In an open letter to the Governor of Florida today, friends and relatives of Mike Lambrix, who is due to be executed on February 11th, respectfully ask the Governor for a special clemency hearing in front of the full clemency board. This follows his lawyer’s request for a stay of execution
Mike Lambrix, Family and friend Jan Arriens
at the time of their first meeting in 1999 |
Allowing a full clemency hearing would enable them to share their personal insights on the character and history of Mike Lambrix.
Mike Lambrix, a US army veteran, has been on Death Row for almost 32 years and has consistently denied murder. He has admitted manslaughter, but says he acted in self defence as he tried to prevent a young woman being attacked. Mike Lambrix was never given a chance himself to testify at his own trials. The first trial resulted in a hung jury. The second convicted Mike, aged 22 at the time, with a majority verdict - as a unanimous verdict could not be reached. There is evidence of irregularities in Mike' s trial, which for procedural reasons has never been before a judge. Yesterday the Supreme Court ruled that the capital sentencing scheme in Florida violates the Sixth Amendment, as the critical findings necessary to impose the death penalty were made by the judge rather than the jury. It is unclear at this stage what impact Hurst v. Florida will have on Lambrix's case, but Mike's supporters hope his execution will be stayed. Friends and family also point out how much Mike has changed and grown in prison, educating himself, helping others and developing a strong interest in and knowledge of US law and - more surprisingly - cosmology and quantum physics. Addressing the Governor, the letter says: "You are clearly a man of integrity and faith – with a strong interest in law – and so we hope and pray that you will want to do what must be the right thing in these circumstances – simply to allow a condemned man the chance to speak and to hear from his friends and family who have never been heard in a court of law." (See letter below) Adam Tebrugge, clemency counsel for Michael Lambrix has said: “A clemency hearing should be granted to Michael Lambrix so all the reasons his life should be spared could be heard by the Governor and Clemency Board” SAVE is a French association under the 1901 law
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