Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty
MEDIA ADVISORY

DATE:  10 January 2002

CONTACT:        Abe Bonowitz
                  800-973-6548
                  Mobile: 561-371-5204

AMOS KING FIRES LAWYERS/HEARING FRIDAY
FADP to Attend Hearing

Amos Lee King, scheduled to be executed in Florida on January 24th, 2002,
has petitioned the Florida Supreme Court to appoint new attorneys who will
thoroughly and vigorously represent his interests, or alternatively, to
allow him to drop his appeals.

King, who has always claimed innocence, maintains that Capital Collateral
Regional Counsel (CCRC) Middle Region attorneys are not adequately
representing him.  In fact, King has an offer of assistance from Barry
Scheck's Innocence Project, pending direct communication from King's
attorney of record.  King was promised that such communication would be
made by one of the CCRC Middle attorneys, but as of this time it has not
been made.

"Clearly, Mr. King feels that CCRC Middle attorneys are playing games, and
he's had enough," said Abe Bonowitz, director of Floridians for
Alternatives to the Death Penalty.  "I think it says a lot that King is
willing to waive further proceedings and be killed rather than simply go
along with appeals that are intended to fail."

THE KEY ISSUE:  CCRC Middle Region is directed by Bill Jennings, a
political functionary whose purpose is to hurry cases along to execution,
instead of fighting to defend the lives of the prisoners they are mandated
to represent.  Jennings, a former prosecutor, was appointed by Governor
Bush last year and promptly fired the most effective lawyers in the
office.  Jennings claims he fired attorneys Harry Brody and Jeff Hazen
because there were multiple complaints from the inmates they
represented.  In fact, nearly all of those prisoners have filed motions
similar to the request now made by King -- to be moved from CCRC Middle to
CCRC North -- where, surprise surprise, Harry Brody and Jeff Hazen now work.

SEE KINGS' ARTICULATELY HAND WRITTEN PLEADINGS AT
<http://www.fadp.org/takeact.html#AMOS%20KING>.

In attempting to forestall tomorrow's hearing, attorney's for the State
argued that Kings' motion for new attorneys was frivolous and abusive,
however the Florida Supreme Court yesterday rebuked the State by remanding
the motion to the Circuit Court of the Sixth Judicial Circuit in and for
Pinellas County, Florida, for that court "to conduct a hearing as soon as
possible and for consideration and determination on an expedited basis."

The hearing will be in front of Judge Susan Schaeffer at 12:30 pm in
Courtroom #1 at the Criminal Justice Center in Clearwater.  Members of
Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty will observe the
proceedings and be available for comment afterwards.

In the wake of the recent exoneration of Juan Melendez, and the growing
awareness that there exists a high probability that more innocent men and
women are imprisoned wrongly on Florida's death row, every claim of
innocence must be fully investigated.  Florida leads the nation with 24
death row exonerations.  When one inmate is released for every two who are
executed, every precaution must be taken to insure that an innocent man is
not killed in the name of the people of this great state.

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 297, 177 U.S. Highway #1, 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