Over the past three weeks, two convicted murderers in Florida have escaped from prison by forging bogus “motions to reduce their respective sentences and . . . court orders granting the request.” Florida is prosecuting a third inmate for unsuccessfully attempting the same scheme. A prosecutor whose name was forged by the inmates released a statement observing that “the use of forged court documents to obtain release from prison is an ongoing threat which all law enforcement, prosecutors, judges, court clerks and prison officials must address and stop.” Perhaps there should be a secure transmission system between clerks’ offices and the prison system for certain types of court orders. I hope that North Carolina officials are out in front of this trend. CNN has the story here. In other news: Notable last words. Staying with the Florida theme, this week the state executed William Happ, convicted 24 years ago of raping and killing 21-year-old Angela Crowley. It seems that Happ denied responsibility up until the final moments of his life, when he said, “For 27 years, the horrible murder of Angela Crowley has been clouded by circumstantial evidence and uncertainty. For the sake of her family, loved ones and all concerned, it is to my agonizing shame that I must confess to this terrible crime.” He offered his “most sincere and heartfelt apologies” to the victim’s family and asked for divine forgiveness while acknowledging that he “can certainly understand why those concerned here cannot” forgive him. The Orlando Sun-Sentinel has the [...]
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