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Time to Balance the Scales: Death Row Survivor Juan Roberto Melendez
Speaks Out Across Florida
October 5, 2002
Juan Melendez, the 24th man exonerated and released from Florida's death row, will join murder victim family members SueZann Bosler and Bill Pelke, and Abe Bonowitz, director of Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (FADP), in a tour that will bring them to most areas of Florida between October 7 and October 22, 2002.
At a time when Florida has resumed executions and the death penalty has factored into the upcoming election, these voices of experience bring an often neglected perspective to the growing statewide discussion about the death penalty.
The Florida Innocence Tour will be in the following areas on the dates noted below. Participants are available for radio, television (including radio and TV talk shows) and print interviews in person and by telephone or remote studio locations. Please call 800-973-6548 to schedule an interview and/or to learn of locally scheduled media availability.
PARTICIPANTS:
Juan Melendez, who spent more than 17 years on Florida's death row before his conviction was thrown out and the charges against him dismissed. Melendez was freed on January 3, 2002, and is the most recently released of the 24 people exonerated from Florida's death row so far. Click here for a case summary of the case.
SueZann Bosler and Bill Pelke, of the Journey of Hope ... From Violence to Healing ... are both murder victims' family members who speak out about the healing power of forgiveness and for alternatives to the death penalty. Click here for more details on both individuals.
Abe Bonowitz, director of Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty,is a registered Republican and a former supporter of the death penalty. He also serves as Chairman of the ONE BAD AMENDMENT Political Committee and is available to speak about Amendment #1 on the November ballot. Click here for more details on Amendment # 1.
DATES:
The Florida Innocence Tour participants are available for in-person interviews and appearances in the following areas on the noted dates. To schedule an interview or learn of a specific media availability, please call Aoife (pronounced EE-FA) Titley at 800-973-6548.
- OCT. 7: Miami area (returning to South Florida Oct. 21/22)
- OCT. 8: West Palm Beach area
- OCT. 9: Gainesville (will be protesting at the extermination.)
- OCT. 10: Daytona area
- OCT. 11: Orlando area
- OCT. 12: Jacksonville area
- OCT. 13: Open
- OCT. 14: Pensacola area
- OCT. 15: Tallahassee area
- OCT. 16: Lakeland/Central Florida area
- OCT. 17: Tampa Bay/Central Florida area
- OCT. 18: Tampa Bay/Central Florida area
- OCT. 19: Sarasota/Bradenton area
- OCT. 20: Ft. Myers/Naples area
- OCT. 21: Ft Lauderdale area
- OCT. 22: Miami area
Media Conact: Abe Bonowitz (FADP) at 800-973-6548 or 561-371-5204 or Alessandra Soler Meetze (ACLU) at 305-576-2337 ext. 16 or 786-208-7203.
