlon has had significant impact in case law through litigation. Among many noteworthy cases are;
Spaziano v. State, where "Crazy Joe" Spaziano's death sentence was vacated after the Florida Supreme Court remanded the case to trial court based on newly discovered evidence of recantation of testimony of a key prosecution witness.
The Rosewood Claims Bill, which was initiated on behalf of nine survivors of the "Rosewood Massacre" and their descendants for compensation for the 1923 burning of the AfricanAmerican town of Rosewood. In 1994 the Legislature passed and the governor signed a 2.1 million dollar claims bill to compensate the victims.
Diaz v. Tampa General Hosp., a class action brought on behalf of thousands of low income, high risk pregnant women who were unwitting subjects of medical experimentation at a teaching hospital. The administrative complaint resulted in a finding in favor of the complainants and substantial reform of the system of biomedical research at this institution.
In addition, Mr. Hanlon has made the time to be active in many civic and charitable organizations. He was a founding member of Tampa Crossroads, a halfway house which helps prison inmates reenter society. He also is a founding member of the Center for Women, the first such center in the state to provide assistance to displaced homemakers. Mr. Hanlon was the first chairman of the Housing Finance Authority of Hillsborough County and presided over the issuance of the first low income housing bond financing in that county. He is presently a member of the Board of Directors of the Florida Education Fund, a publicprivate partnership whose purpose is to ensure access to effective higher education programs for minorities in Florida.
Executive Director Robyn Blumner calls Mr. Hanlon's selection a "great one." "Steve exemplifies what Nelson Poynter meant to the oppressed in Florida. His dedication and determination to fight for those who have very little access to our legal system is an example of what should be the best of his profession. We are very honored to add his name to our other Poynter Award recipients."
Budd Bell Also Honored
In recognition of the over 25 years of work on behalf of the ACLU's legislative efforts and her dedication as a human rights activist, Budd Bell will be given a special Legislative Award at this year's dinner. Between 19711985 Budd and her now deceased husband Bill volunteered their time, resources, and talents to the ACLU of Florida to maintain a Legislative program in Tallahassee. Perhaps their greatest achievement was the passage of the Baker Act, establishing civil rights for persons with mental disabilities. According to ACLU Legislative Staff Counsel Larry Spalding, "Budd is the foundation upon which our new North Florida Office was built."
To make reservations or for further information, please contact our Development Director, CJ Fragola, at (305) 576-2337.
